I test drove one of these yesterday, and was not blown away by the acceleration. I currently have a 2003 G35s 5AT, and I think it may be as fast or faster than the new model in stock form.

The new sedan was very low miles, so I didnt use full throttle or revs over 4K, but the result was a little disappointing. Has anyone with a broken in 2005 6MT been able to get a really subjective test to show that the additional ponies are real?

I also had a test ride in the new M. Nice car but it's not for me. I would prefer the 340 hp V8 in the G35 chassis.

 

I've driven the AT and I purchased the 6mt a few days ago. What I've noticed in my limited ownership is that there is a "skill factor" required to squeeze out the horsepower from the 6mt. The auto "pulls" and feels very fast. My manual feels faster to me. I'm also in the break-in period, so I don't go beyond 4K RPM. Once that's over with, I will be able to blow it out at 5-6K RPM in 3rd and 4th gear. The problem with the break-in period is that you're shifting out of gear just when the engine is ready to roar.

 

I've drove an 03, 04 and my new 05 all within the 24 hours leading up to my purchase.

I walked away feeling exactly the opposite - the 05 seemed quicker. I dogged the DEMO pretty hard and it seemed faster to me from tip in until I let off. The 03 and 04 I drove were also very quick (all autos by the way) but I thought the 05 seemed more sudden.

I'd bet that my personal bias and excitement about the purchase of the 05 came into play as well...

No matter. I didn't base my purchase on 1/4 mile times or 0-60 sprints alone. The dyno numbers posted here recently lead me to believe that the right driver should be able to drive the 05 6MT faster in stock form. Once you start modding all bets are off.

Love the car and it does what I expect when I step on it. That's all that matters to me.

 

Wouldn't we all.

 

I can understand where you are coming from keeping the RPM under 4K would lead most to feel that way. You need to get the RPMs up to at least 5K, and then you'll feel the difference. PS) if the 6MT is a demo vehicle floor it. They certainly don't care at my local Infiniti dealership.

 

Also, it appears that the 2005 6MT engine is tuned for more power up top (298) at the expense of a slight torque decrease at lower RPMs... so if you don't get up into the higher RPMs... you won't be getting into the extra power.

 

Auto's always feel faster than 6mt's, especially off the line. It's a sensation because torque is built-up in auto's. When I get a loaner auto it always feels faster. In the higher RPM range though you can tell the 6mt is faster, and you can also tell it when you shift.

 

When I was shopping for my 2004 6MT I KNEW it was 'supposed' to be a very quick car with lots of power. I'm not into babying cars on test drives (I like to spank them around a little) and I'd driven maybe 3 different 6MT G Sedans on 3 different occasions before I purchased mine. I have to say, EVERY time I test drove one I was less than impressed with the performance. The car FELT very slow and it really seemed like the gas pedal just wasn't the magic wand I was looking for... I was coming from a 6 speed 200 HP VW GTI and in all honesty the 200HP VW felt quicker and more powerful to me.

I still bought the car though, because I suspected that under the hood lay the monster I was looking to tame. Sure enough, I found that monster. Her name is Geena and she eats boy racers for lunch. After a couple tanks of premium gas and some more familiarity with the clutch and tranny, Geena awakened from her slumber, donned some leather, and grabbed her whip and chain.

I think half of it is this 6MT does take some getting used to at first, it's not the most intuitive of transmissions, and the other thing is that I highly doubt whether the dealers are putting premium gas in the cars they keep on the lot. I think the VQ35 really reacts differently with 87/89 and 93 octane.

So yeah, I too was less than impressed when test driving (even test driving HARD) the 6MT, but when I got her home, Geena showed me her true colors. ...The kinky b*tch.

 

LOL doogie You do make Geena sound so hot and sexy!!!!

 

It's easy, because she IS hot and sexy.

 

Doogie,

I'm comparing the new 6mt with whatever fuel it has in it to my 24000 mile 2003 sedan 5A with 87 octane. Personally, I think the difference in performance of my car with 87 octane is virtually indistinguishable from it's performance on 93 octane. I think the 6mt was just very tight as it only had 10 miles on the clock. Even making allowances, it did not feel that quick though.

I wasn't ******* the car and am well familiar with driving 6 speeds (have a Z06 as well). I was just using moderate throttle and shifting at about 4K to show some respect for a tight new engine, as well as the future owner.

 

I agree. I have a 2005 6MT and I was thinking the same thing today. Granted it only has 450 miles on it, but I am not sticking to the break in period. I am not running it hard but I will get it up to redline a few times during the day. I mentioned this in an earlier post that I thought the AT felt faster, now I don't know if that is true when the stats come into play, but the AT does feel faster.

Granted I am not disappointed. I was just expecting to be blown away by the 6MT. Everytime I test drove an AT I had a huge grin on my face when I got out. The MT makes you work for the speed more.

Someone said it and they are right. It doesn't get on boil till about 4k and then you realize you have another 3k to get out of it.

Part of it is also that you are going faster than you realize, I think. You are so concious of the REVs and the shifting that you aren't focusing on just hanging on like in the AT.

I do love it though and am shifting much better than when I first got it. I don't know if I am just shifting better or the tranny is breaking in.

 

I've never posted before, but from my understanding I believe you guys are being fooled by the extra torque in the older model cars/5AT's. I currently have a 2000 civic si, I've had it for 5 years now, it pulls off a whopping 97-100 ft/lbs of torque (to the wheels) in stock form. On the other side of the spectrum, I have a neighbor w/ an auto 3rd gen camaro w/ a 305 V8. Driving his car to mine is like night and day. (He's only 18 and it was a free car...lol) His feels much faster than mine- solely because of the torque. However, his best 1/4 mile time was 16.5 @ ~84 and mine was 15.53 @ 89. It's not even close. So, my conclusion; you can literally "feel" torque, it pushes the car/ thrusts it forward, but hp pulls the car to speed.
Sidenote-
I joined the boards because I'm in the market for a g sedan once I graduate in May and I wanted to find out first hand of the negatives/positives.

 

I have a 2005 6mt and came from a 2003 coupe 5at. The 6mt is faster. My kids have noticed it. I have 3500 miles on so far and it pulls all the way to red line. I hope to get a dyno soon - though the one I used for the coupe is no longer there.

Driving an auto can feel faster than a manual. Slam the pedal to the floor and the gear is chosen. With the 6mt, getting the right gear is upto the driver. I have tested the coupe on a back road with markers and did the same on the new sedan. The sedan gets to the same marker at a higher speed, just a few. But thats all it takes.

One thing I liked about the coupe is that it did not bounce when spinning the tires. The sedan winds up and lets go, winds up and lets go, giving bounce. What gives?

 

I've driven both trannys and by the seat of the pants, the auto does feel faster. I passed up the 6 speed because of all it's quirks and I had gotten a bit tired of shifting for 12 years out of my 15 years of driving.

As much as I'd like to believe the auto is quicker and faster, I know it's not. Of course this is assuming you can drive and shift a manual to within 95%+ of it's capabilities. The autos feel faster for a number of reasons:

1) The torque multiplication of the torque converter in the auto is pretty stout because the stock stall speed is in the 2600-2800rpm range which is pretty high for OEM. That initial 0-30mph lunge and thrust has more push on your back than the 6 speed has. Initially, the torque converter is putting down a good bit more torque to the wheels than the 6 speed ever could.

2) With an auto, you're not in complete control. It's somewhat like being the passenger seat, the car feels quicker because you're not in control of it entirely.

3) The G force generated from 0-60 is far greater than the G's generated in the upper gears like 3, 4, and 5. 0-60 is where the torque converter comes into play. In 3rd is where the 6 speed is going to start showing it's advantage. It makes more power to wheels and has slightly better gearing therefore it generates more G's however the increase is very minimal therefore it's hard to tell you're accelerating harder. By the end of the 1/4 mile, the 6 speed will have probably opened up a 2 car lead and would probably finish .2-.3 seconds quicker and 2-3mph faster.