Hello there current 6MT owners (Goofy and others) and those who have test driven a 6MT (Trey and ....)

My local dealer has no 07 6MTs & will probably have none in a while either.
I want to get a feel for the 07 6 MT ... so some questions ...

(1) Is the 07 shifter, clutch, tranny significantly different from previous Gs (like 04-06) or for that matter the current 350Z ? If not, maybe I can drive one of those if available.

(2) If the 07 MT is different from all that's out there .... then have any of you test driven a BMW 335i stick ? I've driven that and if you have also, can you compare the two ?
-> In terms of clutch feel (how high does it engage and how smooth is it)
-> Shifter feel - engagement ease, throw length, vibration etc
and any other attributes to compare the two.

My intent is NOT to provoke a flame war between the 2 cars -- just to get a feel for the G's MT (by comparing it with the 335i's MT) since I am not able to drive a G MT for myself.

Thanks .... and any of you that can test drive a G 6MT should consider themselves lucky !!!

 

I believe nissan is still using the same crappy tranny. So it may not be much better.

 

I've heard the exact opposite of nickk6, The magazines, i.e. motor trend have stated the Nissan shifter is far superior to BMW's box. smoother and shorter throws. it's the same tranny as an 06 or 05, search a site like cars.com or autotrader.com and see if there are any 6MT, even if they are used.

 

I test drove a 2007 G35S 6MT recently. Here's my impressions:

-I thought the clutch was tricky. The friction point was very short (think on/off switch), and right near the top of the travel as the pedal was released.

-The shift throws are shorter than the outgoing model, require less effort, and have less of a notchy feel. The shift action is not as smooth as say, a Civic Si, but it's a definite improvement over the outgoing model.

-The one I drove had a little bit of vibration in the shifter. I probably wouldn't have even really noticed it, if members here had not mentioned it.

Overall, I found the car difficult to drive smoothly...it was just "unforgiving," like say, a Mazdaspeed6. I think the new G is awesome, and I REALLY wanted to love it, but instead walked away a little disappointed, because I personally couldn't see myself driving this car daily in Bay Area traffic.

You asked an honest question, so I hope I'm not ticking off the people on this board by answering honestly. I'm also kind of hoping that maybe I drove a "bad" one, and that other members will chime in with different perceptions.

 

Having put 600+ miles on my '07 6MT I have to agree with both of these comments. The clutch isn't very forgiving as there isn't much pedal motion between the first engagement point and fully engaged. Combine this with a somewhat touchy accelerator pedal and you can get some lurchy off-the-line starts if you're not attentive.

Another oddity I've noticed is that when you fully release the gas pedal while
in gear the rpms at first drop smoothly but then after about a 1 sec delay there is a sudden rpm drop with a corresponding jolt of a deceleration. It
can make stop & go traffic a bit rough as its effects are most prominent in low gears. The service manager told me today it was something he had noticed in my and one other car, and another forum member concurred, so I think this is a design issue. Not sure if it is present in the AT version.

I can live with these as the car is otherwise so wonderful. But if I had noticed them before making a purchase decision I might have spent more time considering other options. My advice is to definitely try before you buy.

 

Yes, it's true, the throttle is what's bugging me more. In fact, I'm in love with the tranny and clutch action. With the throttle, however, once you let go of the pedal, you wait a sec, and then your car jolts forward -- as if you've hit the brakes. This usually happens with the first few gears. Even autos do that (if you shift to 1 or 2, then rev and coast with your foot off). I am surprised to find that this happens with practically all 6 gears. It's not so much an issue as it is annoying sometimes, because in this car, you can't resist from revving hard. Once you do, you try to slow down by not accelerating, then the toss happens when the RPMs drop.

On the other hand, the shifting is great!!! My biggest issue is that I sometimes can't shift into gear. This mostly happens from 3rd to 4th. I'll pull the shifter back, and instead of putting it into 4, I end up hitting somewhere between 2 and 4. Sometimes it happens to me for 5th-to-6th as well. I am not the most experience stick driver in the world, but I did drive my Mazda6s for the past three years, and this never happened. Then again, when I drove my 6s just before I sold it, I noticed just how pathetically non-sporty the clutch/shift action was. And let me tell you, I thought my 6s was already sporty compared to competitors (especially Accords). So you can imagine just how fun the G35 is to drive.

The vibration sucks, but as I've said in another thread, you'll have so much fun, you'll forget it's vibrating in your hand. Plus, during extreme and exhilarating driving, you'll want both hands on the wheel anyway.

By the way, I have no problems with the engagement points -- or finding that "sweet spot." I don't know how many of you have driven Mazdas (sorry, that's the only comparison I can make), but the 6s and the Miata are a pain in the ****. The clutch pedal is so stiff, requires a lot of effort, and waaaay too much travel to the floor. The G35's pedal isn't as forgiving as Hondas and Toyotas (what are BMW/MB MTs like?), but I find the car very easy to drive. With a little practice, you can drive this car like butter and still get the acceleration you need. Just don't tap that throttle too much, or you'll definitely that lurchy launch as Cabrito described. I've done that many-a-times, where the clutch just isn't grabbing on, so I look like a dumb a$$ trying to get out of a dead stop. Otherwise, the only times when I mess up is in reverse. In the beginning, I stalled a lot trying to pull out of a parking space.

 

Never driven a MB stick (do they even make those anymore in <50k cars !?!?)

Anyways, I've driven a bmw 335i stick ....

the throws are ridiculously long on that one - I was kinda surprised (never driven a bimmer before) - but I had always thought that being the gold standard for sport sedans it would have a nice short throw - but no. (and I checked - its not even an option)

the clutch itself feels just about right - not too heavy or light and the travel is just fine too.
The engagement "zone" is quite smooth (definitely not the "on/off" thing you mention) - reasonably forgiving, I would say.

The throttle is not jumpy at all -- its quite easy to move smoothly from a stop.

never driven a mazdaspeed6 - maybe I can see if I can test drive that to get a reference point !!

bmw would have a winner if only they made the throws shorter - much shorter -- its more like driving the ultimate driving bus right now !

 

I drove a C350 with manual transmission. It was extremely forgiving....I found myself thinking that it'd be a good car on which to teach someone how to handle a manual trans.

I agree with max2k1 (regarding the nice clutch and long shifter throws) on the 335i. I actually drove a 330i when they came out, but it sounds like the 335i is the same setup. I also thought the 1-2 shift felt a little crunchy as well......

 

The 07 6MT is the same setup as the 05 and 06 G Sedans, coupes and 350s. I've got an 05 6MT Sedan and I love it. Yes, the clutch engagement point is a little trickier than some, but otherwise the clutch is a nice light resistance level, while the throws are short and deliberate and accurately described as a rifle bolt type of action. I'd consider the whole system a little rough around the edges, but appropriate for a 300hp sport sedan.

To me, its heaven. But depending on your commute and ability to drive this thing smoothly, it might be a little herky jerky sitting in stop n go traffic all day.

 

Anymore Input?? I just ordered an 07 G35S 6Spd without test driving One! my Dealer only Had Automatics! Which was Impressive Already. I drive a 90 GT Stang with Motor and a Vortech with a Five Speed. And it gets Jerky At Slow Speeds Also. But thats with all Upgraded Racing Stuff. So I hope the New 07 G35 6 Spd is not that Bad! I drove an 04-05 G35 Coupe at work, and the Clutch was Light and Shifting was good. Some Reviews I read make it sound Like the Shifting and Jerking is "SO BAD" that u should get the Auto. Hope this Is Just a Slight Overraction on thier part! And I Understand everyone drives Diffrent, So Just waiting Patiently for my Car to be Built!

 

If you've driven a coupe and liked it, then you're golden. Basically the exact same setup.

 

I love my 6 speed. It's not the most forgiving, but you shouldn't expect that from a sports car. The catch point is right in the middle of the clutch movment. I had to think about each shift for the first day, now I'm as smooth as the AT without having to concentrate. It's awesome. If you've driven a standard before there's nothing to worry about.

 

I agree about the 335... long throws & a little rubbery.
If I had gone that route, a SSK would def be req'd.

Also throttle was just a tad lazy dropping revs getting off the loud pedal.
Rev matching H&T was more effort than it should have been.

However, the Z4 M.... shifter & clutch is everything the 335 wasn't.
No S2K.... but damn good

 

Aiight Thank's for that info TBone! If it's basically the Same, then it's all Good! As I am a very good Stick Driver, so Glad to hear it pretty much the same as the outgoing G35 6MT Cars!