Computer know your speed, knows gear ratios (what rpm/mph by gear), drive by wire throttle. Sounds like a relatively simple math problem.

 

Yes, duh, it knows how far to blip it, but how does it know what gear you're going into until you've already crammed it in there, at which point it's too late for it to do the synchros any good?

 

Maybe you can just drop it into a lower gear and let out the clutch and the computer will leave the clutch disengaged, blip the throttle and re-engage it for you. That would be weird to get used to.

 

I can't see someone downshifting w/o having their foot on the brake. I imagine, if the brake pedal is pressed and the shift lever is pulled out of gear, the system will anticipate a downshift and blip the revs accordingly based on the lower gear selected.

 

How about if the brake and clutch are depressed at the same time. Much less work than tracking shifter position, and you will not likely push on both of those for an up-shift.

But if they bring a stick by I will find out on Thurs.

 

Yeah - that's what I meant. Please report back!

 

I do that quite often in daily driving. Cruising down the road in 4th or 5th and traffic slows down, but not enough to use brakes. I'll drop it to 3rd.

Even if the system assumed brakes+clutch=downshift, how's it know which gear you're going to? I'm very interested to hear how it works.

 

I take it you've never driven a LBC or VW Bug up a hill....

The whole idea of AI throttle blipping makes me less interested in the 370...not that I could stand to look at one on a daily driver basis, anyhow, based on the pics...

btw, R&T magazine did a mini test on the RX8 R3 and found it no quicker in any of the acceleration tests. It did slalom better than the old car...don't know if that is entirely attributable to the Bils or what...

 

But if you were driving a car at 9/10ths on a track, would you try to downshift w/o being on the brakes? I doubt a system like that would be designed to kick in at low rpms like when someone is puttering around downtown.

I'm sure a good deal of that is attributable to the Bils...some may also come from the shorter/stiffer sidewalls on the lower profile 19" tires.

 

The RE050 on the R3 may also be better than the tire that was on the previous car they tested, Bridgestone RE040/Dunlop SP8090.

 

Nah, I think it just handles better and, in conjunction with Saini at the wheel, you guys are pretty much SCREWED







You know I'm just messing with y'all....

 

Thus far, my experience with the SCCA has been one of boredom, vague progress curves, and just pure "stick up the butt" safety.

My experience with NASA on the other hand, is "go out and race. When you become unsafe, we'll bring you back to the pits. Then go out and race. Oh btw, here's your progress".

I'd go with the SCCA anyday for AutoX though, and if that's the only thing you want to do.

 

Well the whole tread was about autox, not sure what point you are trying to make by bringing up Nasa track events - but I guess it is a good way as any to back pedal.

 

I actually chortled at this one.


--kC

 

So I was just reading the Nov 2008 Autocar (one of our UK publications) it has a review of the 370. They confirm auto-blipping on the manual trans car. The bad news is the claim the same weight for the 350 and 370 - keep in mind the UK version of the car may not be exactly the same as ours.

We will get our preview today, but doubt we will get it on the scales or up in the air. But one of our visitors is the 370/GTR project manager, so we should be able to get a lot of data. I did find out the car we get to test at the end of the month is blue with a 6spd manual trans.

 

^
If you can, take it to an alignment shop to see what kind of numbers are possible up front. It's smelling like a possible BS car still -- crap diff, heavy weight.

 

Alignment shop, we don't need no stinking shop... We have everything we need here at the office. I doubt we will get to molest the car today, with its owners watching over us, but when we get our tester it will be taken to my house and given the full treatment.

 

Perfecto!!!

 

Really? If you get caught behind someone on a turn and have to significantly reduce your speed out of exit, below the RPM window of the engine, then you have to downshift to get back power before passing. Probably more common with low level HPDEs then real racing or more advanced track groups but it's happened enough to me to know how annoyed I get when I have to do it.

Now why they would think rev matching is warranted when you're right foot is more than willing to throttle up to match... that's another question.

I'd think this would have more use in real world applications when people try to pass on the highway. I'm pretty sure the average driver is going to do a worse job rev matching on the downshift on a highway then anyone reading this forum.

 

DAMN press embargo.... You guys will have to wait until 11-19-08 9:00am for specs, and 12-1-08 for "driving impressions".

Got some pics and video to post up then to.

 

This info was posted on NASIOC -- I guess we'll find out how accurate it is on 11/19:
If this is correct, it looks like the 370Z is almost 60lbs lighter than its corresponding '08 350Z model, while packing 26hp more. Not too shabby -- maybe AS???

 

No way 1/4 or even a 1/2 tank of gas weighs 100 pounds. The RX-8's 15.9 gallon tank is about 70 pounds.

 

Exactly -- so those unofficial "official" curb weights may be off by a bunch.

 

Well the 350 info might be accurate, I don't know those specs, but that 370 stuff is pretty worthless.

 

I agree, the stuff that gets thrown around the internetzzz, relative to weights etc. is most times b.s....and, how can a car that is "supposed" to weigh 3273 all of a sudden weigh in at 3169? Unauthorized scale?

Anyhow, unless the car has hell of adjustability in the front suspension, based on what I'm hearing, forget AS, it'll be running for 2nd (again) in BS...

When you start hearing about gimmicks like electronic throttle blip downshifts (on a manual trans car) and weight being only 60lbs less than the previous model, you have to start wondering how much of what Nissan has been leaking to the press is hype and how much is going to be real.