Tech Zone
You definitely don’t have any horses pulling your automobile, so why in the world do we compare our engines using the horsepower measurement? The term was created many years ago by James Watt to help market and sell his steam engine. Let’s take a look at how and why he used the term.
Accel Times goes in-depth to explain how a dual clutch transmission works. DCTs take the best features of manual, automatic, and sequential-manual transmissions to create the fastest possible shifts, so long as the drive is willing to give up some manual control. Find out how they work here.
Offered as part of the optional $3000 sport package on the new Nissan 370Z, and standard on the NISMO Z, the SynchroRev Match Transmission does exactly what its name implies, matching the engine speed with the appropriate gear. Traditionally with a manual transmission, downshifting requires a blip of the throttle to avoid a harsh shift, characterized by a forward jerk of the car. Downshifting while braking is more difficult, requiring the driver’s right foot to operate the brake with the heel, while feathering the gas pedal with the toe, known as the “heel-toe” technique. This is usually only mastered by professional race drivers. Nissan’s close-ratio 6-speed manual includes the world’s first synchronized downshift rev-matching system, which allows drivers of any skill level to experience professional-like gear shift performance.
