Are you getting Manual or Auto?

[r311music]

I'm still debating. I have my motorcycle for whenever I need to get my manual fix. The FRS will be my DD on days the weather isn't ideal for riding. I don't care which one is faster since neither will come close to the kawi haha.

[SpyderDan]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Not according to this video even if they are horrible drivers:

If you look at the dash in that video (around 29 second mark), the AT driver has failed to put his transmission in Sport mode.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by SpyderDan

If you look at the dash in that video (around 29 second mark), the AT driver has failed to put his transmission in Sport mode.

I think the car's in manual mode? I am pretty sure sport mode won't do anything when you go fully manual.

[bkblitzed]

Originally Posted by SpyderDan

If you look at the dash in that video (around 29 second mark), the AT driver has failed to put his transmission in Sport mode.

doubt it'll make up the difference of the other car pulling that much.

[r311music]

Originally Posted by bkblitzed

doubt it'll make up the difference of the other car pulling that much.

They are both "slow." An automatic V6 stang would have left both cars behind haha. You pick the transmission of this car based on what you want in a car. Plus who would be dumb enough to buy this car just for it's acceleration?

[makesdrivingfunagain]

I'm not sure if the video stated the weight of the vehicles including the drivers. I am wondering if perhaps they were at the same speed yet a different engine rpm when racing, and also if one had a full tank and a spare or other weight reduction. RPM as we all know can make a huge difference even if only by 500. Eventually it seemed fairly close (overall).

[Anaxilus]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

I think the car's in manual mode? I am pretty sure sport mode won't do anything when you go fully manual.

Completely wrong. I made the mistake of thinking that w/ my first test drive, hated the auto. Slow upshifts, felt like I had time to wait and pull the paddle again because it didn't respond. Same for downshifts and no control of second gear. Learned Sport mode was separate on the tranny not just VSC Sport. Much, much better, not as quick as my SMT but close enough to be happy.

So yes, it's a huge difference. Big enough I was about take a pass on the car entirely. Someone even posted about 6-8 permutations of different transmission modes available w/ the auto. Kind of crazy.

[SpyderDan]

Yeah, I notice a big difference in manual mode with the transmission in Sport mode. The shifts are faster, quicker more aggressive rev match, and I believe you get more aggressive throttle input as well (or just not slowed down and smoothed out throttle input for economy).

[Anaxilus]

Originally Posted by makesdrivingfunagain

I'm not sure if the video stated the weight of the vehicles including the drivers. I am wondering if perhaps they were at the same speed yet a different engine rpm when racing, and also if one had a full tank and a spare or other weight reduction. RPM as we all know can make a huge difference even if only by 500. Eventually it seemed fairly close (overall).

Honestly, at that point there's less to the theory that the MT is 'faster' shifting than the AT simply weighs more and has more parasitic loss in the drivetrain.

I'd also hazard a guess that around 40%-50% of owners w/ MTs will almost never shift their car as fast the AT does in Sport mode.

[BRZ21]

Originally Posted by EK_Golfer

I was in a friend's BRZ MT, which he's had for a year now, crawling through stop-and-go traffic, and the drivetrain seemed to have some jerk/lashing (we'd make it up to second gear before having to full brake, flow of traffic was never slow enough to stay in 1st gear). I've driven MT in traffic with Hondas, VWs, and BMW that have smoother drivetrains in bad traffic. On open roads though, the ride was much smoother (the twins definitely like being shifted at high RPMs).

Of course this could be just my friends driving ability, but I've heard a lot about the difficulty of driving the MT in our cars smoothly in harsh traffic.

In the end I'm glad I have my AT as this car is my DD road warrior getting me through rush hour everyday. In wish I had it in MT for weekends though!

I sat in stop go traffic (15-20 mph max) on the belt parkway (Staten island ny) for and hour and a half and its smooth as can be... plus the clutch pedal is so light its not tiring at all.

edit: my dd too

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by Jedi1

We will be autocrossing our Auto in National Level ST class competition. Bought the auto because of its ability to up or downshift quickly in situations that you would otherwise just bang the limiter to avoid the shift. Certain courses will favor the ability to either grab third and then trail the car into a corner with some left foot brake while downshifting to second seamlessly or pull the car out of a slow speed corner with first gear instead of lugging off the corner in second because the shift down and back up simply takes too long to justify.

I've been racing for almost 38 years and I LOVE manuals, but this auto is intriguing on too many levels not to give it a go.

I came from BMW M/T to FR-S A/T and really enjoy the performance. Will be autocrossing this weekend. Any tips or techniques for the launch? Do you brake torque?

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by Anaxilus

I'd disagree w/ this personally. I'll likely get the auto but during my test drive w/ VSC Sport, the auto was noticeably slower than my other SMT. Surprisingly quite slower in downshifts than I was expecting too. I often found myself tapping twice because of waiting. Not to mention no control over 1st gear at all. The SMT is noticeably slower than a PDK, the Auto was slower still by what felt like the same margin at times.

I'm not sure if perhaps the ECU's logic had not yet learned my driving style being a new car, so that may have been a factor. But so far, I would not say the Auto is even remotely close to a PDK. If a SMT is 150-200ms, I'd say the Auto was nearly double that based on butt dyno.

I'm not sure I understand the tapping twice because of waiting. Waiting or not, the only thing tapping twice will get you is two successive downshifts. Like from fourth to second and it will hit third along the way. Not instantly but plenty quick. The only circumstance where it won't follow through on the downshifts you tapped in is if it would result in an over rev.

And... there is control over first gear the same as any other gear. Again you can't downshift to first if it will result in an over rev. That's a good thing.

[Anaxilus]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

I'm not sure I understand the tapping twice because of waiting. Waiting or not, the only thing tapping twice will get you is two successive downshifts. Like from fourth to second and it will hit third along the way. Not instantly but plenty quick. The only circumstance where it won't follow through on the downshifts you tapped in is if it would result in an over rev.

And... there is control over first gear the same as any other gear. Again you can't downshift to first if it will result in an over rev. That's a good thing.

I said I wanted to tap a second time instinctively because it took so long in manual mode w/o sport mode engaged. It's like the elevator door effect when u press the button and nothing happens. Same for second gear to first, it's much less aggressive, wouldn't blip the throttle and only down shifted to first at a near stop unlike when sport mode was engaged on the tranny and responded like it should from 2nd to 1st at the proper speed rather than being sisified. You can tap the paddle 3 or 4 times in sissy mode and second wont drop to first at the same speed it will in sport mode.

If people are shifting their Autos in manual mode w/o sport mode engaged on the tranny, you are really missing out big time. Might as well just leave it in drive.

[sprintertrueno86]

Originally Posted by Anaxilus

If people are shifting their Autos in manual mode w/o sport mode engaged on the tranny, you are really missing out big time. Might as well just leave it in drive.

I've read that it doesn't make it difference but I swear manual mode + sport mode ON is much better. I feel that manual mode just allows the driver to +/- shift. Manual + sport mode shifts faster/aggressively and has better throttle response.