Glad that you would consider it. I highly suggest getting the 6MT, so much more fun. I had an AT G35 and compared with the 6MT it is severely lacking in the enjoyment factor.

It took me a few months to get used to the 6MT, but well worth it. I went through a small phase of starting off in 2nd, as it is the hardest gear to switch to smoothly. I also tried going from 1st to 3rd for a little while too. Now I go through 1-6 in sequence as I feel better about it.

My suggestion would be to feel out the clutch, and once finding the friction point it is much easier. I usually get the RPMs up to about 1500 before I get to the friction point and then try to keep it there as I pass it.
On hills just take the RPM a little higher and release the clutch slightly faster. It takes some getting used to, but you will get it pretty quickly.

 

I learned stick shift on a 08 37s coupe not too long ago. From experience i can tell you that you just have to give yourself small challenges each day. I was so scared of hills when i first got it and the funny part was when i picked it up from the dealership to get home there was a big hill with traffic! i had to hand it off to my friend who has been driving stick for awhile. first gear is very jumpy in this car when your first learning . Sometimes you might sike yourself out because you might think the engine is fully synced up with the trans and let off completely and find yourself lugging around for a few secs. The best method for starting in 1st when i got mine was blipping the throttle a little (maintining just about 1000 rpm or higher as you start getting used to the gas pedal) as you get to the catch point and it starts to pull you forward your blips become faster. As you release on the clutch and you feel a slight nudge (trans and engine syncing **something you'll get used to over time. sometimes i catch it perfectly and dont feel the engagement and sometimes i do depends on how good you balance the clutch and gas**) your foot becomes steady on the gas like any other car. A trick for shifting under 3k from 1st - 2nd is getting to the catch point quick but before you fully release the clutch apply your right foot lightly on the gas again and than you release the clutch at the same rate that your applying the gas. hope this helps (from a fairly newbies perspective)

 

^^ Say what?

 

What a difference a day of driving makes! Today was my second day. I got first down. I didn't realize how slow I was supposed to let the clutch out going into first. Every time before I would either a. drop it at 2.5k and get wheel spin b. drop it and stall. Also figured out reverse... didn't realize that didn't need throttle input. I feel like I'm rev matching my downshifting pretty well. I've started engine braking a little bit. Things have basically got a whole lot more fun! Now I'm really glad I went for the mt. Now I just need to smooth out my 1st to 2nd...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDxx...e_gdata_player

 

That made me laugh. +1! And all this makes me want to get a manual.
The only thing that usually scares me is the fact that, if the car is used, I have no idea how the previous owner treated the clutch/tranny.

 

Shifting from first to second smoothly is a challenge for me too. I'm a born again noob, as I haven't owned a MT in about ten years. My first car was MT and that's what I learned to drive on. But from what a hear and read, 2nd gear on the G is a little rough (someone told me "welcome to the world of Nissan" when I made a post titled 2nd gear).

 

I finally got to drive a G37S, It wasn't as hard as i expected it to be, granted i stalled twice /blushes but i took off smooth most of the time.
Fun car im getting this for sure.

 

Cool man! I wouldn't have this car any other way than 6MT!

 

@1NEETO, funny video. However, for those just starting out, if you follow their instruction, you will burn out your clutch in no time. Starting from a stand still at 2-3K rpm?!@# Ouch. Proper way is to feed the throttle proportional to release of the clutch. That is, once you figure out where the clutch starts to grab, feed it throttle gently as you're letting the clutch out.

 

Reading through this thread has given me a headache. Seems like alot of effort has to be put into properly driving a 6MT. Doesn't seem like something I would want to drive on a daily basis. But it does sound fun to drive on the weekends or during spirited driving.

 

^Don't be intimdated. Driving manual is one of those things you just "do" until you get used it. It's once you're comfortable driving in everyday situations that you start breaking the technique down. Driving stick (paired with a fun vehicle) has got to be one of the most satisfying experiences you can have by yourself with one hand. (I'm leaving tha one up in the air).

 

The G was my first manual car. I'm glad I went manual every time I push that start button. I stalled, drove rough, got frustrated, but a year later I think I'm a great driver.

 

I agree.

But my daily driver is an automatic. I drove a stick for 12 years and finally had enough with the traffic clogged commute, so I bought an automatic.

I would like to have an M3 has my weekend fun car though.

To get good at driving a stick you just have to drive it.

 

Amen.....couldn't have said it better myself.