Sportshift AT Driving Tips Thread

[JOS3]

Please don't make fun of our autos . . . it may not be as sporty but it is still a P5.

I heard once that the shortshift auto is really good if you are into drag racing, supposedly better than manual. If you have heard this also, speak up, and if you know why, definitely speak up. I read it before somewhere on these forums but the person who said it never explained why that was so. I know a lot of muscle cars-dragsters have shortshift-like autos, my friend's '71 chevelle has a 3 speed auto short shifter that he shifts every gear in (kind of like the 1-2-D thing). That is a fast car. Same concept applied to smaller cars like ours ....?

i have a sportshift auto and i know how slow it is.

 

[Stealth5]

Please don't make fun of our autos . . . it may not be as sporty but it is still a P5.

I heard once that the shortshift auto is really good if you are into drag racing, supposedly better than manual. If you have heard this also, speak up, and if you know why, definitely speak up. I read it before somewhere on these forums but the person who said it never explained why that was so. I know a lot of muscle cars-dragsters have shortshift-like autos, my friend's '71 chevelle has a 3 speed auto short shifter that he shifts every gear in (kind of like the 1-2-D thing). That is a fast car. Same concept applied to smaller cars like ours ....?

the p5 is no 71 chevelle

 

[sidpro5]

In my opinion, the only reason an auto could be better for the drags is that you can't miss a shift like you could in a manual, causing it to grenade all over the track. WE just have to worry about turning the clutch packs into dust.............................

 

[dosle]

i use my sporttronic now and then, its just frustrating when you tell it to move up a gear and theres a delay.

 

[rubixcubix]

GM uses an auto transmission in its sport compact factory sponsored drag racers because they are turboed and because you dont have to let off the gas in an auto, the turbo never spools down thus you dont have to wait for it to spool up again to get good power like you would in a full manual. For non turboed cars the argument is that that auto transmission can make faster shifts than a manual, but i say that the manual gives the driver more control over the manipulation of the engine's power band. And for all of you shifting at the redline, check the power curve on your engine, most people on this forum will tell you that you arent makeing more power after about 5500 rpms, this might be different if you have mods but you should be able to feel when your power band is by how hard the car pulls at different rpms. Its not just about high reving the engine, we dont drive hondas, its about keeping the car in its optimal power range. Thats my 0.02

 

[JOS3]

that would support my previous statement:

1 - if you are redlining every gear then you are a moron.

 

[gimpo2]

not if you have a turbo

 

[JOS3]

not if you have a turbo

(notcool)

 

[ProtegeES03]

Pretty much use the 'sport' mode 100% of the time. Little more responsive.
I never downshift hard into 1st. I don't downshift into 1st to slow down either, doesn't feel like the car appreciates it when I do that, very rough.
2nd pulls pretty well.

 

[gimpo2]

(notcool)

 

[TampaSpecv]

I only use Auto when the wife is in the car, the rest of the time is in Sportshift mode, because it does feel a little faster than the Auto. Plus I do a lot of shifting with my other car, so I want to have the shifting feeling.

 

[TomAss_Z]

gimpo2, r u a turbo auto????

 

[gimpo2]

Yes i am a turboed auto

 

[TomAss_Z]

what is your regular boost rate???

aren't you worried about your tranny. How hard is it to install the hiBoost yourself

 

[gimpo2]

boostin 6psi, tranny is holding up fine. just let off the gas while its shifting. i didn't do the install by myself.. you should ask pirana about the install he did it and made alot of pics and s***

 

[TomAss_Z]

did you do anything to bulletproof the tranny??? Tranny cooler??? Change fluid regularly???

How much, TOTAL, have you sunk into the turbo and related items to get it running top where you think that it is safe????

 

[TomAss_Z]

Also, i don't know much about boost controller's. Can you set them while you are driving along, can you set them to like 3 or 4 psi daily.

what is the lowest you could run boost daily????

 

[gimpo2]

no haven't done anything to the tranny. i'm looking at getting a tranny cooler, and switchin the tranny fluid soon. ummm got about 5k invested in turbo stuff

 

[gimpo2]

Yeah you can change the boost while you drive. the hiboost comes with an actuator that is set to 6psi so thats the lowest i can boost. if i got a different one i'm sure i could boost lower, but everything is fine now

Also, i don't know much about boost controller's. Can you set them while you are driving along, can you set them to like 3 or 4 psi daily.

what is the lowest you could run boost daily????

 

[aceP5]

(jacked) Just kidding. (I've just always wanted to use that Thread-Jack animation)

I tried launching in auto. Didn't seem any faster. I don't see why it would be though. i guess they're probably the same, its just nice with the sportshift to be able to shift when you want, it is a feeling of security.

Oh yeah, there is someone on this forum in the NA section (Gen1GT) that always is talking about the advantages of going to redline. It is something like even though you might make less power than peak hp at redline, you still are making more power than at 4000 rms or so (the place your engine would drop to after shift). So reving higher allows you to drop into a higher RPM after you shift, which has more power than the RPM you would drop into if you did not go to the red. So I guess in essense, by redlining you average RPMs are higher, which means that you average power that your wheels are putting out will also be higher. THere are tons of discussions about this. I am no expert but this all made good sense to me.

Oh yeah, I understand that statement about the auto dragsters and turbo chargers and whatnot. It is nice that the sportshift will not miss gears, though.

Any more sportshift driving ideas?