Shifter Design – This is never easy, the manual or automatic decision. Thankfully, in the new Z, either choice is a good one. A six-speed is a one-of-a-kind shift lever (padded on the front and back, for a more intuitive throw) with an incredibly short and quick throw between very well defined gates. All connected to a transmission set up for close-ratio gearing from first to fifth for high-performance driving, and a tall overdrive sixth gear for highway economy.