So,

I live in North/South Florida, we don't have the opportunity for many "aggressive corners" on our roads. THe only real exception are interstate/freeway ramps.. which I visit more frequently than i'd like.

At any rate, I was on my way somewhere today and took a ramp at a reasonably high speed, although no higher than I can say I ever had before. To keep the car in line I nudged the gas just a TAD and the car actually downshifted (it felt like a 4th-3rd) shift and held the gear all the way through the turn. I've NEVER had the car hold a gear this long, straight line, turn, or any variation thereabout.

So - is this something anyone else has noticed, or was my transmission just being nice to me today?

Apparently the new cadillac CTS(??) has some similar feature that takes G forces or yaw rate or something into account, and when you are making a turn it will actually hold gears. To my knowledge, the M (or any other Infiniti?) doesn't do this.. am I mistaken?

Yeah.. the M throttle isn't "quite" that touchy. I wasn't so much surprised that it downshifted as I was that it held the gear for so long. I would have normally been in manual mode as well but for some reason.. wasn't, this time.

Mike,

The M normally will downshift on throttle demand, but it doesn't tend to hang on to the gear for more than a second unless I keep going on the gas. This time it held it for a good ~5 seconds without me pressing the gas any harder.

Regarding North/South Florida:

I'm not actually living some kind of exciting double life, sadly.. I have a house up in North (Actually, *technically* it's CENTRAL Florida) in Gainesville, and then work/live down in West Palm Beach right now.

"Bad life choice"... I intend on getting back to gainesville full time as soon as I can. Right now I only get to go maybe 1 weekend a month tops..

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lake+worth,+fl+to+gainesville,+fl&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.988897,104.765625&ie=UTF8&ll=28.652031,-83.880615&spn=8.295453,13.095703&z=7

I could rent it out to college kids who would trash it...

Thats true... UF... I hadn't thought about that, but I guess it depends on home values in your area... is the home going to appreciate enough by the time you move back to offset any cleaning/repair costs?  I have been looking into ideas like this just as a tax shelter. (again OT, haha)

Well guess it depends on your long term plans for the house.  Love it? wanna live there when you move back?  or take it or leave it: hold it for property and tax reasons, rent it out, and if you ever move back find another house while they're at a discount

thats good... i always seem to have my eye open for another house.  I love my house, but you know.. the grass is always greener.