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There's another factor, too. The auto engine is tuned to be driven best by an automatic transmission. The manual engine is tuned to be driven best by a manual. This was just explained to me this week by a Nissan engineer. I will do my best to repeat what he told me:

Look at the torque numbers. The auto engine makes 270 pound-feet at a lower rpm; the manual makes only 260 at a higher rpm. With an auto trans, you want that powerful push of torque to be down low, and to have a broad powerband. That will make the car feel fastest (and be fastest when not held in gear to redline). But when you drive that same engine with a manual, you encounter a low redline and no peaky burst of power at high rpms. So it doesn't *feel* as fast as it could. It's not as fun to drive. When you take that car to the track, you won't wring every bit of power out of it.

So they retuned the 6MT's engine so it's peakier and has a higher redline. Thus, you can wind it out, it makes lots of power up top, it feels faster and more exciting to drive, and (I think - can't be sure) it will actually be faster when driven all out.

I think they did the right thing. They are not playing favorites. Every G35 owner will have the fastest-feeling car, be it auto or manual! I like their attitude.