So the purple line was showing throttle plate position, so when it reached it's peak, that was WOT?

 

That's throttleplate position when requesting WOT with the accelerator pedal.

 

yup, that was my question. So I think what I'm getting from this is that no matter if you press the kickdown switch down or not, its still full throttle. Am I right?

 

Yes, that's exactly what I said in post #27

 

So if the kick down switch does nothing to throttle position maybe it does put the car into some sort of fuel enrichment mode or revised programming map to enhance performance in some way?

 

Think it really just puts it in a lower gear. Higher RPMs will enhance performance anyway.

 

Enrichment would be counterproductive. These engines are tuned rich from the factory in the first place, so adding even more fuel would only cause further fuel dilution of the oil and would overwork the cats. I think all it does is tells the TCU you want the lowest gear the engine will handle.

 

I wonder what RPM you have to be below for it to automatically downshift when you push the switch

 

I was just watching a video on the M4, could it work like the BMW? If you are in manual mode and engage the kick down and then click the down shift paddle it automatically jumps to the lowest possible gear instead of having to go through all the gears on the way down? Someone test this :P

 

I can tell you with complete confidence the IS F does not do this. I've had the car on the track in Sport/Manual mode and done exactly this and only dropped one gear every time.

The GS F might be different, but I can test it in the next day or so.

 

I don't mind the auto downshift feature on the IS F (even in manual mode) because it only downshifts one gear (unless if you're like in 8th gear on the highway barely taching the engine and you punch it), where as the BMW's system is just too automated, like, I wouldn't want my own car downshifting 3 gears automatically in manual mode. Here's a video I found of this feature being displayed in a BMW:

 

Agreed, it's a tranny trick. Just like the old 'passing gear' on the 70's muscle cars. With the kick down to a lower gear, you'll feel the surge from the torque. Surge/boost isn't from a throttle position increase, just a good old NA V8 Kick down.. that torque is what endears the RC-F to us.