Because redline IS 7000rpm. Look at your tachometer. Your rev limit, however, is 7600rpm when stock and higher if you have a flash.

 

Mitsu would prefer to scare us into stopping at 7000 to reduce over-reving, so they put redline at 7000 and rev limiter at ~7600. I had an 02 M3 and BMW sets the redline and rev limiter in about the same place: 8000 Red L, ~8150 Rev L. With the E46 M3 the rev limiter is actually dynamic depending on gear, oil temp, and other factors I'm not sure of.

 

when i look at my tach it also looks like the limiter is set at 7800! but i guess since every1 says its 7600 then i guess it is.... i usually shift at approx 7500 when im pushing it.

 

So I am trying to understand this.

On my car the rpm drop from 1st to second seems like maybe 1200 rpm or so, and from then on 1000 rpm or less. 3-4 seems like 800rpm or so (well, 4-5 is a big jump, but I don't consider 5th a racing gear).

Maybe my transmission is geared different? should I shift at 7100 too? To drop to 6000 or 6200 in the next gear?

Thanks