ghoover

The GTR is a pig.





There. I said it.


Not to say I'd turn it down if someone gave one to me, but I'd never spend my money on such an overweight, over-complicated car.

I'd take a Lotus Exige or 370Z over the GTR any day.

SnakeBitten

iTrader: (8)

Given the Camaro's specs of 430hp and 3800lbs I dont see the 370z competing with the this v8 model in the straights. Its more powerful and lighter than my friends SRT 8 that ran through my Z club. Full bolt on and single T Z's got beat down from 40-160mph+ roll on's. Only the TT Z's gave him a good run. For reference the SRT8 is 4100lbs and packs only 425hp. Compare that to the 430hp 3800lb Camaro to see where Im going with this.

Dont be surprised if the Camaro is a handler as well. What Chevy has done lately with there performance cars of every catagory should be an indication of what they may do with the Camaro as well. Do not sleep on GM. On the highway I expect the Camaro to walk on the 370z even if they "ET" similarly in the 1/4. The Camaro should have a higher trap speed due to more hp.

As for the GTR being the only heavy car than can handle check out the GT500 mustang. Not as fast as the GTR but damn near 10 secs faster then the 350Z at VIR so if they tune the Camaros suspension properly the 370z may not have an advantage over any aspect of performance vs the 430hp V8 Camaro. Just thinking out loud based on some real life experience with heavy high hp/tq cars vs 350z's of various performance levels....

Endgame

Disagree. The Camaro was being tested WITH the 350Z and was not as sharp as the 350 on the track. That was being touted as a HUGE accomplishment. The Camero is estimated to match the E46 M3 on the Nurburgring.

We KNOW the Z will be a much more focused car on the track than the 350. Many strongly feel the Z will best the E46 M3 on the track. The 370 SHOULD run circles around the Cayman on the track. Are you saying the Camero can match a Cayman on the track?????????

I am not underestimating GM BUT, I think not.....

Endgame

WOW!! I did not know we got official weight figures!!!!!

Are you certain the Vette weighs less???

350Zenophile

iTrader: (20)

So the 370Z wears taller tires in the front?

225/50R18=682.2mm F
245/45R18=677.7mm R

SnakeBitten

iTrader: (8)

No problem man...As I stated this is just my opinion based on some high hp cars with similar hp and more weight....BTW there were mag articles of the 350z already beating the M3 around some track so the 370z being able to beat an e46 doesnt mean much. As for the Cayman a 350z can hang with it on track and beat it in the straights.. A Cayman S on the other had will beat a 350z both in the straights and twisties. The 370z beating that well would be nice. As for the Camaro beating a Cayman [not the Cayman S] it is possible just as the GT500 destroyed the "Cayman S" at VIR by 4+ secs...

BTW the Camaro that was tested against the 350z was it the "V8" or the "V6" variant that makes comparable power to the 350z[300hp+]? Got a link? Its probably a development mule testing vs the 350z a la the 350z seen testing vs the Cayman....Neither one of us knows for sure so its just speculation and I wont go throwing my viewpoint down someones throat hence why I said its my opinion based on some real life experiences....Its all bench racing and opinion...heres some mag racing for good measure

i couldnt find the direct link to R&T article of the 03 Z vs the M3[smg] vs 911 vs Corvette but here is a rundown from someone that posted the results.

0-60mph

350Z= 5.8
M3 SMGII= 4.9
Z06= 4.5
911 Targa= 5.0
-----------------------------------------

1/4 Mile

350Z= 14.4
M3 SMGII= 13.5
Z06= 12.8
911 Targa= 13.5
----------------------------------------------

Lap Time

350Z= 1:40:06
M3 SMGII= 1:40:09
Z06= 1:36:50
911 Targa= 1:40:79
---------------------------------------------

Skidpad

350Z= 0.88g
M3 SMGII= 0.89g
Z06= 0.98g
911 Targa=0.92g
----------------------------------------------

Slalom

350Z= 67.3 mph
M3 SMGII= 68.8 mph
Z06= 67.6 mph
911 Targa= 65.5 mph
------------------------------------------------

Braking: 80-0 mph

350Z= 213 ft
M3 SMGII= 213 ft
Z06= 204 ft
911 Targa= 208 ft
---------------------------------------------

PRICE

350Z= $34,688
M3 SMGII= $55,695
Z06= $51,450
911 Targa=$84, 975

sq40

iTrader: (4)

Yeah.. price is going to be tough..

The 300hp v6 Camaro is only $22K, and the 400hp V8 is Starting at $30K..
http://www.chevrolet.com/camaro/pdf/...maro+Order.pdf

That will make a $30K+ Z a tougher sell for SOME people..

GodSendsDeath

iTrader: (1)

Not 100% certin but very confident.

trebien

That was the base model that all the car mags got to drive.

The uprated sport model will probably have wider and lower profile tires.

That's very surprising, for a stock SRT8. They're fast, but a single turbo 350z should have similar HP/T output and lower weight.

GodSendsDeath

iTrader: (1)

I think the SRT8 comes with a 3.92 gearing and a Hemi 6.2 that puts out 425hp and 400 some TQ right?

areyouin729

Nissan will be screwing themselves royally if this car is above $30k to start

I honestly see a $29,600 base price

or they will def lose people to Chevy for the new Camaro

sq40

iTrader: (4)

I agree..

really, this new Camaro is in the same market segment as the Z for all intents and purposes. Its much more of an all around sports car than a straight up muscle car.

trebien

Right. And never say never, but for me, the Z is a much better fit and I don't think I would take the Camaro, even though it's got personality and would be easy to mod into extreme power ratings... but it's a GT, not a sports car. Simple as that.

However, I have track duty on my mind, and a lot of experience in the racing world... so the lighter weight/handling is more important for me than raw power.

But for most people, day-to-day utility, stoplight drags and straight-line acceleration, back seat space, etc. take a priority. So yes, the Camaro is in the same segment for a majority of shoppers and will be cross-shopped. And I think it will do quite well. It looks good, that's for sure.

We're a bunch of focused enthusiasts, but for the real world, most shoppers shop based on similar price points, even looking at sports cars, SUVs and sedans for a new car. And for $35K, there are a lot of interesting choices.

You're a brave man, Charlie Brown.

tranceformer95

iTrader: (20)

I hope they do release specs on the 11th, it'll put all the speculation threads to rest.

Then we'll all start talking about track times and mods.

Endgame

Good info man... I think the Camro they were testing against the Z was a SS. I don't have a link as I was in an airport reading a car mag - can't even remember what mag it was sorry.

To your point.. no one (or a VERY small percentage) of us really know anything at this point. It will be fun as the actual test and comparos start coming out.

areyouin729

let's face it...

there are very few people who stick with a Z for the heritage anymore

I love Z's and have had 2 but if they have a huge price tag, it will be hard to stick with Nissan

it's the 300ZX all over again on a smaller scale but same principle

trebien

Actually, even more so than many realize. Factor in the state of the economy, fluctuating exchange rates, cost of gas, the current horsepower wars... there are a LOT of similarities that could put pressure on high-HP Japanese sports cars.

Greg06

+1 Too many "experts" not enough facts

VandyZ

iTrader: (2)

I believe the date is now Nov 19.

Waiz

iTrader: (57)

Same day as the LA auto show?

They won't be able to have the pre-show hype build as much if they do that.