Hi, guys. I have some thoughts to share with.

I saw many people complaining how heavy 350z is. But I think not. It 'ONLY' weighs 3200lbs. Can you name any '3.5L'-engine powered car weigh less than 350z? As a matter of fact, Nissan engineers have done best job to reduce 350z's weight. Power to ratio is even better than Honda S2000. It has not only great # for drag racing but also handles perfectly on the race track.(300zx was god on drag-strip but pig on the race track)

Weigh distribution(52:48) is perfect for acceleration and breaking(you know? it's better than 50:50) and body rigidity is excellent.

350Z is not a heavy car. period.

350Z is a ultimate machine.

 

Corvette's have a 5.7L V8 motor and weigh less then the a 350Z. That's just one vehicle I can think of off the top of my sick as a dog head.

Anyway, given the size of the Z, it's probably about right for weight. The older Honda Preludes weighed right around 2900-3000lbs and were about the same size but with a 2.2L I4 FWD.

I guess I could argue either way but in all honesty the 350Z feels lighter then it's 3200lbs IMHO. Sure it isn't tossable like my ITB Rabbit but it's a lot more tossable of a car then similar sized cars.

 

You know, I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but it's likely that the Z was designed from the ground up to be a convertible. That being the case, maybe this 'slight extra porkage' may be attributed to extra bracing to prepare for the removal of the hard top.

 

You're quite wrong here. The 300ZX Twin Turbo was never setup for the track due to the anti-squat technology(and the third toelink in the rear). It handled great in the hands of a proper driver but wasn't a quarter-mile champion.

 

3200+ pounds is heavy, I don't care where the weight is. Anyone who believes otherwise does not track their car.

No.

Again, No, the car has too much understeer built into the chassis. This is a common problem shared by virtually all cars out there. Understeer keeps the inexperienced morons safe.

 

Easy steve. Remember 3200 is curb weight which I believe includes a full 20 gallons of gas which is more than all other competitors. Plus, If you really want to "track" your car you can always take parts out or exchange them for lighter versions.

Lastly, inexperienced does not equal "morons". I believe that everyone who races now was once inexperienced. I'm sure Schumacher was inexperienced at one time. Everyone who is sereious enough to not need a little understeer can surely adjust the suspension to correct this. Just my opinion.

 

3200lbs IS heavy.

Steve, the 350z does not have "too much understeer." The understeer is minor.

 

3200lbs for a V6 with that much power and handling is heavy?! dude, you guys are tripping..

 

my question is not whether 3200lbs is heavy, it is whether the Z really weighs 3200lbs. not to insinuate anything, but I look foward to getting my car on a scale to see for sure.

anyway, I want to believe nissan with their 47:53 being best for pre seating the rear or whatever; but I have to remain skeptical that it isnt just some marketing ploy.

owell, for such a heavy car, it seems to be annihalating all in any track results Ive seen. weight isnt everything, sure its important, but the state of the art suspension and stiff as a board chassis are a big part as well.

 

I thought Vettes were made of fiber glass too....would that make any weight difference?

 

yes and yes. they are also more expensive when you get up in the models. awesome car, but even with their light weight, in honesty, I dont hear of vettes winning autocross events very often. I really dont know why, maybe I just dont notice them.

 

My Grandpa has a Vette' and loves it to death.

They're just not my cup of tea, I don't find many domestic cars attractive.

The majority of domestic sport cars have a hauling *** engine, but the interior just lacks in my view.

 

3200 may not be heavy, but it certainly isn't light.

Light is the MR-2 Spyder or Lotus Elise.

I too agree with Ares, in that every review I've read (that has actually weighed the car) has placed the Z at 3300+. As much as I love the Z now, I would like it even more if it weighed 300 lbs less.

I definitely notice understeer when I autoX, but if I can leave some room for drift, then throttle can sometimes correct that. However, I would like the car to be a bit more neutral in steady corners. Maybe 245's up front?

Also, only the Z06 is lighter than the Z. The standard Vette is a bit heaver. Vettes also don't always win in autoX because of their size and power. If the track is very tight, it can be quite difficult to control all that power and torque. If the track opens up a bit, though, the vettes do really well. Even in tight tracks they are often very near the top.

-D'oh!

 

You need a Homer avatar

 

I agree the Z is not heavy for a 287HP Torque machine for a daily driver. If you want a race car, the Z is heavy. If you want a reasonably comfortable sports car its just right. I have been driving light sports cars for 3 decades and this car is not too heavy to do the job it was designed to do.

In case people haven't noticed, we live in a world of 18 wheelers, suvs. minivans, trucks and assorted crossover vehicles that are large, ladies and germs. I took the Z out on the highway to stretch its legs today and all the traffic was running 75-85mph on south I35 and it was crowded, but I didn't get too uptight running those speeds with a bunch of people driving the above vehicles because I sat up high enough to not be intimidated by anything but 18 wheelers. The Z has enough height and heft to perform well and not be swallowed up by vehicles that weigh hundreds or thousands of lbs more than it does.

The Z performs very well and can hold its own with the hefties because it is solid and safer than some cars that have the structural integrity of a beer can. I know, I've driven most of those cars I'm talking about and I wouldn't drive them in some of the traffic we contend with every day. I've seen some of those beer cans all rolled up into medium size *****, with 0 survivors. If I'm going to drive our highways today, I want some heavy duty structural integrity when I'm moving at 70,80,90 or 100 mph+. The Z provides it, pure and simple. Oh, BTW, the hallowed M3 and M5 weigh 3415 and 4000 lbs, respectively. Makes the Z look svelte by comparison, don't you think?

 

a 911

 

I agree with Steve C. Anyone who has spent time at the track knows that 3200lbs ain't light.

The weight distribution thing is a marketing ploy by Nissan. 50/50 weight distribution is ideal, although diagonal cornerweighting is more important that fore-aft balance.

From what I've seen at the track, the Z pushes like a pig, just as virtually every other mass produced car. More front camber would help a great deal here, but off the showroom floor, the understeer really inhibits fast laptimes.

I think the chassis is there; it just needs to be tuned.

Finally, there's reports that 3200lbs, wet, is optimistic. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw actual weights signficantly higher than that.

 

No.

Wow. You do realize the Z06 vettes took somthing like the first 22 spots in SS at nationals -- and the C4's are dominating AS.....

No. All models from Z06 to convertible are lighter.

No. Crash ratings for cars that weigh considerably less than the Z contradict your opinion.

Not really, they are heavy pigs as well -- but at least they have room for 5 and more horsepower.

Bingo, beat me to it.

Can you track a 3200-3400 pound car? Sure, just be prepared to spend gobs of money on tires and brakes.

 

What crash ratings, Steve? Which cars?

What does having room for 5 have to do with the Z's weight?

The Z's weight distribution is 53/47 and can be tuned for neutral handling without a gigantic infusion of money. Suspension kit from NISMO would probably work. $1K? Same size tires, $1K?

Who said anything about tracking the Z? I was talking about driving the car without modifications. I have no intention of drag racing or road racing either in my brand new sports car. I'm talking about driving on real roads with real hazards like the car was designed for in the first place, not the racetrack.

You assume everyone should validate your opinion. Wrong, Steve. Your opinion isn't worth any more than mine and your monoscyllabic(sic) answers fail to convince me you know what you are talking about and I believe we are both off topic here. Hijacking a thread? German car fan go home.

 

I think the point is that 3200 lbs (optimistically) for a two seater is heavy. To me, one of the reasons to have a two seater is to have a light, nimble car.

I agree. But the fact remains that nose heavy cars inherently push more. Braking suffers as well. A 53/47 split is by no means bad though.

Hmm, the problem is that people make their car buying decisions based partly on how their prospective sports car performs in braking, acceleration and turning, which is most typically evaluated on a closed course, ie, a road course. My M3 sees quite a bit of track time, although it is not 'raced' there (hot lapping is not racing).

The Z06 is a good example, perhaps the best example, of a dual purpose street legal sports car. It can not only sodomize just about any street car on the track (save for 6-figure exotics), but many purpose built race cars as well, all while being refined enough to drive on the street.

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but my buying decisions regarding sports cars hinge on not only how great it is on the street, but also how fast a lap time it can manage w/o turning the car into an unstreetable, gutted race-prepped NVH nightmare.