rickski

I'm hearing a lot above how fast the Z is. I own one as well and have about 4k on it. I just don't feel it. 14.1 quarter mile? Quicker than a Mustang GT? It just doesn't seem to be there. I've toy'd with an Accord V6 (stock) and could barely keep up. It just doesn't make sense.

Yes I know...the acceleration is linear. But I would expect that a quick car would pull some g's and make me sink back in my seat. It's just not there. I've even disabled VDC to see if that made a difference. (no difference)

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Could there be something wrong with the car? I broke it in correctly and have never "red-lined" it. (6 speed MT Touring)

Flyingscot

I have to say, I feel the same sense of disappointment.

I can't figure it out either. I think my 190hp Maxima SE has more spunk, especially at the top end.

Not sure what's up. I'm planning on getting mine dyno'd. If the dyno numbers are good, then I'll just live with it.

I have more fun in my track car anyway. The Z is also a good daily driver, even for $35k.

Fly

Traffic

Strange. I run away from most any car with no problem. 110+ isn't even beginning to make my Z work hard.

No offense intended, but if you're not satisfied, you can sell your Z at near MSRP and get an S2k, Rx-7, 300ZX or Supra Turbo. Or try driving a 911, Mustang GT or a similarly powered car and observe the difference.

Flyingscot

I have friends with both NA 996s and E36 M3s. They actually share my opinion that straight line speed in these cars is nothing to write home about. However, a twisty road at full bore is a different story. I will let the dyno numbers speak for themselves. I never was much impressed with straight line stuff anyway. Plus, having tried a 425RWHP track ready RX7 (which still didn't impress me that much, even though it made C5s look like they were poking around) I think a lot of it is me.

Perhaps a Phantom F15 would be more up my alley

NissaNZ

LOL, you're joking right? Please tell us you're joking cause if you're not then you might need some driving lessons.

brackethead

Can you clarify that? By "these cars" do you mean 996/M3 or the 350Z? Just curious.

brackethead

To be honest, I felt the same way when I first got mine. Now I have 6400 miles and I don't hesitate to floor it whenever I get the chance. I think it feels plenty fast in a straight line, but you don't really get the payoff until you pass 4500 on the middle dial.

Flyingscot

Sorry, "by these cars" I was including the NA 996 and E36 M3 in the same boat as the 350Z.

I guess a 5sec car is not what it use to be.

Eric1h

you guys are all CRAZY, i think the Z feels plenty fast! I ran a 0-60 in 5.6 seconds with only 800 miles on my car(i know i know the break in period, but I had to do it once)

This car is FAR faster than my buddies Stang GT, 330i BMW and is MUCH faster than mine or my buddies Avenger with an 80 shot of Nitrous. Either you are expecting WAYYYY too much, or are used to driving 11 sec 1/4 mile cars. At times they dont 'feel fast" but when you drop down and kick the rev's up, the car hauls azz. and if you lost to a prelude, then no offense, you cant drive, and mustve left it in 5th gear or something.

Flyingscot

Like I said Eric, I think a F15 <deleted> catapulted from a aircraft carrier deck would be more what I'm looking for. I guess I'm totally bonkers

Eric1h

Cameron, I agree, i would give your left ******** for a 500hp Viper or f`6 fighter jet! Im a speed junky myself.


I think people have gotten very caught up in all the hype and are expecting way to much from these cars...... they are fast fun and beautiful. But when you raise the expectations so high, they will never live up.

Twizt

True, the Z can't match the acceleration of an F-15.
However, I've never been passed when I haven't wanted to be.


BTW F-15's are Eagles....Phantoms are F-4's. F-4's are really fast, F-15's have the highest top end. The F-16 Falcon has the highest acceleration.
I think a Dodge Viper actually beat or tied an F-16 in the 1/8th mile. The F-16 owned the 1/4.

Flyingscot

Oops, us Brits don't understand US plane model #s. How about we go with the F-16.

Eric, you certainly can't blame me for all this hype. I think I've been quite critical of this car, except for it's looks which are totally totally awesome. Photos do not do it justice. In fact, I would never surrender looks for speed. No sir. That's why I've always wanted a Ferrari.

Cameron

2003z

iTrader: (7)

F-15 or F-16, doesn't matter, it would fall apart if it took a cat shot. Those are air farce planes. F-14's, F/A-18's, and even the twin turbo-prop E-2C cat shot acceleration is what you are looking for. Might I suggest one of the upcoming twin-turbo kits?

PeelBoy

Just curious, but what RPM do you shift at when you were racing or when you test out how fast your car is?

If you say you shift around 4,000 rpm like half the other people on this forum then that is probably why you could hardly keep up with an accord.

If not then I don't know what to tell you. My '97 Maxima SE never had a problem keeping up with or beating most accords so I assume he was either modded or you just didn't drive your car hard enough.

Boomer

How many of you in this thread own a 5AT? I have no trouble leaving most performance cars in the dust and, the AT downshifts a lot faster than I could ever do manually. Also, I redline my sports car every day! I always have and that means putting your foot to the floor.

Scot, I know you are a racer and your comments disturb me the most; correct me if I'm wrong, aren't you always rolling on the throttle and rolling off, so you only use full throttle on long straights? Do you do the same thing on the street to go fast? Do you ever use full throttle under 3rd gear? Its so easy to let the torque of the Z lull you into a part-throttle cruise, you can be in the wrong gear easily in an MT, I would guess? If you are being progressive with the throttle, not stomping on it, I think it would feel slow if you're in 3rd gear.

This for illustration only, please don't think I'm putting down anyone's technique, I'm not. Leaving for work, every day, I would do the same ritual with my MR2T, I live about a mile from the exit to I35 North on my way to OKC.

By the time I got to the entrance, the car was fully warmed up without going over 40mph. When I hit about 50 yds from the entrance in 2nd gear, I would floor the throttle all the way to redline and upshift into 3rd and redline it again to over 100mph, if no troopers were present. 5 days a week, 50 or so weeks in the year for 7 years, only accidents, bad weather or cops would deter me from this ritual.

While I was breaking the Z in, I noticed the throttle was making me lazy, even using manual mode. The combination of the restricted revs and abundant torque, it was easy to mosey along. As I illustrated earilier, I don't drive like that as a rule and I started playing games, trying to see how fast I could get to 4000rpm in manual mode on my 5AT. 40 to 50% throttle would get me across an intersection ahead of everyone, and I landed in 3rd gear at 40mph, dead on most speed limits. It only worked if I hit the throttle 1/2 way to begin with, otherwise, I felt sloooow.

I don't think you can be progressive with the drive-by-wire throttle. I think you have to stomp on it and as someone said earlier in this thread, go over 4500rpm. If you don't, the car feels slow even though, in actuality, it isn't slow, its progressive and feels slow to people like me who have never driven drive-by-wire before. Go over 5500 in the lower gears, and downshift to 2nd under 4000rpm and redline to 3rd, because you are 15-1800rpm behind the torque curve if you stay in 3rd gear for maximum acceleration in your MT.

Its easy with the 5AT, if you are in manual mode and cruising at 3000rpm(about 40mph) and you want maximum aceleration, slap the gearshift **** over to full auto, stomp it, and it will instantly match revs and downshift to 2nd gear and it will slam you in the back, I guarantee it.

Boomer--use it or lose it, I don't care.

Flyingscot

Well Boomer,

A very thought provoking reply. I do have the 6MT and I am probably making some of the mistakes you point out. This is my first car with 6speed, drive-by-wire and low down torque so it is easy to imagine that I'm not driving it like it was intended. And to be fair to the car, I only completed the break-in yesterday.

I think I'm expecting too much from 3rd gear. 1st and 2nd definitely start to kick at 4500+ but as soon as you change into 3rd, the car feels like it's losing momentum. I haven't tried redlining 3rd yet as there are way too many cops around trying to catch holiday drinkers. In comparison, my other car displays the opposite behavior. 1st and 2nd feels slow off the line, but 3rd pulls hard.

The other thing that's strange is that the initial throttle response in 3rd, 4th and 5th is great, but, press the throttle harder and you get nothing. Almost like turbo lag.

But like I said, I'll keep at it. I haven't even had a chance to blast down my favorite country roads where I believe the feeling of speed will be very different. I've already discovered that the Z has terrific Corner Exit Speed and this would explain the good lap times that Magazine drivers are getting.

BTW, I think this thread is the most exciting I've seen for a while.

More comments welcome (Except of course the stupid "go get another car" comments).
Fly

mcduck

Like others, I'm not sure what those that are disappointed were expecting. I came from the SUV world to my 350Z and am very happy.

Without going into the debates of whether I'm a better or worse driver than others, I can say for a fact that my 350Z will beat...

• A recent model Mustang GT
• A Mustang GT Bullitt edition (from stop and 20 mph rolling start)
• A recent model Trans Am (from a stop and rolling start around 20-25mph)
• A Boxster S (rolling start and in curves - raced one in the mountains)
• Won't bore you with the list of lesser cars, but theres about a half dozen others... mostly riceboys.

I have a 6MT Z and typically shift at 6000 rpm when accelerating hard. Also, all of these runs were with the VDC turned off. Of all the cars listed above, the Bullitt GT stayed closest.

Obviously, I am quite happy with the car's performance... not that I won't put a turbo or supercharger on when one comes out!

Flyingscot

It wasn't driven by Steve McQueen was it?

Thanks! Good to know all the other cars out there are just as slow

Eric1h

FlyinScot, maybe we should race, just to see if its you or the car..... hehehe, when i launch i redline every gear, and the rpms never drop below 5k between shifts, most of our HP is above the 4500rpm range, so if you push in the clutch and let the rpms drop, youll lose alot of momentum, fast, hard shifts is the only way to go!

Ive had people in my car and when i get on they are like............."HOLY ****!" so it seems pretty fast to me, and the time i ran the 5.6 0-60 was with me and another person in the car, both who are over 200lbs, so i KNOW itll get lower than a 5.4 0-60 if you drive it right