Every other day I read a thread in here either asking how the Z handles in poor weather conditions, or regaling horrible experiences losing control of the Z in poor weather conditions. I am not posting this to contradict or doubt what these people are saying, but instead I wanted to include my own observations and opinions on the issue.

First, I have only had my Z since mid-March 2006 and have not yet had the occasion to drive in the snow, so my post will be limited to driving in the rain with factory stock Potenza RE040 tires and I will start off with my control loss story. I was making a right turn from a stop sign onto the entrance/exit road of my apartment complex right after it rained, and the road surface had been freshly re-sealed about a week prior. The stretch of road I was turning onto was on a very slight downward grade. There was nobody around so I thought it was a good opportunity to goose it a little and see if I could get the back end out (NOTE: Traction control was turned On). So from the stop sign I had it in 1st gear and I gave it some extra gas while cutting the wheel pretty hard. The back end swung out so quickly and startled me to the point of freezing such that I couldn't react to countersteer before I was suddenly facing back the way I came. In this situation, I did indeed loose control of the car, but I was intentionally pushing the limits based on the freshly sealed road surface covered in a thin layer of rain water and mediocre 'performance' tires that came with the car.

I have had many other opportunities to drive in the rain in this car, and other than the situation mentioned above I have never lost control of this car in the rain. On one occasion I was driving at night during a steady rain at about 65-70 mph when I hit a pretty large puddle and I felt the car get a bit squirrelly. That one made me a bit nervous but lesson learned, slow down when it's raining out. As far as taking turns in the rain, I take them slowly and I have not had any traction issues even with these 'crappy' tires. If you take any turn too fast in a RWD car you run the risk of spinning out, whether it is a 350z or an old Datsun Z car.

My opinion is that the Z can be driven very safely in the rain, but the driver has to be aware that the chances of losing control go in proportion to the rate of travel or acceleration. I have no problem driving at the speed limit or a bit lower under poor weather conditions in order to keep myself and everyone driving around me safe. This is what they recommend ALL drivers to do under poor road conditions, whether you drive a high-performance RWD sports car or a 100 HP FWD econo-box. So based on that I don't really care if people behind me get angry because I am trying to do the safest thing. They'll get to their destination 1 minute later and they'll get over it. Maybe having to go slow to maintain control in a wet turn is a handicap for the Z, but there are millions of SUV's that should be going slow through turns regardless of road condition to prevent tipping / rolling. It is up to the driver to realize the limitations of the vehicle under all conditions.

Another thought I am having is that while I feel that the Z is reasonably stable during steady / heavy rain, there are others who will say that they leave the Z in the garage when it rains for fear of losing control. So how will my opinion of driving the Z in the snow compare to these people's opinions? I guess I will find out in a couple of months. The overlying point I am trying to make here is that on any given day there are a few threads on the first page of the general 350Z section talking about how miserable the Z is to drive on anything other than a sunny day, to the point that I almost convinced myself not to buy one since I am from PA where there is a nice mix of every season and its associated weather each year. Luckily I talked myself into it and I have realized that, so far, it is not as bad as some of the horror stories I read on here. So my message for a prospective owner is Don't be scared to own one, but don't be overzealous when you drive it.

Plus if you buy a 2006 it should be heavy enough so that you don't have any traction problems whatsoever

 

Good observations.

Yah. You gotta slow down when it rains. Need more time to stop... gotta take turns slower. California drivers are pretty well known for not driving in the rain very well.

There was a drifting video of Ebisu. Maybe 15' long... saw it in Motor Sport section in Drifting forum here...

Halfway or so into the video... they go from beginner course to a more advance course with more turns... and it starts raining. And people are still trying to drift. I've never seen more people eating it against walls and dirt embankments... getting their cowlings and rear bumpers ripped off ($3K+ damage). Pretty crazy... dunno why they kept driving like that when it's wet. Just asking for trouble. Must have money to burn. yah.

My Z is my daily driver... It's not all terrain. But I don't have any qualms driving in the rain -- I just go slower and no probs yet (knock wood).

 

Thanks for the comments. Anyone can out drive any car in any conditions.

Its not the car. Its not the tires. Its not the weather. Its the driver.

 

Well I wouldn't go that far. I drive my Z all the time because its my DD but my moms 325i with all its technical wizardry can pretty much not be spun out no matter what. I on the other hand can routinely get the back end loose even when its just a little rain. Now is it impossible to handle, of course not but better tires and less torque make for an easier car to drive in inclimate weather.

Plus whenever there is a layer of water on the road it constantly feels like the back end is slightly hydroplaning the entire drive.

Although I still love her and now can drive in bad weather no prob it does take some getting used to and is in no way as effortless to drive as a sedan with super vdc tcs, and str(stick to the road) enabled lol

 

+1

And...

It's not the aircraft. It's the pilot.

It's not the gun. It's the shooter.