Phyte

I would of thought the 350z's would be running _atleast_ 13.5 or better. I've seen stock ls1's run 12.9 and they weigh more, and only push out 30 more hp!?!? Hopefully the 350z will respond good to upgrades. I would be thrilled to get a Z into the high 12's with just ECU, exhaust, intake, nitto's, and some free mods. Can't wait to get mine!

Phyte

rai

What are you talking about "stock" ls1's (what is an ls1 ? is that a camero?)

also what do you mean by stock? Are you saying they left the spare tire and tool kit with a full tank of gas and tire pressure at 32 psi ? that's how the magazines test cars and compensate for temp.

also MT got 13.9 sec but I don't see "high 12's" happening with "free mods".

I'm not buying the 350Z because it's faster than an ls1. Sure I wish it were faster but I would rather have a nice car that was a little quick, than a crappy car that was really quick.

Phyte

Sorry, yes.. ls1 means camaro, firebird, firehawk, etc. I did a HP calculator and with me in the Z, running a 14.1 only nets 247hp. According to many HP calculators online the Z should be running 13.4 at 3500 pounds.. I know those are fairly far from acurate, but .5-.7 seconds off? Just seems like there is some hidden potential in the new Z.

Phyte

rai

Let's hope NISMO is more than just for show.

blackSunshine

is your calculator using the crank hp or wheel hp??

sschmuve

iTrader: (1)

I don't know how true this is, but I heard that the 300zx had an anti-squat suspension. The weight would not transfer well when launching, thus not as popular to race like RX-7s and Supras. Is the 350Z plagued with this setup also? If it is, what is the positive side to it? Better handling on a road course?

Nitro13

Have you ever driven a car with the LS1 in it? Have you ever owned one? Don't underate it just because its a domestic. Hardly crap!

Fred.

rai

I have never owned one true, but if it is/was such a great car, than why in the world has the mustang (POS) outsold all the F bodies put together for low these many years?

Also there is an image of a typical F body owner best described by the acronym IROC. I happen to think that Chevy went after that image and is now suffering the consequences. The F bodies are great high school street rod cars, but seems like their days have past. This is the 21's century after all.

ethan84ae

Please- <B>everyone</B> take a deep breath- let's not let things get nasty around here- especially about such an old debate...

Thanks,

Ethan, moderator

The Apple

This thread sucks.

Thunderbolt

The 350Z is a Sports Car not a Muscel Car! One is fun to drive on winding roads and the others run stop light to stop light. Compare the 350Z to like cars such as the BMWs, Porches, and such. Leave the 'Stangs, 'Birds, and others to the drag strip.

z350z

Hey, why get hostile? If you're a Mustang kind of guy, get a Mustang. I wouldn't drive one if you paid me, but that's just me. There are probably a lot of Mustang owners that would feel the same way about the Z. Neither of us is "right" but we all have our biases.

SeedyRom

Here, I'll settle this RIGHT NOW quite easily

The comparison made is a bogus one. Not by your own fault man, but by the BLATANT underratings from Chevy. As the former treasurer of a HUGE SoCal F-body (Trans-am/Camaro) club, I can tell you why there is such a huge difference. First off, a 12.9 on a showroom stock LS-1 (late97-2002) is the GOLDEN track time. No drag radials, no pulling the exhaust...nothing. Just as other cars are tested. It takes perfect conditions, a perfect launch and it's been done only by a handful or two at that. That being said, there's even more to it...

...the point is that the LS-1's are IMMENSELY underrated from the factory. We've had over 100 guys dyno their cars stock off the floor in 5 years (magazines have done it too) and the cars will put down anywhere from 290-305 RWHP...mind you the car is rated at 305 CRANK horsepower. Now, clearly the car doesn't have 0-2% drivetrain loss...and even more clearly Chevy underrated the car heavily. They really have around 340hp or so with a gob of torque early on and steady (the 5.7L make a dyno run look like the face of Everest). Chevy did this for many reasons (all speculation, but logical). One of which was simply insurance/safety/etc. The other was most likely the fact that at the time they were introduced, the Corvette was not underrated in any way and you can't have a car that costs over $15K more have nearly the same power ratings (both are LS-1s, the 'vette with a different cam and other small tuning differences). The last of which was a side benefit...they could have (on paper) the same ratings as the Cobras and SMOKE them in every test (and they did). I'm talking about 96-99 Cobras not the 99+ failures from the factory (read: recalls!)

So....as you can see, it's apples to oranges. For a V6 with 3.5L to put out the kind of torque and horsepower that this car has is amazing. Sure, the HP/liter has been exceeded elsewhere, but that's not the point. This car is also not a 1/4 mile car per se...even though it CAN and HAS run better than a 14.1 (Motor Trend 13.9 and I've personally seen a timeslip at 13.81 for the picky). Decent quarter mile times, awesome track ability, great real-world ride quality, power in ANY gear, stellar braking, great looks and an awesome interior to boot....for around $30K. If anyone still complains, they need to look into another car.

rai

Well the Momo wheel is nice on the eyes but doesn't make the car any faster, ground effects/side skirt more for looks IMO, interior bits, floor mats, exhaust tips etc...

m477

You're talking about getting a whole second improvement from just intake, ECU and exhaust on an NA? Sorry, but that's not gonna happen.

SeedyRom

Well, he did mention more than just that...specifically he mentioned a set of Nittos. If Nissan is right in telling us that a great deal of power is locked up in the intake and exhaust (just look at that exhaust pic from under the car in another thread), then perhaps changing them out will yield more power than normal. Toss into the mix some drag radials and it might not be so far off...if you can knock off .3 on the 60' with a nice clutch drop, that's about .6 at the lights...combine with some power mods and you never know

Normally, however, you're right.

Phyte

I didn't mean to make such a grumpy thread for my first post I'm just trying to understand power/weight ratio's and quarter mile time thats all. I will be getting a Z regardless, and the only racing I'll be doing is 1/4 mile racing(if any at all).

Phyte

Zmeflyby

hey where are the ls1 guyz?

SandMan

350z is not a 1/4 mile car. You might be looking at the wrong car.