Z in A2, MI
 

One of my employees saw a Z today in town today! I'm assuming that it is the test car for one of the auto magazines here, Automobile and Car and Driver. Needless to say, I will be carrying my camera with me 24/7 and am trying to figure out if there's anyway I can get a hold of a video camera.

I haven't developed the sleuthing skills of Scafremon, but hopefully I can get a lead, and hopefully before the first article comes out. I'm trying to get in touch with a potential "deep throat", but with Nissan's presence on this site, I'm hesitant to reveal too much too soon and blow any chance of close contact with the Z.

Wish me luck!

Good luck!

Maybe it's too late and I'm not thinking clearly... gonna ask anyway: what's "A2" and what does it have to do with Michigan?

Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor
 

Yep A2 is Ann Arbor (as in A squared: AA). That's where I grew up, though don't live there anymore.

I'm hoping it was a car for Car and Driver--in lieu of a test drive, I'd love to see what they have to say about the Z. They seemed pretty excited about it when they previewed it earlier this year.

Well, I just saw it with my own eyes! After driving around downtown, near Automobile Magazine, I spotted a LeMans Sunset with the aero package. I would guess it was the track but can't verify it. I was driving the opposite direction, and by the time I got turned around the Z was headed out of town and I lost it.

My friend ran into one of the drivers at the gas station, and talked for a bit. Apparently they're flying in some German writer to test the vehicle, last name Kocher or something like that? Dunno. The one driving comment passed on was that there was some understeer that was unexpected but nothing to be bothered by. I think they might have assumed it would oversteer because of it's small size.

LeMans Sunset is definitely a nice color. I thought it would stand out more than it did, but it is much more layed back. It won't give you a headache if you stare at it for awhile, and I don't think one would get tired of it quickly either.

Next mission is to get up close and personal. Fingers crossed.

Go for it bbray! Don't forget to keep your camera with you at all times! Preferably video!

I had my camera, turned on sitting right next to me, I just didn't expect to turn the corner and have one right there. I think driving and looking for the Z is more dangerous than talking on my cell. I almost rear ended 3 people.

I need to figure out where they might park the thing. I have one lead, but I'll check that out later tonight.

The understeer may be tuned into the suspension at the factory to satisfy safety issues (i.e. legal issues). I'm sure NISMO will offer parts to fix that for those of you who are more adventurous.

do u guys like motortrend better, car and driver, or something else? like which had a more fair comment and comparison on car?:confused:

I always thought Road & Track had the most technical write-ups. They don't just test cars on regular highways.

hey bbray...i have an idea for ya!

I remember JmanZ and others(including myself) willing to put in some money if someone got a good video with sound. Why don't you post some signs on teh campus saying will pay movie for a video of this car(with a picture of the Z). I know a lot of kids at U of M who are dead broke and would be up for that.

Just a thought.

Car Mags
 

I tend to trust Car & Driver quite a bit. Right out of college I bought a Neon Sport Coupe off of their statement that it was the "best enthusiast car under 15K" and they were right on the money. For a cheap as heck car, it has been a great sporty car, outside of all the quality failures (which the car mags obviously can't predict). I've outgunned countless unsuspecting people, who usually get really mad that they are getting beat by a freakin' Neon. :)

Motor Trend completely lost me when they declared that boat (Chevy Caprise) car of the year. I still can't figure out what they were smoking when they did that.

Car & Driver seems to give a pretty practical review. They will take it out and drive it hard, but they also tell you what the car is like under normal conditions.

Hey, I took some pictures of the Daytona Blue track model! It was at Car and Driver headquarters. Also, one of my coworkers spotted the LeMans Sunset near downtown.

You know, you're not exactly making it any easier on us by just telling us you took some pictures. How about SHOWING us some pictures?

You may as well be saying "My beautiful, blonde, long legged model of a wife is currently naked and I took some pictures." :(

LOL @ Flyingscot!:D

I typ[ically find all thre magazines to be off the mark slightly and the truth to lie somewhere in or around what they report. In other words, I don't trust any one more then the others.

R&T seems to have the best technical writers but they also don't seem to understand what they are saying. A common case of if they say enough big words long enough they will sound educated. They also don't seem to be the best evaluaters of cars with perforamance numbers typically way off the mark.

MT seems to have decent perforamance numbers but couldn't write their way out of 1st grade. Technically speaking, addition is more complex then what they write.

C&D is middle of the road on things and is probably the only one of the big 3 here that doesn't seem to skew data one way or the other.

Personally I find just about every magazine to be lackluster in true information and all I use them for is to entertain me on buisness trips to pass the boring hours of sitting on a plane. If I want to know how something performs I go drive one and see how it performs, I don't let some shmuck who is getting paid by the car company to give their car a good review. If I were to listen to them I'd probably buy a Kia or Daewoo.

John,

I subscribed to R&T for more than 10 years then swithed to C&D for more than 10 years now. R&T tends to cover a lot of racing, Sport Cars comparison and high performance driving. They don't cover practical automobiles very much. While I subscribed to R&T, I also read my brother's C&D, which cover all type of cars and trucks. After a while, I got tired of just reading R&T comparing the same sport cars 50 times. So I switch to C&D and enjoy the balance coverage since. Both magazines have excellent technical staff and writers and also very critical. Motortrend, on the other hand, tend to be much less technical and critical than R&T and C&D. Next month you can read all 3 magazines covering the 350Z, and we'll see what I mean.

Bray,

Since Nissan Main office is in Farmington Hills, MI, you may wanna check their parking lot or so.

When I was with Ford motors in Dearborn, we used to get a lot test vehicles to drive!

Hey bbray!

You mentioned a writer coming out from Europe to test the car. I had a feeling who it might be, and then your name description was close enough to confirm it.

The man is Georg Kacher.

He is a very good journalist. I first became aquainted with his writings, and his four wheel drifts in 911 Turbos, in the pages of CAR Magazine.
He currently works for Automobile Magazine, perhaps for others in Europe, as well.

Happy hunting.:D

Dr Bonz


I don't know where you live, but my guess is that Nelson Ledges isn't too far away. Check it out:)