Last Saturday, I took my 2004 roadster to the Z-Car Club of Colorado (ZCCC) annual summer track day at 2nd Creek Raceway near Denver International Airport. The tight 9-turn, 1.7-mile course put the car's cornering, braking and torque to the test.

Twin turbos and a host of fine older Zs still dominate the club, but the ZCCC opened the track to all marques. Out of ~40 cars entered, there were 6 350Zs, mostly stock, and they all did very, very well. (Mine has no mods other than engine grounding and tires.)

I've done many track days on motorcycles, but this was my first in a car. Here are some observations:

1. This is by far the best handling of the 6 Zs I've owned (see sig).

2. Everyone present was mightily impressed with the 350Z's cornering and torque right out of the box. None of the older Zs in my driving class could keep up, but a well-driven 1996 Porche Carrera was slightly faster. The ZR stayed well ahead of all the 300ZXTTs, some with well over 400 bhp, but a straighter track might have changed that.

3. After 30 years, those 240Zs are still damn fast. The 350Z has a proud heritage.

4. I could have used those Brembos on the track. I'm guessing that my 20-minute heats averaged ~12 laps, or ~108 corners. My standard brakes went soft in the last 3-4 laps of heat #2 but held up fairly well in later heats with faster times. The brakes might not have been an issue on a straighter track.

5. According to more experienced passengers (brave souls) on 2 heats, my new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires performed well -- especially for all-season tires -- but the OEM Potenzas would probably have done as well or better on this sunny 80° day.

6. Engine cooling was never a problem.

7. Testing the limits of adhesion turned out to be a surprisingly worry-free untertaking in the 350Z. Drifts came on smoothly and were easily controlled with either steering or throttle inputs. The tail seldom stepped out ahead of the front and was easily reeled back in when it did. After a few laps, the consistent cross-track 4-wheel drift coming out of Turn 5 didn't turn a hair.

8. The 350Zs had the sweetest exhaust notes on the track, period.

Bottom line: The 350Z is a ton of fun to drive on and off the track. It's also a formidable contender right out of the box. Many would kill for its torque curve and cornering. Brakes have never been an issue off the track, but a brake upgrade is now high on my list for the next major mod. Since the wife got a first-hand wide-eyed look at the standard brake limitations in heat #2, she might even let me do it!

 

I think I need to get to a track someday.... How much does it cost?

 

Sounds and looks like you had a great time! I need to hit the track some time....

 

Moneywise, the club charged $65 for members and maybe $80 for a non-member. You had to work the turns 3 times, 2 heats each. Well worth it.

 

I'm taking my 350 Z Performance model to a track on the 23rd - what did you do about tire pressures? The book says 35 psi.

 

I was fully prepared to ignore tire pressure, but a more experienced club member advised me to check it right after each heat and keep it in the 35-45 psi range. (He said that you may have to let out a lot of air on hot days.)

In all the hubbub, I never got around to doing that, but it's on the list for next time.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by nitrousoxidex
I think I need to get to a track someday.... How much does it cost? [/QUOTE

I forgot to mention some indirect costs.

1. I had to buy a Snell 2000M-rated helmet. An open-face Vega ran me $80 at a local motorcycle shop.

2. I'm sure I took 1,000+ miles off the life of my brand new tires -- probably $100 worth of rubber.

3. The heats alone burned up nearly 1/2 tank of gas.

If you get hooked, sky's the limit on expenses. We all know what a slippery slope car modifications can be. Some guys showed up in turbo diesel duallies with their cars in trailers full of tools, multiple sets of racing slicks on their own dedicated wheels, elaborate tarps for shade, etc.