DavidM

A guy at work has a '99 WRX automatic so we went out and did some 'testing' after work. It's the older shape WRX, '99 model with 160kW and an auto box. From what I remember, it is geared something like 70, 115, 180, 280kph (not that it reached 280kph).

Looks like there is nothing between the two cars in the 1st two gears once on the move, and it's only over 100kph where the Zed starts to pull away (slowly). Anyway, here are the detailed results:

test#1, 0 - 100kph (Zed dropped from 3000rpm and WRX left-foot braked to 3000rpm):
Zed gets a better launch, spins the wheels for about 1sec while moving forward and gets good 2 cars lead on the WRX. Then things stay totally even (ie. no one gains or pulls away) all the way to 100kph. We tried this couple times and once the WRX launched before me and after I launched I was about 1/2 a car-length behind. From than on I could not gain an inch ... it stayed as even as it can. Another time I launched from 3500rpm and spun the wheels so much that I had to abort the run in order to stop the wheelspin. The WRX was ahead then.

test#2, 50 - 150kph rolling start (Zed in 2nd gear and WRX in 1st):
As soon as we jump at it, the Zed pulls away good 2 car-lengths. This happens all within a couple of seconds so it looks like the Zed has very good torque and the WRX has to shift to 2nd and that looses it a lot of ground. After that the Zed slowly pulls away another 2 car-lengths so by 150kph it is about 4 car-lengths ahead and pulling away at maybe 1 - 2meters every second.

test#3, 60 - 150kph rolling start (Zed in 2nd gear and WRX in 2nd):
This was probably even worse for the WRX. As soon as we jumped at it, the Zed pulled away about 2 - 3 car-lengths before we reach 100kph. The WRX is just too low in the rev-range (in 2nd) and it takes a while to get going. After 100kph the Zed pulls away another 2 car-lengths before we shut down at 150kph and again is slowly pulling away.

test#4, 40 - 160kph rolling start (Zed in 2nd gear and WRX in 1st):
This time the WRX pulls away when we jump on it. It pulls away 1.5 - 2 car-lengths while I get going in 2nd gear (ie. very quickly and before I hit 70kph). After that the Zed stabilizes the advantage and by 150kph it is side by side with the WRX. By 160kph it has a nose ahead and is creeping ahead (maybe at 2meters per second ie. 1/2 car length), but we shot it down then. So when the WRX is in it's optimum range n 1st gear, and the Zed is left in 2nd, then the WRX has a good advantage.

ps. At another time we timed the WRX (auto) at around 6.5 to 6.7 secs to 100kph with a hard launch (ie. left-foot brake to 3000rpm, or shift from neutral from around there). I'm guessing from this that my barely-run-in Zed is doing 6.3 or so to 100kph, but maybe 15secs (or high 14s) to 160kph. The WRX takes about 15.5 - 16.0secs to hit 160kph. Oh, and if it was a manual, then it would win the 0-100kph drag every time as it would out-launch the Zed. It would probably take 'till 150 - 160kph for the Zed to get allongside it.

Will see how things change with the exhaust (which is being fitted tomorrow).

zuffy

i can see you're enjoying your Zed !

DavidM

Take #2 for the 350Z vs '99 WRX (auto) as I raced it again. I have the Hi-tech exhaust now (and K&N filter). Last time we did this we noticed that there was zero difference between the 2 cars in terms of acceleration up to the 3rd gear (ie. 100kph). After that the Zed was quicker and slowly pulled away.

This time I'm certainly always quicker. Whether in 1st gear or in 2nd... even when I miss the start. We really just did standing start 'tests' this time, but we did about 6 of them where the WRX was being launched on the brake from around 3000rpm as well as by shifting the WRX from Neutral (and around 5000rpm). Anyway, this is how things went:

test#1, 0 - 120kph (Zed dropped from 3000rpm and WRX left-foot braked to 3000rpm):
We did this a couple of times. 1st time the WRX jumped the start and I was about 3/4 of a car behind as soon as we left the line. As soon as my rear wheels stopped spinning I was gaining on the WRX and by the time I shifted to 2nd I was side by side with it. Then by the end of 2nd gear I was at least 1 car-length ahead by 100kph.

Another time we took off at the same time but my launch was better and I pulled away about 1 car off the line and then just kept on pulling all the way to 120kph, where we shut down. I was about 4 car-lengths ahead then.

Once I started from around 2000rpm (ie. bogged the start), and I still got side-by-side with the WRX by 120kph .... and that was from good 2.5 cars deficit off the line.

test#2, 0 - 130kph (Zed dropped from 3000rpm and WRX 'dropeed' from Neutal and 5000rpm):
This was a pretty good launch for the WRX as we took off at the same time, but the WRX pulled away maybe 1/4 of a car-length as I was spinning my wheels. As soon as my wheels hooked up, I was quicker and pulling away. By 2nd gear (ie. 60kph) I was at about 1/2 car ahead and by 100kph I was another car-length ahead. I was pulling away by good 5kph then and all the way to 130kph where we shut down. I was about 3 - 4 car-lengths ahead.

So, I'm now always quicker than the WRX, and this was mostly just 'tested' in the 1st two gears where I had no advantage before.

zuff

Told you you'd smoke him!

It's always that much sweeter when you get to race the same car and own it. Thnx for posting these tests.