I got my 2007 San Marino Blue Enthusiast today. Lovely car! I have been autocrossing a 2003 Perfomance since 04. Now I will need to discover how the 07 handles and what it needs. I already have a set of Track Rays with Kumho 710s that I used at the Dixie Tour in BSP since the wheels bumped me out of stock.

I tried out the car on the way home and 2nd gear is good for 70mph (03 is 59). It doesn't seem to have the oomph of the 03 at low revs but once it's into the 3k to 6k range the car literally leaps ahead like it has boost.

I won't get a chance to run a T&T for 2 weeks. Any observations from someone that has had one on a course in anger? How was the stock suspension? Changes in driving style needed?

 

saw that you ran bsp... why did you get the enthusiast? it seemed like you were jumping onto the 18" 285 trend?

 

na man ive got 972 miles on mine got mine first batch from japan. i probably wont race it until next year. but ill get back to you then haha. good luck

 

Good question. Because the 2007 Enthusiast has the older Track size wheels, 8x18 and 8.5x18, and I could buy Jim T.'s set. Still ran on 285s. The Tourings have 19" wheels in the back and that's way too limited an autocross tire selection. Plus they have options I don't need.

BSP was because of the out of stock wheels. I trophied (5th of 16) with a stock Z in the class. My time would have only been good for 3rd in B Stock which is why I got the 2007.

Still room at the Huntsville Tour if you're interested.

 

hmm.. good stuff! didn't know they moved up sizes. makes sense now!

i'll probably make the trip down to huntsville. loved the sediv event there last year.

 

So you could use a stock set of track rims -- legally in stock -- on the '07 Enthusiast, as long as the offsets are within 1/4 inch of the stock wheels, and I think that they are.

The weight looks about the same as my '05 Track, although you might find that the front on the '07 is a touch heavier than your '03 (because of the extra intake parts).

 

Glenn, I think the steering is smoother and quicker. Before I told him, my son mentioned it also when he drove it. When we get a chance in two weeks to run some testing, I'll see if the 285s change that. I love the feel of the clutch in the 2007. It's smooth, takes less effort and engages closer to the floor.

One other area that doesn't mean much to performance but my wife noticed, is that the exhaust sound is not as throaty. Still sounds like a Z but the bass is less.

Funny, it seems like I'm sitting higher in the car than the 2003. I think I can see farther out on the hood. Might be my imagination or my big butt has yet to deform the seat as much as 4 years in the 03.

 

Don't forget that the center of the hood is significantly raised, so it might be a bit of an optical illusion!

I noticed that there was a difference in the engine note between the 2004 that I drove and my 2005 Track. Check the pedal placement as well! The 2004 was almost impossible to heel-toe with the side of my foot, my 2005 is no problem at all.

Sorry that I never got over to say "Hi" in Topeka. I saw your car a couple of times but you were not nearby (and when you were, I was dealing with other things. At least I found the second cone, only a couple of months too late to make a difference!).

 

Ok, it has been a month or more. I've run in several events, a test & tune and have had some success with the car but I find there is a definite learning curve.

The car turns in quicker that my 03 and feels more nimble. No changes to the shocks, yet it's better in transitions than the 03 with Konis. I've hit more cones in the last month than most of last year but getting better. The hood might have something to do with the initial cone counts because it does change the perspective to the right front where most of the cones jumped in front of me.

Acceleration is different than the 03. It isn't linear. At 3 to 4K it takes off like a Subie on boost. This has caused my 1st ever spin in a Z. The extra 1000 rpm has changed shift points on most courses. I used to shift immediately but it isn't necessary. No third gear shifts either. The car really likes being at high revs and it pays dividends.

Took it out to TGPR for the Z Nationals Track day. A small course but the car would do 100 mph in 3rd on both straights without hitting the rev limiter. Plenty of pull out of the corners and on stock tires it handled great. Fun but now that I've done one I don't see a need for another.

I really love this 07! ! It's pretty hard to wait for the next autocross. Somehow I have to deal with this addiction, maybe chewing gum.

 

I am curious if the extra weight for extra rubber is worth it.

 

I'm not sure what you mean. Would you expand on the statement?

 

I meant to say. Is it worth it to dump the earlier cars for the 07. You can stuff better rubber underneath it, but you also pick up 200lbs in weight penalty

 

No I would not change cars just for autocross. I had almost 118,000 miles on the 03 and my son was interested in buying it. I'm using the same tire sizes I ran on the 03. Only the rear wheel size changed and .5 inches isn't noticeable to me. If I was worried about weight I should get on a diet.

 

Got cha, but I think the new power would help on the race track