What do you think? Based on available information, is the Base+Sports package Nissan provides a national contender?

Press Release

 

No way to know till it hits the pavement. RX-8 is going to be pretty tough to beat in BS.

 

370Z isnt gonna be in B-stock with the stats theyre listing. its an A-stock car for sure, and if it ends up in the same street prepared index, you and I are gonna be running on inferior *** equipment.

 

A video clip of the rev matching by Jason Isley. Yeah, a RX-8 driver has more experience with a 370Z than you.

The RX-8 forum also has more information about the 370Z autocross possibilities. They already have decided it's a B Stock car that they can beat.

Thread

 

arrogant bastards...lol

hey Mike did Carter Thompson ever mention why it is he switched from 350Z's, after he was runner-up in one, to the RX8?

 

Jim and Carter have an arrangement with a local RX-8 owner. They setup the car and help him get better at autocross and he provides the car. Fred's a great guy and it's a win-win for both parties.

 

Its not about beating the car, its about competition.... If the 370Z brings the level up for Nissan (and gets more than two guys to show up at natls) that would be a good thing imo. It seems like a BS car to me at this point because from what I have seen the production model did not match all the preproduction hype/rumors - it does not have the big weight savings or rumored camber adjustment, and they still failed to put a good LSD in. We will do more testing next week, but at this point it does not look like an AS car to me.

Besides BS needs to get faster, we still cant beat CS, and the 09' RX-8 is an unknown.

 

Hey Mike, can you PM me or post the fuel level you guys ran at natls? I want to try and scale and test the car as close to solo trim as I can. Also spare in or out?

 

2009 base weight:

Per the B Stock 350Z drivers instructions, 3/4 tank of fuel, no spare, jack or tools.

3246lbs
56% front

LF 886 RF 939
LR 737 RR 685

I did not level the scales, since it was not a Sport I was not going to waste a lot of time on it, but the total is still good.

Weight with spare/tools/jack 3289.

Hard to say for sure the weight difference between the base with small wheels/tires and a Sport outfitted with fat Rs.

Front camber, LF -.7, RF -.9.

If it does not start to rain we are going to do some acceleration tests, 20-60mph, should give us some idea of how it will pull out of a turn. 0-60 and 60-0 will be worthless with the small tires and no LSD, so we will skip that.

 

Front suspension:



Rear:

 

Both of the press cars we got have a diff cooler, very strange on this one as it has no LSD.

 

Jason,

Can I come by and take some measurements of that diff cooler setup? I need one for my car and I like how they set it up. Was at Cal Speedway Sunday and put 5 hours of track time on my 2006 sharing the ride with Messley. Never skipped a beat but got the R200 pretty hot. The OS Giken LSD was wonderful.

 

Let's not forget that in order to get that LSD, you have to opt in for the Sport Package, which means 19" wheels. Granted, they are nice and large (19x9F and 19x10R) but it rules out Kuhmo and tire longevity.

When you figure same weight, camber, and diff limitations, I think it is still gonna be a B-Stock car. The Z has never hurt for power, and I figure that if they put the Nismo Z in B-Stock, this one will be as well.

Jason, looks like you will continue to see another Z at nationals this year...my ride in the MSR fell through. Darrin is driving an EP CRX this year, so I'm on my own again (*cough* Mike *cough*)

Just my $.02....

JR

 

Even if it were on par, or better than a Nismo, you have to wonder how much the width will slow it down in the tight stuff.

After putting a few more miles in there are some thing we do and don't like.... Rear visibility is terrible, better on the base than the sport, but it is bad.

Hate the floor hinged gas pedal, way to go Nissan bringing back that 1980s German technology.

The drive by wire calibration is great on throttle and when driving aggressively. However, for regular around town driving it has a lot of run on - lift off the gas and the revs continue to climb.

Seats are great, very comfy and hold you in great. All the controls are in easy reach, and you don't need the manual to figure stuff out.

The power is great. First gear kind of sucks, it goes by way to quick, but put it in 2nd or 3rd and it seems pulls for ever. Just did some 20mph-redline runs in 2nd (forgot the cable for my PDA so I can't download the data yet) it pulls super hard all the way - way harder than my car.

Reminds me a lot of my C4.

 

what did surprise me is how the upper A arm in the front suspension is "oblique" (the mounting points) I wonder how much camber and caster is going to gain when compressed because is going to move inward faster and backward respect the lower arm.

btw, if you can get the spec on how they did the diff cooler is a nice add on, I really need one for my niZmo :-D

 

Mike? #46?

 

Yeah, Cavanaugh

Shed your street tires and we'll talk!

Jason,

So are you still of the opinion that it'll be a b-stocker? or do you think it has the stones for AS?

 

Anytime I have an open seat. I need to see if I can get .002 back.

 

Not scientific at all, but I had a co-worker push down on the front to see what kind of camber gain it picked up. A 1/2" of compression resulted in -.2 increase in camber. No idea how this compares to the previous car, but I doubt there would be much difference.

John form Beta is coming over now to check out the cooler... Maybe he will be able to copy it and offer a kit, or parts list.

 

No doubt it has AS power, but autox is not all about power - so I am trying to not let that cloud my judgment.

Positives: HP and Tq, wide wheels and big tires.
Negatives: Width, camber, LSD, weight.

I am still leaning towards BS, but luckily I don't have to make that decision.