Today while getting back home from my girlfriend’s house, a BMW 540 Dinan wanted a friendly race. While he tried to catch me, (it was pathetic) I saw the road ahead very clean, so I decided to find out how fast my 350 would go. The number was 158mph before I ran out of road. I never felt any speed limiter or something similar. If I had a little more road, I’m sure 160mph would have been possible, maybe more. The car felt incredibly stable. It was glued to the ground. I’m very impressed with this car.

 

you sure that it was a Dinan 540? no offense but those cars are no joke and definitely far from "pathetic". perhaps you found a rebadged 530 or 528. b/c top-end is where 540's (especially Dinans) shine. good kill though....

Doc

 

A BMW with a Dinan badge doesn't always mean it's fast. Normally, most Dinan badged BMWs only have intake/exhaust/ECU or some other little things. A Dinan supercharger is a different story.

540s are fast, but the Z will always be faster if driven properly. 540s may have good top end, but so do the Z.

Just an example in top end speed... 540<S2000<Z

Anyways, this is the Dinan badge system...

Points Description
5 Performance Suspension Systems
5 Performance Wheel Sets
2 Performance Engine Software
1 Performance Transmission Software
3 Free Flow Exhaust System
2 High Flow Cold Air Intake System
2 High Flow Throttle-Body
2 High Flow Air-Flow Meter
2 High Flow Intake Manifold
10 Supercharger Systems
2 Differentials
2 Strut Tower Braces
1 Shock Tower Braces

Supposedly you need 10 points to get the Dinan badge.
I'm sure you can get the Dinan badge without having to get all these products.

 

Obviously I couldn’t tell the Dinan parts that it had in the engine just by looking at him, but it had all the badges, the exhaust, etc.

 

Shouldn't even a stock 540 pull on a 350z?

 

Here is a magazine time for a stock (non Dinan) 540

Here is the same magazine time for a 350


Yes I know magazine times are usually off...so that is why I posted the times from the same site, I'm hoping because of that they shouldn't be too off from each other. Looks like the 350 (FROM THAT SITE) is about 9 tenths quicker in the 1/4 and about 9 mph quicker too.

Now for the other hand, Supercharged Dinan

Granted this is some Joe's website but I'm sure the numbers are pretty close

Good run!!

 

my thoughts exactly....

 

Nice Site.... it let you compare and everything!
Thanks!

 

I don't think so.... see it for your self!

 

I agree. No way would a stock 540 pull away on a Z. My cousin had a 540 which I drove hard many times and now having a Z I can tell you that there is no way that car would've pulled on the
Z.

 

A stock 540 weighs just about as much as a M5 ie 3900-4100 pounds.

 

actually 3800lbs

 

Was it a 540i 6 speed or Auto. IMO a 540i 6 speed would be a good race for a Z. And I would disagree with the top end comment. The 540i 6 speed has some amazing top end.

 

Yes...I agree too...no way an S2000 will keep up with a 540i 6M on the top end...

 

No...numerous S2000s have pulled on 540s (don't know if auto or 6 speed) in the top end, so the Z should/will pull on the 540 as well.

 

I highly doubt it was a 6-speed 540i...a few years ago Car and Driver said that the Acura NSX has trouble holding the 540i 6-speed off at high speed...

 

Most S2000 owners said they easily pulled on an auto, and some said they've also pulled on an 6-speed...who knows. As for the NSX having troubling holding the 540 6-speed at high speeds, you have any numbers? Sounds pretty interesting. If it was a few years ago, then it should be the 3.2 model.

The 290HP 6-speed NSXs top out at about 175 and have just as good top end, if not better than an LS1 (WS6 or SS), from what I hear. My friend raced a WS6 and had about 1-2 cars lengths from 80-135 I believe... Personally, I've never see a 540 6-speed on the topend, so I can't really compare.

 

Thats unladen weight not street weight w/o driver.

 

yea...cuz gas, oil, coolant and windshield washer fluid can weigh up to 300lbs

People on this board love to talk about the base Z's curb weight of 3186lbs...they don't say anything about "street weight" so why should we talk about "street weight" when talking about other cars but curb weight when talking about 350Zs? sounds like a double standard to me.


If you want to get technical the 540i manual's curb weight is 3748lbs....add about an extra 100lbs for "street weight", round it off...and make it 3850 and it's street weight isn't even in your 3900-4100lb range.

 

You know how it is as well as anyone BriGuyMax, owning a bike! Bike manufacturers and mags always claim rediculously low weights for new bikes, 300-400 lbs and crap, but in reality they are 400-500+