No good news here, dudes. Some guy in a Silverstone 350Z drove HPDE intermediate at the EVO Tuner Shootout at Streets of Willow on Sat. Dec. 4. I easily held him off for an entire run session in my EVO RS (bone stock except for JIC/Mueller suspension).

But still glad to see a Z at the track.

 

Yep, evos are pretty quick. Around a track though Im surprised that the Z didnt do better, maybe the guy just didnt know how to drive. Oh well, at least the Z doesnt look like a civic with a superbird air foil tacked on the trunk.

 

Post some more details, as I don't comprehend what the "no good news here" means. Are you a beginner that held off an intermediate level driver? Or is the Z heavily modified, and the Evo RS is mildly modified?

Post some pics of the Evo RS. I haven't seen one yet, but I heard good things about them. Also, post a review of the car, if you have the time. If you think you'll come off as a troll, then just PM me. I'd just like to hear a bit about the RS.

 

I'm used to coming off as a troll. I revel in it. The point really was that the 350Z tried and failed to catch me. My EVO RS is bone stock except for JIC/Muellerized suspension (that' doesn't mean anything here, I know).

It was at Streets of Willow, frankly a track I hate, and I am not one of the fastest drivers there. Way to0 many tight turns and not nearly enough straights and sweepers to open up a high hp car like a 350Z or an EVO.

I had a heavily modified 350Z Track that I ran at various racetracks about a dozen times. It is no more.

The EVO RS is way easier to drive on a racetrack. The awd is great, allowing you to come out of a turn onto a straight hammering the throttle way earlier than you would dare in a rwd 350Z. EVO is WAY cheaper to mod thah 350Z.

That being said, I loved my Z and I miss it (although I wouldn't trade the EVO for another 350Z).

 

how do your times compare in both cars .... your old Z vs. the evo?

 

I would expect an RS to be quicker than a Z. If not, that would be bad news for the EVO driver.

 

Thanks for posting the pic...nice car. I like the fact that it doesn't have that spoiler, but I also thought that the spoiler was supposed to be functional.

The Z is my first RWD car, and I definitely have my hands full on the track. If THill wasn't so forgiving with the runoffs, I'd probably be up against a wall. I'm hoping to get much better at smoothly correcting myself when my rear end starts to slide out. I think that's when I get in trouble...laying on the gas too early...

A 2001 S4 was consistently able to catch up to me exiting most tight corners, and I think it was partially due to AWD (partly driver too). I can't imagine what an AWD vehicle with more power and less weight would do!

I love tracking my Z, and even though most experience drivers say that it's a easy car to learn to drive fast, I definitely feel like it challenges me. I've heard the RWD Porsche 911's commands even more attention.

Also, which mods did you feel made the most difference for the Z when tracking? I know you had the tilton clutch and flywheel as well as the Nismo LSD, and I think the Nismo S-Tunes (IIRC). Would you choose those mods first over others? I got my front brake kit, so I'm good for a while, but it's good to do some planning...

 

Richard, what does John actually do to the JIC Suspension for the EVO? just some different spring rates?

 

Yeah, Evo's are quick and I did consider an EVO or STI... But I hate the fact they don't look sporty at all. Don't get me wrong, I have seen some wicked looking EVO's and STI's but something about it being a 4dr just doesn't cut it for me regardless how fast it is. Any car can be fast with money spent, and sure the EVO out of the box is a great contender but you can't compare the beautiful lines of the 350z to an EVO. The 350z kills the EVO in every way in aesthetics with just a few bolt ons or even a turbocharger its Z U LATER to the EVO. And sure, you can modify the evo too and make it even that much faster and really it comes down to what you like. But to me appearance comes first, because its easier to make a car go faster than it is to make it look better, a good example is the WRX STI. No matter how fast you make it, it still has BUG EYES! which unless you do some crazy stuff it still will be a cockaroach to me. And yest WRX are fast and very NICE sounding cars!

 

Word to yo mama

 

tahts why you make a GC8 sti spec, WOOT.
im doing an awd car next, but i wouldnt trade the Z for it, i just want a fast 4dr as a daily.

 

He changes the valving in addition to the spring rates. I like how Richard makes the JIC's sound like a strut bar or something. A "muellerized" Evo will drive circles around a stock one...it's supposed to be THAT much better.

 

Don't get me wrong the EVO is a great car, but if you were driving the short track at Willow that may be another reason why the Z couldn't keep up. On a longer track with more high speed corners the z may be faster were it can really streatch it,s legs. The EVO is very good out of the tight corners. One of the guys at Performance Nissan told me a Z will be out perormed on a autocross course by a Mazda RX8 because of the tight coarse but put the two on a big track and the Z will rule.