Support NeoGAF

[AlphaSnake]

Boys and girls... hold onto your butts...

Motor Trend: Z06 vs GTR Nismo

Holy shit. What an ending...

Spoiler

Bow down to Nissan.

Something is really wrong with these new Z06s as we mentioned a few pages back. That trap speed of 124.4 is the same as a Jaguar F-Type R and that makes 100HP less. So wtf?

 

[Evo X]

It's not like I'm well versed in driving high performance cars of any kind, but I'm honestly surprised the backlash against what you mentioned hasn't come yet. Low weight does seem like a popular thing to brag about lately though.

Is there much of a waiting list for it? Seems like a car that would be in high demand.

Yes, there is a waiting list. Demand will surely outstrip supply, especially as more people start learning about it. I had to call 4 dealers before one would even accept my deposit and I'm still not guaranteed one yet.

This car has a very specific buyer and I won't argue if it doesn't click with someone.

The GT4 is for someone who values driving pleasure and involvement over magazine numbers. Even though it is still blisteringly fast(the motorsport head at Porsche said 385bhp and 7:40 ring time are both conservative), that is not the main reason you buy one. If you want to drag race, you can get a Hellcat for much less.

The sounds, feelings, and sensations it's going to provide through series of curves on a deserted back road are going to be magical. Hell, the regular Cayman is fucking great in that regard. The GT4 just takes it up to 11.

 

[Stinkles]

The GT4 configurator is up on Porsche's website!

http://www.porsche.com/usa/

Just called and put down a deposit for one. Speccing mine right now. As soon as I'm done, I'll give my sales guy the code and he'll put the order through to Porsche.

I am probably the only person in America who wishes I could configure it with a better gearbox and paddles.

Eff your phallic caveman shifter.

 

[Evo X]

I am probably the only person in America who wishes I could configure it with a better gearbox and paddles.

Eff your phallic caveman shifter.

It's a limited production car made by a small team of engineers. If you watch the EVO interview, he said that they didn't have the time or resources to test and fit two different transmissions, so they went with one enthusiasts were clamoring for.

You can configure every other Porsche with the excellent PDK!

If you don't need the extra power and track bits, the Cayman GTS is still an amazing car.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

*Pac NW fistbump*

Ex-PDX, now live in the Oly area. But I used to do track days on my WRX at PDX, and did some fun laps in the passenger seat in a neighbor's track NSX and Mustang Mach 1. It's a great track.

Haha, I meant SCCA's "Personal Driving Experience" they call it PDX, BUT I do hope to move to Seattle/Portland one day and be a Seahawks/Sounders fan. My girlfriend is from Eugene so I visit the area often. Best place on Earth.

I am probably the only person in America who wishes I could configure it with a better gearbox and paddles.

Eff your phallic caveman shifter.

Spoiler

I would slightly prefer DCT with paddles too.

GT4 ad

http://youtu.be/2GmLnDmBW10

Goosebumps. Everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

 

[Halvie]

Holy shit. What an ending...

Spoiler

Bow down to Nissan.

Something is really wrong with these new Z06s as we mentioned a few pages back. That trap speed of 124.4 is the same as a Jaguar F-Type R and that makes 100HP less. So wtf?

Good bit heavier too, isn't it?

Speaking of which, somehow saw my first F-Type in person the other day. Ridiculously good looking.

 

[FStop7]

In many places deposits must be 100% refundable, by law. If your dealership says it's not, then double check your local laws... they may just be trying to scare you off.

 

[rokkerkory]

I am probably the only person in America who wishes I could configure it with a better gearbox and paddles.

Eff your phallic caveman shifter.

GTS is prob great for you?

 

[Granadier]

I want to see Stinkles in a GTS. That'd be great.

 

[paskowitz]

Boys and girls... hold onto your butts...

Motor Trend: Z06 vs GTR Nismo

Holy shit. What an ending...

Spoiler

Bow down to Nissan.

Something is really wrong with these new Z06s as we mentioned a few pages back. That trap speed of 124.4 is the same as a Jaguar F-Type R and that makes 100HP less. So wtf?

Spoiler

I was in legit shock. I came in thinking the Vette was going to stomp the GTR. I love the Vette (as a car), but Chevy fucked this one up. The car has too much power. Should be 550hp/ft-lbs and ~3100lbs.

Spoiler

If you really analyze the driving in the video frame by frame you can see that Randy Pobst (the driver) is FAR more direct and confident in the GTR. In almost every interior shot he is having to do micro steering inputs to keep the Vette under control. The GTR brakes visibly slower and is down between 3-8mph in mid corner speed, but on corner exit and the long sweeping corners it just obliterates the Vette (some places almost 10mph). If the GTR had the PS Cup 2s and carbon brakes it would easily be 3 seconds faster, if not more.

 

[Viperbah]

Holy shit. What an ending...

Spoiler

Bow down to Nissan.

Something is really wrong with these new Z06s as we mentioned a few pages back. That trap speed of 124.4 is the same as a Jaguar F-Type R and that makes 100HP less. So wtf?

While I do think something is definitely off with power delivery over 100mph(the 1-150mph times for that car just makes zero sense). Take magazine numbers with a grain of salt.

Look at the viper...most magazines record traps of around 127-128...then take a Huracan, for example, traps are around 132-135 in mags.

Viper vs Huracan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_m1-2cA44E

Drag times for C7Z/Viper/Hellcat---same day/track
http://nineballgarage.com/2015/01/drag-strip-tested-c7-z06-vs-viper-vs-hellcat-vs-zr1/

Motor Trend had a head to head of a Viper losing to a black series a while back...I think in that vid they trapped 124-5 or some shit with the viper...laughable.

Reason is...it's fucking hard to drive a 600+hp car with a manual trans and consistently get the best out it....on a drag strip or a track. GTR, Huracan, Newer P cars...the trans is doing 50% of the work for you.

 

[paskowitz]

Drag times set by journalists are one thing, lap times set by a professional race car driver are another.

 

[Viperbah]

Drag times set by journalists are one thing, lap times set by a professional race car driver are another.

While I was mainly talking to the trap speed, yes...correct, those are two different things.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Spoiler

I was in legit shock. I came in thinking the Vette was going to stomp the GTR. I love the Vette (as a car), but Chevy fucked this one up. The car has too much power. Should be 550hp/ft-lbs and ~3100lbs.

Spoiler

If you really analyze the driving in the video frame by frame you can see that Randy Pobst (the driver) is FAR more direct and confident in the GTR. In almost every interior shot he is having to do micro steering inputs to keep the Vette under control. The GTR brakes visibly slower and is down between 3-8mph in mid corner speed, but on corner exit and the long sweeping corners it just obliterates the Vette (some places almost 10mph). If the GTR had the PS Cup 2s and carbon brakes it would easily be 3 seconds faster, if not more.

The GTR has been able to do incredible things with putting power down. That it beat the Z06 is zero surprise to me. It's not a matter of handling stability, it's a matter of AWD with tricky differentials scrabbling for grip vs. a beefcake engine putting power to the rear wheels through a mechanical (not electrical, right?) diff. I think the AWD advantage at corner exit becomes pretty significant as power starts climbing into higher and higher territory.

That said, who cares? The Z06 is cooler, sounds miles better, is probably the more exciting car, and 95% of owners will never be within 5 seconds of Pobst's lap time anyway.

I wish we could just fucking quit it with the horsepower war though. I really don't like the idea of untrained drivers being able to buy cars with power outputs far beyond the capability of their chassis. I love cars to death, fast cars especially, but we're coming to the point where any numbskull with money can get into a car with 600-700 horsepower or more (from the factory!), and I can see literally no reason that that should be legal. If we're going to continue down this path we need to consider stratified licensing.

Holy shit. What an ending...

Spoiler

Bow down to Nissan.

Something is really wrong with these new Z06s as we mentioned a few pages back. That trap speed of 124.4 is the same as a Jaguar F-Type R and that makes 100HP less. So wtf?

I'd bet that the Z06 launches much, much better than the Jag, which will drop its trap speed. I wonder what their 60' times are like.

 

[Niks]

Boys and girls... hold onto your butts...

Motor Trend: Z06 vs GTR Nismo

I seriously did not expect that.

heavier
worse tires
worse brakes
less power

still beats it... what?

 

[Granadier]

I seriously did not expect that.

heavier
worse tires
worse brakes
less power

still beats it... what?

Tech.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Good bit heavier too, isn't it?

Speaking of which, somehow saw my first F-Type in person the other day. Ridiculously good looking.

Yes, about 250lbs heavier @ 3800lbs.

Spoiler

I was in legit shock. I came in thinking the Vette was going to stomp the GTR. I love the Vette (as a car), but Chevy fucked this one up. The car has too much power. Should be 550hp/ft-lbs and ~3100lbs.

Spoiler

If you really analyze the driving in the video frame by frame you can see that Randy Pobst (the driver) is FAR more direct and confident in the GTR. In almost every interior shot he is having to do micro steering inputs to keep the Vette under control. The GTR brakes visibly slower and is down between 3-8mph in mid corner speed, but on corner exit and the long sweeping corners it just obliterates the Vette (some places almost 10mph). If the GTR had the PS Cup 2s and carbon brakes it would easily be 3 seconds faster, if not more.

Spoiler

I noticed all of that too. In the very beginning the Vette was actually ahead by about a second or two, and then that quickly ended as the GTR started coming out of every corner faster. When I noticed the 10MPH discrepancy after certain corners, I knew it was over for the Z06. And even on the straight, the Z06 couldn't muster up the power to pick it up there and close the lead.

The thing is, is that the new Z06s are becoming notorious for overheating and pulling a shit load of timing after hard driving. While Motor Trend thinks its the drag, I personally think it's the ECU. Chevy needs to fix this shit by retrofitting purchased cars with proper coolers and applying the same on new cars.

While I do think something is definitely off with power delivery over 100mph(the 1-150mph times for that car just makes zero sense). Take magazine numbers with a grain of salt.

Look at the viper...most magazines record traps of around 127-128...then take a Huracan, for example, traps are around 132-135 in mags.

Viper vs Huracan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_m1-2cA44E

Drag times for C7Z/Viper/Hellcat---same day/track
http://nineballgarage.com/2015/01/drag-strip-tested-c7-z06-vs-viper-vs-hellcat-vs-zr1/

Motor Trend had a head to head of a Viper losing to a black series a while back...I think in that vid they trapped 124-5 or some shit with the viper...laughable.

Reason is...it's fucking hard to drive a 600+hp car with a manual trans and consistently get the best out it....on a drag strip or a track. GTR, Huracan, Newer P cars...the trans is doing 50% of the work for you.

One thing to keep in mind with magazine tests is that they ride on abused press cars, often times with out of whack alignments and aging tires. The Viper is going to be the poster boy for that abuse.

Having said that, displacement is the absolute king when it comes down to straightline performance. Feed a big, powerful 8.4L V10 all the air in the world, and it'll respond to it. I mean really...just think about the size of that gargantuan motor in that car. 8.4 liters, with 10 cylinders. It's fucking unreal and borderline ludicrous. America!

I'd bet that the Z06 launches much, much better than the Jag, which will drop its trap speed. I wonder what their 60' times are like.

Well, the Jaguar launches really well too, provided the tires haven't been molested. I'd imagine the Corvette loses MPH in the 1/4 mile because it has to shift. And lo-and-behold 3rd gear actually ends around 120MPH, so you've got to shift before the 1/4 is over. That's most likely what holds it back. I bet the automatic is at least 3MPH quicker in that respect.

 

[Evo X]

So are car deposits just arbitrary?

Because one dealer only charged my credit card $1K, while another one is asking for 10% of the value of the car up front(~$10K).

 

[RukusProvider]

Deposits are subjective to the dealer.

As for the new Z06, Chevy need to do some serious work. I'm already cringing to read owner reports from summer time trackdays. Going to be some serious damage control chevy will need to be ready for.

Glad I kept my C6Z.

 

[AlphaSnake]

So are car deposits just arbitrary?

Because one dealer charged my credit card $1K, while another one is asking for 10% of the value of the car up front(~$10K).

By my experience? Yes.

I put $500 to secure my 370Z. $100 for my 350Z. $750 for my A6 3.0T. $250 for my M56S.

But when I put the down payment on my brother's R8 V10 (he was out of town) they asked for $5K. So I put it down. A few weeks later the dealer owner wanted another $5K. My sales rep called me and told me. I was pretty pissed about it. My brother didn't care that much, oddly.

The owner is a young sack of shit, he inherited the dealership from his aged father. And I didn't like him, especially with past dealings with past Audis and such. So I go to the dealership and said no to the owner.

And if he tried to cancel the car, which he hinted he'd do, I would file a chargeback through the card (it was an AMEX Plat, so they knew it was no questions asked with chargebacks). He caved, but then pleaded for another deposit. So we gave him $2500 under some condition which I can't even remember anymore.

 

[Jackson]

So are car deposits just arbitrary?

Because one dealer only charged my credit card $1K, while another one is asking for 10% of the value of the car up front(~$10K).

Everything about car buying is arbitrary. MSRP. APR. Amount down. Trade in value.

They want as much cash as possible as soon as possible.

Putting some skin in the game makes it on you to buy the car. Typical it's $1k-$5k refundable if they are legit. Some will do shady stuff like hold like $500 back for the inconvenience or bump you down the line if someone puts more down.

Specialty cars are much harder to negotiate on.

 

[Evo X]

By my experience? Yes.

I put $500 to secure my 370Z. $100 for my 350Z. $750 for my A6 3.0T. $250 for my M56S.

But when I put the down payment on my brother's R8 V10 (he was out of town) they asked for $5K. So I put it down. A few weeks later the dealer owner wanted another $5K. My sales rep called me and told me. I was pretty pissed about it. My brother didn't care that much, oddly.

The owner is a young sack of shit, he inherited the dealership from his aged father. And I didn't like him, especially with past dealings with past Audis and such. So I go to the dealership and said no to the owner.

And if he tried to cancel the car, which he hinted he'd do, I would file a chargeback through the card (it was an AMEX Plat, so they knew it was no questions asked with chargebacks). He caved, but then pleaded for another deposit. So we gave him $2500 under some condition which I can't even remember anymore.

Hmmm... that's interesting.

I don't think this dealer is scummy. I was just curious on how the process works. Up until now, I've only really reserved video games. I never pre-ordered a fucking car before. What if the GT4 ends up like Watch Dogs, Destiny, or Halo:MCC? lol.

Seriously though, I don't have much of a problem putting down $10K, but I'd rather have that money in my day trading account making me money instead of sitting in the dealerships pockets for the next 6 months.

I already have a reserved order with the dealership that only asked for $1K.

Only reason I'm even bothering with the $10K dealership is because I like the sales guy. I went out with him on a bunch of different occasions testing out a bunch of new 911 variants for the past year so I kind of feel obligated to give him my business.

You guys think it's a dickish move to not buy through him?

Edit: Thanks for weighing in Jackson. Are you trading up for one? I'm glad I didn't order a GTS now. lol

 

[No Love]

Hmmm... that's interesting.

I don't think this dealer is scummy. I was just curious on how the process works. Up until now, I've only really reserved video games. I never pre-ordered a fucking car before. What if the GT4 ends up like Watch Dogs, Destiny, or Halo:MCC? lol.

Seriously though, I don't have much of a problem putting down $10K, but I'd rather have that money in my day trading account making me money instead of sitting in the dealerships pockets for the next 6 months.

I already have a reserved order with the dealership that only asked for $1K.

Only reason I'm even bothering with the $10K dealership is because I like the sales guy. I went out with him on a bunch of different occasions testing out a bunch of new 911 variants for the past year so I kind of feel obligated to give him my business.

You guys think it's a dickish move to not buy through him?

Quit being a wet towel. Think with your brain and do what's best for you, not some sales guy.

 

[J-Rzez]

I seriously did not expect that.

heavier
worse tires
worse brakes
less power

still beats it... what?

I honestly expected the Z06 to trump the Nismo, first off, because it's a new Z06 and it's a far newer gen of car. The GT-R has aged now, and is on late refinement stages. How it's been able to keep up with newer cars which have made significant jumps in this time is a testament to it's engineering.

If I were to buy a car around their price ranges (GT-R, not Nismo), I would go with a GT-R even though it's a little slower today. I love a more raw driving experience, but I also appreciate usable performance, and AWD performance cars for the most part deliver that more often on a every day driven road. The Z06 seems to be hard to use on a track, let alone on these shit roads around me for example. And then there's that horrid GM interior, which coming from a Evo/WRX owner, speaks volumes.

So, the Z06 would be a track car for me. Only thing is, if I want a raw, driver's orientated track car, I can buy something for half the price and "probably" over twice the fun... Ariel Atom. Not to mention that it's pay-to-play maintenance will be significantly cheaper as well. And, it's even cooler than a Z06.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Hmmm... that's interesting.

I don't think this dealer is scummy. I was just curious on how the process works. Up until now, I've only really reserved video games. I never pre-ordered a fucking car before. What if the GT4 ends up like Watch Dogs, Destiny, or Halo:MCC? lol.

Seriously though, I don't have much of a problem putting down $10K, but I'd rather have that money in my day trading account making me money instead of sitting in the dealerships pockets for the next 6 months.

I already have a reserved order with the dealership that only asked for $1K.

Only reason I'm even bothering with the $10K dealership is because I like the sales guy. I went out with him on a bunch of different occasions testing out a bunch of new 911 variants for the past year so I kind of feel obligated to give him my business.

You guys think it's a dickish move to not buy through him?

Edit: Thanks for weighing in Jackson. Are you trading up for one? I'm glad I didn't order a GTS now. lol

Nope. Nothing wrong with that. I did the same when I bought my 2012 Audi after buying my brother's R8 V10 from the dealer I spoke about in the last post.

Needless to say they were none too pleased when I rolled in for service and they knew the car wasn't bought there (it even had the other dealer's plate frames on it! LOL). But I told them straight up when they asked, the sales staff tried to rip me off on both the trade in and the new car.

Fuck loyalty when it comes down to this stuff. You gotta protect yourself and your money.

Here's a pic I took and posted on my FB once for the trollols. Notice where I bought the car. And where I took the pic at.

 

[Mohonky]

Spoiler

I was in legit shock. I came in thinking the Vette was going to stomp the GTR. I love the Vette (as a car), but Chevy fucked this one up. The car has too much power. Should be 550hp/ft-lbs and ~3100lbs.

Spoiler

If you really analyze the driving in the video frame by frame you can see that Randy Pobst (the driver) is FAR more direct and confident in the GTR. In almost every interior shot he is having to do micro steering inputs to keep the Vette under control. The GTR brakes visibly slower and is down between 3-8mph in mid corner speed, but on corner exit and the long sweeping corners it just obliterates the Vette (some places almost 10mph). If the GTR had the PS Cup 2s and carbon brakes it would easily be 3 seconds faster, if not more.

Yeh the big difference is the mid corner to corner exit speed. The Vette was holding a higher speed through corners but as soon as it came to pulling out of the corner he could just stamp on the GTR's accelerator and shoot out of the corner so much faster that the Corvette, even though it had more power was just getting pulled on by the GTR as it was already way into its powerband and pulling hard long before the Vette could even think about getting that heavy on the throttle.

Given the same spec tires it would have been a slaughter. As always the Vette looked a handful also, like all Vettes it is blisteringly fast for its modest amount of dollar to performance, but its performance the average driver would never really be able to attain. It was the same thing when Jeremy reviewed thr ZR1, it was faster than the Audi R8, but go to a track day with your average driver the Vette would probably not be posting as well. You basically need a GT driver at the wheel to get the performance from it.

There is still a $50k price difference though.

 

[TylerD]

Yeah, the Z06 is a beast to control. Here is Carlos Lago driving the figure 8 for 10 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyR7gPD6f0M


I could finance a car at 800-1000 a month if I wasn't throwing so much money at student loans and investing for my future. My credit rating is also excellent. Then after that, it will be building up a down payment for a house eventually... Love cars so much but when it comes time to pull the trigger on something, I just can't. Maybe a gently used M235i in a couple of years.

 

[fwoibles]

4C is very pretty in person.

And wiiiiide. What did you think about the sound? I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[dankir]

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/...the-2015-charger-hellcat-can-go-204-mph-video




I mean...shit is crazy. 4 door sedan easily going over 200mh is pretty insane

The P85D is the technically the quickest 4 door Hellcat is fastest with a combustion engine.

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

F-Type manual and AWD first drives, videos are in the link too.

 

[AlphaSnake]

F-Type manual and AWD first drives, videos are in the link too.

What's unfortunate is that they used a ZF 6-speed, the same unit sourced for the BMWs, which just a few days ago I was telling someone is a rubbery and soft gearbox to row. But at least Jaguar went through the trouble of shortening the throws quite a bit. After owning my 370Z and driving so many other MTs on the market, it's pretty appalling what gets thrown into sports cars these days, especially slightly upmarket ones. Cushy boxes just suck the fun out of the whole thing. The 370Z, S2000, and R8's manuals (which is really just a Lambo manual) are my favorites ever.

I have to admit though, the idea of a 6MT Jag with 380HP has got me thinking. The itch to own another MT is slowly becoming a burning rash at this point.

 

[No Love]

What's unfortunate is that they used a ZF 6-speed, the same unit sourced for the BMWs, which just a few days ago I was telling someone is a rubbery and soft gearbox to row. But at least Jaguar went through the trouble of shortening the throws quite a bit. After owning my 370Z and driving so many other MTs on the market, it's pretty appalling what gets thrown into sports cars these days, especially slightly upmarket ones. Cushy boxes just suck the fun out of the whole thing. The 370Z, S2000, and R8's manuals (which is really just a Lambo manual) are my favorites ever.

I have to admit though, the idea of a 6MT Jag with 380HP has got me thinking. The itch to own another MT is slowly becoming a burning rash at this point.

The 370Z gearbox is garbage and the clutch is horrible from the factory, are you high? S2000 and R8 have fantastic manuals though, S2K being the best ever.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

The 370Z gearbox is garbage and the clutch is horrible from the factory, are you high? S2000 and R8 have fantastic manuals though, S2K being the best ever.

Is the 370Z's gearbox at least better than the 350Z's? I test drove one and didn't at all enjoy it.

 

[AlphaSnake]

The 370Z gearbox is garbage and the clutch is horrible from the factory, are you high? S2000 and R8 have fantastic manuals though, S2K being the best ever.

The clutch was very firm and very difficult to catch correctly for a newb. The friction point was basically an on/off switch, but it elongated the life of the clutch tremendously - I have friends with 90-110K miles on their cars who are still on OEM clutches. But late 350Zs and early 370Zs suffered from cylinder failures all the time. This is well known and I will give you that.

As for the actual transmission, what's wrong with it? I've driven a handful of used 350s and yes they were shit, because the owners abused the cars. But when I test drove a new 370Z it had none of the issues I experienced previously. Assuming you owned the car since day one and drove it like a proper human being, the transmission was always great to me. Never grinded. Superbly short throws. Fantastically spread out spacing (I never once missed a gear in that car no matter how fast I shifted, and it was my first MT). No trans flex on hard cornering (virtually eliminates a money shift). And the way every gear clicked into place was so fucking satisfying. It requires a bit more push/muscle to engage a gear than most other transmissions, but the gratification you felt from every click into place was fantastic.

The biggest flaws the transmission had was learning it: high clutch engagement, narrow friction point, and jerky 1-2nd shift unless you shifted it very slowly.

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

What's unfortunate is that they used a ZF 6-speed, the same unit sourced for the BMWs, which just a few days ago I was telling someone is a rubbery and soft gearbox to row. But at least Jaguar went through the trouble of shortening the throws quite a bit. After owning my 370Z and driving so many other MTs on the market, it's pretty appalling what gets thrown into sports cars these days, especially slightly upmarket ones. Cushy boxes just suck the fun out of the whole thing. The 370Z, S2000, and R8's manuals (which is really just a Lambo manual) are my favorites ever.

I have to admit though, the idea of a 6MT Jag with 380HP has got me thinking. The itch to own another MT is slowly becoming a burning rash at this point.

With regards to ZF unit, I imagine it was a business focused decision in order to not write off the older generation who have the money. Still, props to them to introducing a manual trans!

 

[AlphaSnake]

Is the 370Z's gearbox at least better than the 350Z's? I test drove one and didn't at all enjoy it.

The clutch was softened up a bit and its linearity can actually be adjusted with a screw on the 370Z (30 seconds and a screwdriver). Also it's spring tension can be completely changed by removing the helper spring (literally a 30 second thing). Most people who don't like the stock feel of the clutch adjust and remove these two things and it makes a massive difference (seriously, probably 90% of the 370Z forum).

The 370Z shifts smoother, over the 350Z. But honestly, as I said in my previous post, it's all about how the car was treated before. And a lot of people swear that Nissan's OEM trans fluid is garbage for the car especially in colder climates...and I'm inclined to agree. A really nice transmission fluid like Redline or Motul makes a HUGE driving difference to the transmission.

It's not so much the gearbox itself that was no good, it was what Nissan surrounded it with that dulled the experience. Undo or correct all of that shit, and it really came to its own. I never did the trans fluid on my 370Z, I just changed it after about 10K miles before my move to Florida. My shop drained a little less than what's normal. After it was refilled with OEM fluid, any quirks I had with my transmission simply disappeared until I sold the car a year later.

I'd have kept the Z, but the road noise was just becoming unbearable. This is why I don't mind heavier sports cars these days, because I know the weight is likely going to insulating the cabin.

 

[mkenyon]

Ever think about just DynaMatting the crap out of the interior?

 

[No Love]

Alpha: "The 370z gearbox/clutch is great!!! if you mod the clutch, change the gear oil, lube up the synchros, shift it just right..."

lol it sucks, don't be a Nissan apologist ;P

 

[Evo X]

For what it's worth, I drove a friend's 370Z last year and don't really remember the transmission being remarkable one way or the other.

On the other hand, I drove an S2000 8 years ago and still recall is being absolutely fucking amazing.

Out of the MT cars I've owned, I would rank the transmissions from best to worst as Boxster S > Evo 9(with metal shifter bushings) > Evo 10 > E46 M3. The throws in the M3 were long as hell. Not sure if it matters, but it was also my first manual car that I used to learn stickshift on nearly 10 years ago.

Out of the cars I've driven, I'd definitely put S2K and R8/Gallardo gated shifter near the top. The BRZ and Stingray are pretty nice too. Surprisingly, I preferred the new Corvette's 7 spd manual to the new 911s, but that might have been because the 911 wasn't broken in yet.

 

[Smokey]

Yeah, the Z06 is a beast to control. Here is Carlos Lago driving the figure 8 for 10 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyR7gPD6f0M


I could finance a car at 800-1000 a month if I wasn't throwing so much money at student loans and investing for my future. My credit rating is also excellent. Then after that, it will be building up a down payment for a house eventually... Love cars so much but when it comes time to pull the trigger on something, I just can't. Maybe a gently used M235i in a couple of years.

What price range are we looking with a $800 note financed?

 

[whatsinaname]

Out of the cars I've driven, I'd definitely put S2K and R8/Gallardo gated shifter near the top. The BRZ and Stingray are pretty nice too. Surprisingly, I preferred the new Corvette's 7 spd manual to the new 911s, but that might have been because the 911 wasn't broken in yet.

The BRZ does have its own quirks too.

The grab point for the clutch pedal is too high (which is thankfully easy to fix).

The one other problem is that it is really difficult to shift into 2nd when it is very cold outside. And using a different weight transmission fluid to fix that voids the warranty. Again, this is only for the first 2 or so minutes after a cold start, so not a huge problem for a majority of the time.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

The clutch was softened up a bit and its linearity can actually be adjusted with a screw on the 370Z (30 seconds and a screwdriver). Also it's spring tension can be completely changed by removing the helper spring (literally a 30 second thing). Most people who don't like the stock feel of the clutch adjust and remove these two things and it makes a massive difference (seriously, probably 90% of the 370Z forum).

Ugh, helper springs. They are the most unbearable little devices--completely ruin the linearity of the clutch. My 996 had one and until I pulled it out I always ran the risk of stalling at lights. Once it was out it was h-e-a-v-y but it felt so much better and I could walk it through the engagement point smooth as butter. It also had the added bonus of being impossible for my ex to drive.

 

[mkenyon]

What price range are we looking with a $800 note financed?

Depends on duration of loan, but $40-60K loan at 3% would be in that ballpark, between 4-6 year term.

 

[Don_Tombery]

The P85D is the technically the quickest 4 door Hellcat is fastest with a combustion engine.

What about monsters like the Brabus E V12? It was going 205 mph back in 1996 and a later Version from 2009 goes 230.

The actual Brabus 850 is at 217. It even comes as Station Wagon if you want ;-)

 

[Evo X]

What price range are we looking with a $800 note financed?

$800 seems too low for a Z06 unless you're putting ~$25K down and financing for 6 years.

For a standard 60 month loan with average APR, the quick mental math is roughly $100 note for every $5K financed.

 

[Smokey]

$800 seems too low for a Z06 unless you're putting ~$25K down and financing for 6 years.

For a standard 60 month loan with average APR, the quick mental math is roughly $100 note for every $5K financed.

yeah I didn't expect that. youre probably looking at closer to $1500 for a Z06.

TBH the recent reports and comparisons that have come out on the z06 have soured me on it a bit. There's clearly something going on with it. After doing some reading I'd probably go with the standard Stingray with z51 package.

we talk about upper echeleon performance cars a lot, but the StingRay is a beast and it's capabilities far exceed that of 98% of its buyers. I feel like the z06 is actually dangerous tbh for the majority of people who will buy it lol, but I said that before it was released.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

yeah I didn't expect that. youre probably looking at closer to $1500 for a Z06.

TBH the recent reports and comparisons that have come out on the z06 have soured me on it a bit. There's clearly something going on with it. After doing some reading I'd probably go with the standard Stingray with z51 package.

we talk about upper echeleon performance cars a lot, but the StingRay is a beast and it's capabilities far exceed that of 98% of its buyers. I feel like the z06 is actually dangerous tbh for the majority of people who will buy it lol, but I said that before it was released.

I'd say you're right on with the Z06, it looks like it's simply too much power for the chassis. I've heard people rag on Porsches for always being a little underpowered for the money, but the power is matched to the chassis and that's very important for a balanced car.

As for the corvette, I know it's a performance bargain but honestly I've never cared about them. No interest whatsoever in buying one and I really don't like how they drive.

 

[Smokey]

I'd say you're right on with the Z06, it looks like it's simply too much power for the chassis. I've heard people rag on Porsches for always being a little underpowered for the money, but the power is matched to the chassis and that's very important for a balanced car.

As for the corvette, I know it's a performance bargain but honestly I've never cared about them. No interest whatsoever in buying one and I really don't like how they drive.

personally it's not even about the bargain for me. it's a childhood thing. I've never even driven one. I could easily try an old one out but nah. For me I've always waited for the interior to catch up to the exterior and performance. It finally did with the c7.

When I finally get into a c7 I dunno what kind of feels I'll get.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Just got a hands on of the 2016 Ford Edge. There wasn't enough room to take wider shots. This one is fully load Titanium model.

 

[Granadier]

Honest question. What convinced you to buy the Edge over the Explorer?