YACT: Nissan 350z

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: SuperTool
I have a perfect driving record. I am getting quotes all over the place.
I think single 22 year old is not good

It's not like someone is going to let you drive such a car for $100/mo.

If you can afford to pay for this car in cash, why does the cost of insurance even bother you?

Well, I am not stupid. I don't want to pay $300/month for insurance. Currently I pay $80 for my 96 Maxima.

 

[CraigRT]

I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Can someone please, in easy to understand terms, tell me what the difference is between horsepower and torque...and give a real-life example? I have never been able to get a good answer for this.

Torque is what throws you into your seat upon accelerating. Horsepower is all the goodness in between.

Horsepower sells cars. Torque wins races.

I've considered picking up a 350Z.. it's a nice car, a very nice car. I've been a Z enthusiast for years.. but, currently I own a 2000 Pontiac Trans Am. Why? Because of the LS1 (engine). These are two totally separate cars.. the 350Z is comfortable and stylish. The Trans Am is, well, fast. That's about it.. it's hardly on par w/ the 350Z in terms of comfort.. as with most GM cars, the interior looks like it was manufactured by Fisher Price. But, I didn't buy it to look good.. I bought it to go fast. And well, it wasn't fast enough, apparently, so I added a T-60-1 turbo to raise to bar to 437RWHP/451RWTQ.

Is it fast? Yup. Hell, a brand new Porsche 911 GT2 doesn't stand a chance.. but you know what? Even though I beat him in a race, he still goes away the winner..

Different cars for different applications.. it's like comparing apples to oranges. Just remember, any car can be made to go fast.. but not every car can look good doing it. As for the 350Z, I'm fairly certain there's going to be a few interesting aftermarket turbo kits.

 

[SherEPunjab]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Can someone please, in easy to understand terms, tell me what the difference is between horsepower and torque...and give a real-life example? I have never been able to get a good answer for this.

Torque is what throws you into your seat upon accelerating. Horsepower is all the goodness in between.

Horsepower sells cars. Torque wins races.

I've considered picking up a 350Z.. it's a nice car, a very nice car. I've been a Z enthusiast for years.. but, currently I own a 2000 Pontiac Trans Am. Why? Because of the LS1 (engine). These are two totally separate cars.. the 350Z is comfortable and stylish. The Trans Am is, well, fast. That's about it.. it's hardly on par w/ the 350Z in terms of comfort.. as with most GM cars, the interior looks like it was manufactured by Fisher Price. But, I didn't buy it to look good.. I bought it to go fast. And well, it wasn't fast enough, apparently, so I added a T-60-1 turbo to raise to bar to 437RWHP/451RWTQ.

Is it fast? Yup. Hell, a brand new Porsche 911 GT2 doesn't stand a chance.. but you know what? Even though I beat him in a race, he still goes away the winner..

Different cars for different applications.. it's like comparing apples to oranges. Just remember, any car can be made to go fast.. but not every car can look good doing it. As for the 350Z, I'm fairly certain there's going to be a few interesting aftermarket turbo kits.

Don't feel so bad. I wouldn't say the owner of a 911 GT2 is the winner. To me, a winner would be someone who has a car that handles better, is faster, more comfortable, and is still cheaper -- and thats not hard considering the GT2 is probably like 110k. I think that is what many import enthusiasts (not ricers) try to achieve, a balance, where most domestic racers tend to go for straight line acceleration.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

Aren't you the guy with the uber built Mustang? The one that was away for like a year or something?

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

An unless you are running like 10's you'd better watch some of those 4-cyl neons, and civics. I've seen them OWN truly fast cars.

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

Is that invitation open to anyone?

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: RGN

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

Aren't you the guy with the uber built Mustang? The one that was away for like a year or something?

Yeah. As far as 10's are concerned that is my current goal although I have not been to the track in a long time for a variety of reasons. Right now I would bench race it as low 12 high 11.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

Is that invitation open to anyone?

Sure. A turbo TA would be a nice race. I used to have my mods in my sig but if you would like a list PM me.

 

[Phuz]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Can someone please, in easy to understand terms, tell me what the difference is between horsepower and torque...and give a real-life example? I have never been able to get a good answer for this.

Torque is what throws you into your seat upon accelerating. Horsepower is all the goodness in between.

Horsepower sells cars. Torque wins races.

I've considered picking up a 350Z.. it's a nice car, a very nice car. I've been a Z enthusiast for years.. but, currently I own a 2000 Pontiac Trans Am. Why? Because of the LS1 (engine). These are two totally separate cars.. the 350Z is comfortable and stylish. The Trans Am is, well, fast. That's about it.. it's hardly on par w/ the 350Z in terms of comfort.. as with most GM cars, the interior looks like it was manufactured by Fisher Price. But, I didn't buy it to look good.. I bought it to go fast. And well, it wasn't fast enough, apparently, so I added a T-60-1 turbo to raise to bar to 437RWHP/451RWTQ.

Is it fast? Yup. Hell, a brand new Porsche 911 GT2 doesn't stand a chance.. but you know what? Even though I beat him in a race, he still goes away the winner..

Different cars for different applications.. it's like comparing apples to oranges. Just remember, any car can be made to go fast.. but not every car can look good doing it. As for the 350Z, I'm fairly certain there's going to be a few interesting aftermarket turbo kits.

Well said.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: LiQiCE

Originally posted by: LikeLinus<Off topic: In terms of a Maxima beating v8 Mustangs ... That is definitely possible. However, we're not talking about Mustang Cobras, we're talking about V8 Mustang GTs with only 265hp and 305 ft-lbs of torque (based on 2001 specs, the 2002-2003s only put out 260hp according to edmunds). It kills the Maxima in torque, but an automatic Mustang or a driver who isn't great at driving stick would be in for some serious competition when put up against a Maxima, especially the 6-speed Maxima. In a Cobra, the Maxima stands no chance.>

You forget the "big" picture. The Mustang is a much lighter car than the Maxima. Also the Mustang has better/bigger tires and aggressive rated tires, which allows for better traction and launches.

Mustang has more HP and Torque.

For him to say he's beating Mustangs and Camaro's "all the time" means he's racing V6's.

A 2001 Mustang GT weighs in at 3273 lbs. (2002-2003 GT Premiums weigh in at 3241 lbs.), a 2002-2003 Nissan Maxima SE 6-speed weighs in at 3239 lbs. (Source: edmunds.com)

Am I looking in the wrong place? As far as I can tell the Mustang GT weighs almost exactly the same as the Maxima SE 6-speed. (Not trying to be inflammatory, I'm honestly asking). In a perfect race the Mustang GT should beat the Maxima SE because of the added torque, and RWD on the Mustang GT (assuming similar gearing), but driving conditions are not always 100% perfect. It is quite possible for a Maxima SE to beat a v8 Mustang GT ... I would call it more of a driver's race than anything else. And if we're talking a Maxima SE Manual 6-speed versus a Mustang GT Automatic 4-speed then I think the Maxima SE holds the edge there.

Now if we're talking "all the time" and by a large margin, then I agree more than likely the V6.

It's possible. On hte street, anything is possible. There are a few N/A Maximas running high 13s in the 1/4mi which is damn respectable for a 4dr family sedan with less than $2k in mods. The new 2k2 Max's run high 13s with just intake and exhaust as well.

The Mustang V8 IS FASTER, but there are times when the driver isn't up to par.

Back to 350Z, you can't really compare them to the Mustang. The Stang is muscle car thats mostly used in dragging, the 350Z is not. However, the new Mach1 might be a good challenge for the 350Z.

A good challenge? C&D's $35,000 sports car comparo - Mach1 beat the 350z in every acceleration test iirc.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: Yield
I will video tape the next race of the season where useless POS Mustang GT's from the mid 90's are quite reguarly being outpaced by 2.0L DOHC Neons (we're talking half a second or more at the track) so i'm not really surprised that the story about the maxima beating the mustangs and such.. they really are not all that fast.

Well post it then. Anytime you feel froggy I will leap and you can come race my slow mustang as well. I don't think I would have a problem even if I was on 4 cylinders. BTW, go ahead and get pissed like you normally do. It is fun to watch.

sorry, but it's funny when a stock 1999 Neon DOHC can beat a (who knows stock or not?) obviously it's not made SLOWER by the driver, so it's either stock or *gasp* had something done to it, mid 90's mustang.

go ahead yourself and get pissed.. you should.
our engine is less than 1/2 the size of yours.

 

[jmcoreymv]

Hey this wasnt meant to be a foreign vs domestic thread.... I was just looking for opinions on the 350z itself.

 

[CFster]

What makes me laugh is watching all the camaros and mustangs in SCCA trying to make it around a road course. All the horsepower in the world but no handling. We regularly outrun them in our Spec Miata's.

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: CFster
What makes me laugh is watching all the camaros and mustangs in SCCA trying to make it around a road course. All the horsepower in the world but no handling. We regularly outrun them in our Spec Miata's.

What makes me laugh is watching all the Spec Miata's in Sportsman trying to make it down the track. All the handling in the world but no horsepower. We regularly outrun them in our Camaros and Mustangs.

See? This can go both ways.. different cars, for different applications. I know a few Camaros and/or Mustangs that do quite well in SCCA events. Also, on the flipside, I know a few Miata's that run a mean 1/4 mile.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: CFster
What makes me laugh is watching all the camaros and mustangs in SCCA trying to make it around a road course. All the horsepower in the world but no handling. We regularly outrun them in our Spec Miata's.

What makes me laugh is watching all the Spec Miata's in Sportsman trying to make it down the track. All the handling in the world but no horsepower. We regularly outrun them in our Camaros and Mustangs.

See? This can go both ways.. different cars, for different applications. I know a few Camaros and/or Mustangs that do quite well in SCCA events. Also, on the flipside, I know a few Miata's that run a mean 1/4 mile.

I think there is one of every car that runs a mean 1/4.
but you're right.. it does go both ways. Miata's sure are not fast (well, the older ones) but would do really good on a road course.. where as most american muscle would be really good on a track, but not on a road course... now, the cars that can do both are where it's at.

and thankfully some people have done this with mustangs/camaros.. and even miata's..

it's fun making the underdog car go fast.. Miata is a perfect example.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Yield

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: CFster
What makes me laugh is watching all the camaros and mustangs in SCCA trying to make it around a road course. All the horsepower in the world but no handling. We regularly outrun them in our Spec Miata's.

What makes me laugh is watching all the Spec Miata's in Sportsman trying to make it down the track. All the handling in the world but no horsepower. We regularly outrun them in our Camaros and Mustangs.

See? This can go both ways.. different cars, for different applications. I know a few Camaros and/or Mustangs that do quite well in SCCA events. Also, on the flipside, I know a few Miata's that run a mean 1/4 mile.

I think there is one of every car that runs a mean 1/4.
but you're right.. it does go both ways. Miata's sure are not fast (well, the older ones) but would do really good on a road course.. where as most american muscle would be really good on a track, but not on a road course... now, the cars that can do both are where it's at.

240sx!

 

[CFster]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: CFster
What makes me laugh is watching all the camaros and mustangs in SCCA trying to make it around a road course. All the horsepower in the world but no handling. We regularly outrun them in our Spec Miata's.

What makes me laugh is watching all the Spec Miata's in Sportsman trying to make it down the track. All the handling in the world but no horsepower. We regularly outrun them in our Camaros and Mustangs.

See? This can go both ways.. different cars, for different applications. I know a few Camaros and/or Mustangs that do quite well in SCCA events. Also, on the flipside, I know a few Miata's that run a mean 1/4 mile.

Depends on the track - we regularly run Limerock, and that's a place where you can outrun a musclecar in a Miata. We turn 1:04s regularly. I maybe see Spec Racers and GT3 cars and up going faster than that. If you go to a place like Watkins Glen, then it's another story.

FYI, Spec Miata is the fastest growing class in SCCA, and certainly the most competitive.

If all I cared about was horsepower, I'd go drag racing...

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: Yield
... now, the cars that can do both are where it's at.

*cough* Z06 *cough*

 

[nitrousninja]

Just for the record a 99+ Mustang can be made to handle VERY well for about $1500 with a Roush suspension package. There are straightaways in tracks as well. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a well built machine when I see one but the foriegn\domestic arguement is tired and needs to be put to sleep. I happen to own a 2002 Roush Stage1 Mustang. Not much done to it other than CAI and a triax shifter. When Roush releases the twin screw blower I'll add it. You gotta love a supercharger that releases immediate boost and doesn't need an aftercooler. Or I'll wait a year and get an '03 Cobra do $2000 in mods and have over 500 pounds of torque:Q

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: nitrousninja
Or I'll wait a year and get an '03 Cobra do $2000 in mods and have over 500 pounds of torque:Q

If Ford doesn't halt production or perform some recall..

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: nitrousninja
Or I'll wait a year and get an '03 Cobra do $2000 in mods and have over 500 pounds of torque:Q

If Ford doesn't halt production or perform some recall..

Or just stop making them like the F-body.

 

[nitrousninja]

Actually they upped it to 10,000.