Mach 1 and 350Z, it's your turn...

[kman10587]

That's because there is a common ricer myth that the Camaro handles like a boat. Anyone who's driven a Z28 at the track can't possibly say that with a straight face.

[youngvr4]

skidpad numbers are only a fraction of handling imo maybe 1/4th. so dont live by those numbers there's a lot more involved with handling then just skidpad numbers

[MexSiR]

Yes handling and skidpad are related but its stupid to say that a car with a better skipad rating is a better handler.

It is all in the balance of the car, weight distribution, center of gravity, how linear the car handles when the tires give up, how predictable the car is, body roll...etc...

[Joseph1082]

So what does the 350Z have in these categories that make is sooo amazing... I'm just asking cause I don't know much about it yey I doubt it is as "amazing" as people say.

[youngvr4]

hehe i didn't want to beleive it at first either

[Joseph1082]

So you're saying I should believe it

[youngvr4]

no, lol beleive what you want, i'm speaking from lots of mags that i've read not experience

[lamehonda]

srt=ugly factory ricer
srt owners= lazy ricers
people who want srt=maybe dad will get you one when you graduate junior high

[3000ways]

I have come to the conclusion that skidpad numbers are not a very accurate measurement of a cars handling abilities and should be thrown out. I feel that the skidpad is more a measurement of tires grip than a cars overall handling abilities, am I correct in feeling this way? In the latest Road and Track issue an Infiniti G35 Coupe and Mazda RX-8 wre compared, the G35 Coupe pulled a .92g skidpad too the RX-8's .88g, yet Road and Track crowned the RX-8 the better handler due to it's better handling feel and control (also higher slalom numbers). Slalom numbers seem a better indication of a cars overall handling ability and control, and there must be a way to more accuratly measure a cars handling abilities besides the slalom.

[3000ways]

Also going off this, to help Joseph1082 and his question of why the 350Z is such a better handler than the Camaro SS, the last 350Z Track Edition tested by Road and Track did the slalom in 67.3MPH compared to the last Camaro SS tested by Road and Track slalom number of 60.0MPH, that is a very big difference. Still the slalom isn't the end of all ends for handling testing, like I said another method of testing of a cars handling ability should be developed and used with slalom, and skipad testing should be thrown out?

[CrzyMR2T]

on a flat surface, cars with solid rear axles will perform decently turning one direction, but when it comes to S curves, or slaloms, its weakness starts to show more. on a surface with bumps, independent suspensions are prefered, cause solid rear axles dont have wheels that move up and down independently. lets say you were turning one direction, and the inside wheel takes a bump, the outside wheel will lose some percentage of contact with the road, and might cause the car to hop. the body on solid rear axle cars will roll more too from taking a bump.

[Joseph1082]

Does anyone have the weight distribution for a 350Z??

[GTStang]

The bottom line is when a magazine says one car is a better track car the are encompassing there overall feel and control of the car when driving. But this does not mean that car will win on all road courses. Cause road tracks like cars come in many shape, sizes, configurations. One car can have better skidpads, slaloms, feel more balance and with equal drivers still lose on a certain road track to the lesser handling car.

[vette_7t9]

all 3 candidates are good handlers, with the right driver. A guy driving muscle cars for YEARS on end will easily own with a mach 1, while a guy with experience in decades of FWD sport compact driving will own in an SRT 4, and the guy who is used to IRS feel will certainly appreciate the Z. Personal preference, but I would take the mach 1. 1/4s in low 13s(tested in RT mag), and it handles good too. then again, im a stang fan.