'08 350Z = Quick!

[L8 APEKS]

So I was on my way to the GF's house earlier this morning, and I am approaching a silver 350Z with paper plates. Younger guy, windows down, music going. I'm coasting to the red light which he's already stopped at. The light goes green and he goes pretty hard off the line. I'm maybe ~5 cars back and decide to see if I can keep up, so I punch it. He only winds it out for a few seconds, and we come to another red light. I pull next to him.

"Nice car" I tell him..."...is it an '08?"

He says yeah...then asks what I have done to mine.

"Is that thing turbo? You hung right with me back there!"

We talk about cars for a few seconds while waiting at the light...mainly about how much quicker the new Z's are than the older ones. He said he's taken a few new Mustangs already. Super cool guy, just out having a fun morning drive - not cocky or arrogant at all. Always nice to meet other chill people.

So it goes green, and we idle forward...he gestures me to "go for it." We both punch it at the same time.

I pull maybe 1/2 a car in 1st, and then he barked into second and shut me down.

At the top of second, he'd put nearly 2 cars on me! The longer we would have gone, the more embarassing it would have been. lol!

We slowed and I went past him in the left lane, waved and honked. He waved, then he paced me on the freeway for a couple miles but I didn't dare waste the gas trying anything...the top end on that thing was NOT bad. Compared to mine, which has NO top end at all!

I am not anywhere near "racing" condition at the moment as I'm only running ~10psi and throwing a CEL because my TPS is out of whack. Not to mention I have my stock IC in place for the time being. But I wanted to get an idea of how quick they were. And they are CONSIDERABLY stronger than the older ones; the '05 I raced a couple weeks ago I walked away from pretty easily (though I had no CEL and I was running ~12psi, but still on stock IC).

I wonder how different it might have been if I had my ~40hp I'm currently lacking due to boost and IC. But those things are no joke. I want to go test drive one for gits and shiggles. Top Gear loved the last model; I can't wait to see what they say about the new ones!

[UnderEstimate Me]

Yeah the new ones are pretty impressive. People have been running low 13's with them bone stock.

[BP2K2Max]

i can't wait to see what the 370Z's are gonna do being smaller, lighter, more agile and having at least 45 more HP. I bet it'll be pretty bad ass.

[Steiner]

The new 3.5L in the '08 350Z is well put together. Definitely an improved powerplant. My buddy said he lost to one in his '03 M3 right after they came out. That's a pretty good yard stick IMHO considering the 350Z is around $35K IIRC and the E46 M3 is/was going for about $50K last time I looked.

[UnderEstimate Me]

You can get e46 m3's for higher 20's.

[MZR_47]

The 370Z is sexy looking too, with the Maxima lights. its going to be a beast!

[DeViL]

Low 13s, I didn't realize these cars were as quick as a GTO. Interesting, I hope I run across one at the drag strip.

[UnderEstimate Me]

Yeah, the lowest I have heard ran by a stock car is 13.1.

The 370z should be nice, but Im guessing they are going to start out a little higher with the 240sx type car being released by Nissan soon.

[MZR_47]

what? new 240sx?!

I WANT.

[L8 APEKS]

Originally Posted by MZR_47

what? new 240sx?!

I WANT.

Well, the old 240SX sucked hairy goat balls. So hopefully this one might actually have some power.

Without an engine swap (in other words, until JDM got trendy), 240's were ~140hp, ~16 second pigs.

[MZR_47]

I know, But I was talking something along the lines of an SR20DET swapped older 240, but come that way from the factory.

[UnderEstimate Me]

Its going to be based on the 350's chassis I believe. And use the sentra's se-r motor, or some other 4 cylinder. Details are still vague on the car but its going to be rwd, be here by around 2010, and be in the low 20's starting out.

I think they are making it to compete with the hyundai genesis, and toyotas/subaru's upcoming rwd car. Some pictures.

Here is the first real picture of the 370z


Some concept renderings of the silvia replacement.


spy shots of subaru/toyota's rwd car.

[MZR_47]

A subaru RWD car? That just doesnt sound right to me. And I am very much enjoying that Silvia replacement. Any idea on the status of that coming to the states and what the engine options would be for that guy?

I just want to buy those new NSXs... I would host a picture but the damn school computers wont let me. Someone else should do it for me, as they are VERY sexy cars.

[UnderEstimate Me]

Originally Posted by MZR_47

A subaru RWD car? That just doesnt sound right to me. And I am very much enjoying that Silvia replacement. Any idea on the status of that coming to the states and what the engine options would be for that guy?

I just want to buy those new NSXs... I would host a picture but the damn school computers wont let me. Someone else should do it for me, as they are VERY sexy cars.

I think its going to be rwd. Either that or toyotas car is going to be rwd and subaru will make theirs awd. I am almost positive that the silvia will be coming to the states, like I said they were thinking about using the sentra se-r motor, but who knows.

I dont know if Ive seen the new nsx concept yet. I remember seeing one a while ago but I heard that they axed the concept and were starting over.

[L8 APEKS]

I'm sorry, but those new designs all suck ass.

Not because they are ugly They actually look OK. But rather because NONE of them have any individuality.

They pretty much ALL look like the result of a 3-way collision between an IS300/IS350, Altima, and a 350Z. There's not much styling-wise that sets these cars apart from one another.

C'mon, japanese car designers...they are supposed to look like different cars. Not just slightly different sizes of the SAME car. Take a tip from the europeans. Well, except for the BMW designer responsible for the Z4 shark body.

Porsche guys got pissed off at the same thing between the Boxster and 911. If someone pays a premium for a higher-end car, they want to stand out (usually). So it sucks if someone can pay half as much and get a car that looks 90% similar to the high end car...at least, from the perspective of the rich guy. lol.

For us back in reality, I guess that could be a good thing to get a cheaper car that bites all the styling off the high end models...but that still leaves the issue of the lazy car designers lacking creativity.

I'm over-analyzing this shit, huh? Time for Decaf I think...