370z acceleration - Just as fast as the big 3 pony cars?
 

2015 Nissan 370Z NISMO Automatic First Drive – Review – Car and Driver

According to Car and Drive, the 7AT version of the Nismo gets to 60 in 4.6 seconds and does the standing 1/4 in 13.1.

I have always heard the Z is slower than the new generation of pony cars. I actually just bought my sport tech auto for the wife to drive and as a stop gap until the new corvetts start hitting the used market in a few years or possibly until the mustang GT 350 starts hitting the used market say around 2019ish.

At any rate...whats going on with these numbers and why are they so out of alignment with other reviews? Accodring to this, the Z (when equipped with an automatic) equals a new mustang!

Are all the reviews that traditionally have the Z at 5.0 and 13.4 using manuals and does shifting add THAT MUCH time to the performance?

I have owned 7 mustangs including an 11 5.0 as well as an 11 GT 500 with SVT package. I can tell you that from a dead stop, both cars seem on equal footing in that both cars are limited by what ever traction the rear tires can get. Above about 40 to 45mph though, different story. My butt dyno says the at speed accelaration of a 5.0 mustang would walk away (by how much i don't know)

I will also say this. Even though i don't own one of the 2015 mustangs I have driven a few and i can say for certainty that IT DOES NOT DRIVE BETTER than a Z (the way reviewers just fawn over it you would think it does). My impression is that without the track pack, it actually drives worse. I can induce body roll easier on a 15 then i could on a 14, but the 15 certainly was more comfortable/smoother and of course, better in the mid corners.

Also, generally speaking the added wt of a nismo has cancelled out the added 18hp when compared to a sport, giving them very similiar accelaration (even if the sport doesnt have the track stamina of a nismo). I assume the same would be true for the 7at versions???

I just read in a different thread though that the nismo 7at has a lower gear differential than a sport.....on a mustang that was a VERY EASY fix (about $300). ...worth every penny if its the same cost on a z and gets you to 4.6 and 13.1 i would say???

Sorry for the newb questions. I have used the search feature and browsed some threads here this is my first Z so just consider me a moron here for all intensive purposes.

Congrats on your new car!

Honestly, the numbers are relative. Every car that has been reviewed has been tested in the right conditions, altitude, and etc. Carlos Lago talks about this quite in depth, its something you should watch on this link right here.

In my experience, I'd be lucky to hit a sub-5 zero to sixty pull. The longer you own your car, you eventually go past the point where you ask, "why does the number matter?" Honestly, go have fun with your car man. Don't worry if that Mustang has more HP, the only technical specification you should worry is about 'Smiles per Miles'.

nismos are heavier than the base. that 18hp at the crank is not going to do you much.

but im pretty sure 4.6sec is a respectable number even today...although minivans are faster than me 115% of the time.

Under some miracle during a cool day in Florida, I pulled a 12.91 with my stock auto base Z on the drag strip. That translated to a faster 0-60 as tested. Traction is the key from a stop with any car, since my times varied .3 second during that night.

During a roll on the highway, the 5.0 Mustang will definitely walk the Z.... personal experience

Also after 3rd gear (80mph) the Z is geared gutless

Those minivans can't be stock.

I'll take your word on that one. :ugh2:

And mine although I had GT500 more recently so my butt dyno is a bit unfairly calibrated.

Although I will say on any given day (and almost the entire winter) a car like the Z would beat me in my GT500 as it overpowered the chassis so much it was mostly good at spinning . You have to have grade A patience and be a 5 star driver to wrangle that thing.

Mostly I would flaunt it on the freeway where I've embarrsed ererything from porche to M5 to vetts to Jags with it.

From a dead stop, I've been known to lose to Honda civics with giant wings and fart cans because it was so hard to get it to hook up.

I literally just went from one extreme type of car, to a COMPLETELY different type of performance emphasis.

The z does things on curves that absolutely would have you facing the wrong way in the Shelby.

Not saying one is better either. I spend a lot of the time on the freeway goin in a straight line so it's not like the GT500 has strengths I couldn't utilize.

I came to the conclusion a while back that 450ish hp was about the upper limit of usable power in a dd sports car and in a Ford....even that's pushing it. The chassis improvements, tires, cooling, braking, shifting and computer nanies to effectively use the power above 450hp just require a level of engineering that is beyond the reach of affordability to produce....the cars that do it well are effectively low priced super cars...and they all have serious drawbacks.

The c7 corvette is the one car I think gets in done while approaching some semblance of affordability. ..and when I find one very lightly used at a cut rate price in a few years.....it's mine. (A GM product *face Palm...I'm a risk taker I guess)

The Z is definitely slower... It's not far off, though.

The Z is slower but it's also more fun. Enjoy your sports coupe for what it was made for.;)

Agree.

Those time were estimates not actual tested, so who knows what the true times are of the auto 15 Nismo.

The Z also does not require a mullet.

the z denies entry to taffyapples... or traps them in. lol

Back in 2009 the Z was outrunning the majority of the domestic v8s of the time. Unfortunately Nissan has left the engine untouched over 6 years, while the domestics stepped up their v8 game. Given the Nissan's lack of performance improvements on the Z, it is still quick, especially given it's an NA v6.

Hell yeah. :tup:

You know one time I was watching some coupe racing series and I remember looking up the cars and the spec was somewhere around 300 hp. You don't need massive amounts of power for a sports coupe, but you need some.

On the other hand I've also driven plenty of high power V8 automatics that went really fast in a straight line but that gets pretty damn boring after punching the throttle a few times.

Agree. Take the Cayman for example, not ground breaking hp, but are praised for their driving experience.

:icon17:

It's like an FR-S for grown ups. :icon17:

:iagree:

I thought it was a boxster for men.

I really think its a very American muscle car mentality thing to go fast from 0-60. The feeling of accelration is probably the best one on earth. Ripping off the line is pure chaos and there nothing not to love about it. The reason I love my Z is because its equally as fast as those cars after all the bolt ons and a tune, and it is one of the best handling cars around. Personally id rather be connected to the road on a twisty forest trail, and feel like my car is on rails and nimble, with a lot of growl. Hitting the apex and roaring out of it knowing the car is planted...That is exactly what the z gives me. What I always found mind-blowing, beyond 0-60, is coming up on a boosted Porsche and watching the top end speed. The way they absolutely scream from 60-100+ is mind boggling, and a sight to behold. Had the honor of being in 1k+ hp 996 and it was fine off the line, but when that boost hit, my gawd. New underwear please.

I am going to start a new threat about Z's towing capacity

I know what you mean but it has to be the right chassis. I could break the tires lose in the Shelby......going 90....with 1/2 a pedal with the wrong down shift. You never get tired of that SC whine but if people say a z is an impractical car...they should try owning one. A 500 makes a z look like a very practical car considering you can't drive GT500 in the rain without spinning out, or with temps below 40 without different tires etc. While I'm sure that porshe was world's better, at 1k hp I'm sure it had similiar issues.

Still, if handling was your number one priority you wouldn't own a Z. You would own one of the other cars I've had.....an RX8.

The RX8 makes a z look like a slouch in the handling dept as does a miata. I still have not driven the praised brz but I assume the Rx8 still handles better

Having owned all these cars I think what the z gives you is a much better balance of all of these various attributes. Only been in the car for a week, but that's my first imprrssion

The sarcasm here infers that like towing capacity, horse power and acceleration are asanine things to discuss.....in a dedicated sports car??? :gtfo2:

the z is not for spec racers.

That's why I asked about real world performance. (See original post). I don't have much REAL world seat time either IN or AGAINST the z.

Can't wait to take it to the dragons tail though.

there you go. this car is very balanced for street driving and complete in many ways.

I haven't lost to a mustang yet at the drag strip. It handles just as good as an Rx8 and auto crosses well with good tires and a sway bar.
The Z is a winner Enjoy it!

Hmmm, I've yet to drive an RX8 or Miata but I have driven an FR-S (BRZ clone)...

The Scibaru IMO wasn't noticeably better handling-wise than the Z, but then again it was a test drive and I wasn't thrashing it or anything. What it WAS though was noticeably gutless and cheap-feeling. No thanks.:barf:

I'd own a Miata only if it were a dedicated track car that I didn't care about and nobody I knew was ever going to see me in it. Even then I'd consider a v8 swap because they're so slow.:rofl2:

The RX8 is a terrible looking automobile and I doubt I could bring myself to own one even if it were as good as a 911 (which it obviously isn't).

When passing up on the 5.0 Mustang I sacrificed some power, some classic good looks, and possibly the best aftermarket in all of motoring. But I got something that looks like a factory race car, isn't all that common, and performance-wise does everything better than average.:tup:

FULL DISCLOSURE: What I really want is a Lotus Exige S. Not the wussy NA Elise ragtop, but the supercharged 260hp 0-60 in 4 seconds + handles like a go-cart one. It's possibly the only car I could ever even remotely afford that I'd ditch my NISMO to get.

It sounds like you've never really owned a balanced car. The gt500 and the Rx8 are polar opposites. That's the beauty of the Z is it slots in the middle and is a more balanced car in both departments. Porsche does this recipe even better but it comes at a premium. You'll never see a Porsche with GT500 hp from the factory without the chassis/suspension engineering to back it up. Monster motors with chassis/suspension as an after thought is very much a domestic thing.

i had to double check the web address to make sure i wasn't on a brz/frs forum reading through this thread

And the sad part, until now I never even diagnosed the issue.

The most balanced car I had of all these was a 2010 mustang GT Track pack. It was 300hp with most of the GT500 bits on it.....it had the Gt500 rear diff, clutch and clutch plate, sway bars, brakes, tires, exhaust etc with the intake and tune from the bullet edition. Probably the best example of a mustang ever produced in that era. The power didn't over take the chassis and man it seemed to do everything right. I assume the track pack was the spiritual predecessor to the boss 302 which was also supposedly very good. But mustang guys ARE spec racers and when the 11s came out I fell for the hype and ended up with a stang with a lemon mt-82 transmission in it. Don't get me started on the forums. If you owned a10 model when The 11s came out, you weren't fit to even respond to....you know: because it was a half second slower.

The z is better than that car in every way except storage space and engine sound

The force is strong with you. :)

If it had even 50 more hp.....I might

Why? Nobody's drooling over the twins here. It's a good cheap sporty car, if I were looking for a $25K car that was fun to drive it would be on my list, but it's no Z competitor.

Now do you feel better? :bowrofl:

All good though. Nothing wrong with variety. You've had muscle and you've had handling. Now you have a little of both, whats next? :tup:

Ha ha

pickup truck

Well, I traded an 11 Titan for the 15z. (Had traded my 11 mustang for the titan. Was able to sell my Shelby outright back in '14)

At 1200 a month for the g37+z370, I'm at the lowest car payment threshold I've been at sine 06

:icon17:

how about minivan? :ugh:

I think Davey quoted me a while back to something I said about the Twins. yea, as fun and cute as they are he said, and after a couple years, his quote summarized it in a few short words. "The Z isnt deal breaking slow like the Twins." So true, the Z on a straight is still quick enough for a thrill and in the turns its even better. That being said as I said in the past, the Z32 DIED because of WAY over pricing, Nissan would be blind to their OWN history to do it again. Base Z....$31K..320 I4, 3100 pounds, top end maybe "NISMO" $49K, 430+, all the goodies. 3500 pounds.

You missed the point of the comment, your parents must be proud

Happy Easter from a pair of Nissan 3.7s