Does the 370Z make you a safer or reckless driver compared to other cars?
 

Often when people drive a car with more power they tend to drive faster, get tickets, take more risks. This is also associated with age as younger drivers usually the more risks. Hence why 16 year old drivers usually should not be driving a Ferrari.

So if you drive multiple cars do you find yourself driving differently in the 370Z compared to other cars? What do you find yourself doing? It could go either way, maybe you take less risks because you don't want to damage the car or you think the police pay closer attention. The other extreme, is the car is just to much fun to not punch it whenever you can.

I'm a pretty calm driver regardless of what I'm in.

I think the word you are look for is 'reckless', by the way.

I actually find myself driving slower and more casual in the 370z than my other cars because I don't want to be that douche in the sports car driving like a maniac. Also, Vermont roads are horrible and if your not inspecting the road as you drive, I'd end up losing half of my Fast Intentions cat back.

For me, when I drive the 370Z I have nothing to prove. Sometimes I drive quickly and other times I just let the traffic go by. It's more of a question of if I'm in a hurry or if I want to have fun on a ride. I don't take stupid risks because I don't feel I have to.

It doesn't stop me having fun when my mood and conditions are right though.

id say safer. i do more stupid **** in my daily driver since its a low key car. whenever i drive the Z on the freeway everyone's throwing their s*** into neutral and revving on me to get my attention.

i also realized today that i enjoy driving my daily driver, the rear visibility is AWEESOME! im not scared to change lanes :rofl2:

Yeah, your not kidding. My winter vehicle is a jeep cherokee and I sure love being able to see my blind spot

The 370 makes me the same driver with a better piece of equipment. It has rekindled a driving passion I have not had for a few years. I can drive the car faster than my last sports cars, so I do. I also care about cars again. For years I did not follow magazines such as "Road and Track", now I do again. So mentally the 370 has made me younger of spirit. I needed an oil cooler so I guess I fall into the, car is just to much fun to not punch it whenever you can, crowd, but not in town.

With all the snow/ice/crap, I drive it slower than I do with my Prius.

I don't find myself driving any different than before i bought my 370.....

i had a c5 vette before... i do find myself thinking sometimes that the 370 is
more fun to drive than my vette. (did i just say that!!)

most of the fun i have is between the 4000rpm to 6000 rpms range..
but i do get tired of looking over my shoulder for those flashing red lights!!!!!

I don't drive it like I did my 350. That thing was so fun to play in.

my car's ride is so harsh so i definitely don't drive it like i do in my other cars :)

I agree with how you feel...Since I got my Z, I started to feel like I have nothing to prove. My old car was an eclipse (stock except for exhaust and intakes) and it made me feel inferior lol.

Coming from all FWD cars, I'm still a little scared of the car lol. I dont want to have to start another "crashed my Z thread" so I still take it easy, not that I have not got her a little side ways now and then.

agreed. ive taken some curved on ramps a little too quick and gotten sideways. corrected just fine though. FWD to RWD is quite different! :tiphat:

:iagree: All my cars have been FWD prior to this one
My tail kicked out during a canyon run, but I corrected

I drive normal in the z because I know the power is there, but in my brother's es350, I drive pretty reckless or a tad bit fast. It doesn't feel up to par.

When I drive my Z I too tend to drive more calm and don't zip thru traffic or speed wrecklessly. Compared to driving my URD SC'd Tacoma with 6" lift I drive a bit more aggressive?

But I'd say I do feel like others are jealous of me while I'm drive my Z.

I'm guilty of testing what the z can do on the highway here and there but other than that, i'm cruising 60-70mph with the rest of the crowd. there's been some cars (hondas, gtis) that downshift next to me but i ignore it, cause i already know the outcome.

i came from a fwd honda integra. decided to take it out for a 5 min drive and went down the service road next to my house gunning it hard. i felt like there was something wrong with the car until i realized it's just a v4 140hp car. the comparison is always apples to oranges.

the z is surpisingly 'normal' cruising down local and highway at speed limit. but always readily willing to show what it can do. i was driving down an unfamiliar road last night and almost missed the highway entry ramp. i yanked the car and made it in but was amazed how it did it with so much ease and grip. i know if i did that in the integra, i woulda had some killer body roll

i don't drive any different then i did in my last car, my i do find i want to drive more with this car, but my truck is the problem and will be the one that gets me in trouble.

A little bit of both. It's a weird OCD thing where I can't get myself to rev past 3k RPM and giving it more than 25% throttle since it takes little effort to get to the speed limit. My coworkers poke fun at me for driving a sports car and not going through the entire rev range much. I try not to get negative attention from others by driving like a douche.

However, every once in awhile I do open it up when I can't bottle things up any longer. My heart beats really fast, palms sweaty... but after giving it a few good revs I cool down and feel much better. ;)

Never had a speeding ticket until I bought my Z. Not that I drive like a maniac or anything, but this car accelerates much quicker than I was used to (my old car was a 140hp Eclipse).

I've learned to watch my speed much more carefully now. Plus, now having 5 points on my record, I'd be screwed if I get pulled over again for anything worth 3 points or more. I'll feel better once Oct 2012 comes around (points get wiped off).

Ditto.

I don't think the car matters in most cases. I believe the driver will probe the limits a little more in a higher performance car, but in terms of risk, a conservative driver in a Z will accept the same amount of risk if he/she's driving an econobox. Put the same driver in a Ferrari, most likely he/she's will probe handling and acceleration benefits, but doubtful will be found bumping off a speed limiter.

Get a psycho out of a Ferrari doing 150+ mph and plunk him into a Tata, I'm sure you'll get the same amount of speeding tickets regardless (though it'll take him/her 12 sec to get to the speed limit). ;)

Ive found the more power thing is quite the opposite for myself.
I started with a 97 prelude and I drove the ******* piss out of that thing and I did it like a douche, then once I got my wrx (355 awhp road racing ready) I just immediatly started driving nice. I would hardly ever speed I never accelerated like an *******, I only ever opened it up on hwy on ramps and canyon runs. then I got this 200 hp peice of **** genesis coupe and I drive like an ******* again.
but when i went and test drove a 370 I just cruised, I didnt really feel the want to **** around with it, I shot up an on ramp but other then that I just drove it nice and enjoyed it.

I think I agree with chops..I am more cautious while driving my 370, more so cause I dont want some stupid driving in a truck talking on cell phone to change the lane on me without even noticing....While in my other car, I dont give a damn....no scratch on Z, but on the other I say 'hit me if you want'.

Also it doesnt mean that while in Z I dont speed past people at times and have fun, but nothing to prove :)

I've never gotten a ticket while motoring my hobby cars.

I usually drive safer in the Z when the road is busy. It's not until I see an empty patch of road that I'm tempted to do something stupid. For the most part we have an advantage over other cars on the road. We can stop sooner and can avoid hazards quicker. The only exception would be winter driving. Like most people have said, if you have the grunt to back up the styling of your car, you have nothing to prove. It'll be to soon if I see another riced out civic who throws revs at you when stopped at a light.

Well said Paul +1

I don't think its the car but I do have to admit I am abit more reckless now.

My first car was a 1.6 clio diesel, never speeded with it. never did anything stupid with it.

then I got a 2010 1.9 megane coupe diesel. was pretty calm with it except for some speeding and some of that which we are not allowed to talk about :roflpuke2:

then insert the Z. I drive pretty calm with it but I definitely speed more now and drive more reckless with it because I KNOW the car can handle it.

Before the Z it was all golfs and civics revving next to me at redlights. now it are porsches doing that :roflpuke2: and a delicious white Aston Martin DBS last night.

but you will never find me flying around a turn sideways burning up rubber. :tiphat:

I think the reason why I am not an ******* driver is because I got my drivers license so late.

instead of going OMFG IM 18 LETS GO GET IT. I was 20 when I got mine. so yeah I have been driving around for onlyl 2 years now.

but in those 2 years, no speed tickets, no normal tickets, no accidents. so I am pleased .

I've gotten 5 speeding tickets and some stupidass e-z pass charges b/c I went to quickly lol...
I actually got a warning last night by a state trooper.
No parking tickets yet, knock on wood!

I find it hilarious that I never got a speeding ticket.

I speed EVERY DAY when I go to work, sure its only a 10 minute highway ride but still.

then you have my friend who maybe uses that part of the highway maybe once every month.

he gets flashed there every time.

lol!
lucky bastard! >:[
yeah I know everyone on the board loves the spirited drives in the z's.

a better tool
 

the Z can keep you out of trouble. the brakes are outstanding and it is very

agile. You can safely navigate congested highways. The Z can't make anyone

a safer driver, but it can assure a safer commute.

I started driving at 17. And I drove like I was invincible and god behind the wheel. Yes I was thaat guy. 80mph was my 60, and 50 was my 30mph for local. You wouldn't ever catch me doing under 80 unless I was in traffic.
Point is, I never got caught for anything or had any accidents for at least 2 solid years. Then, once I started to smarten up after my first speeding ticket, it was all downhill from there. Stupid accidents there, parking tickets here, etc. It was a fun 2 years nonetheless, but I've matured since then. 24 now

Ditto. Same here :tiphat:

Every time I start the engine, i feel that it may be my last. Most of the time, I get out of the car shivering with either fear or excitement. I forget to breath while hitting high speeds. i think time stops at 130mph. I have contemplated many times in trading for a 535i due to near death experiences but there's something about my Z!

btw...My Fiance hates my Z....She made sure she was a beneficiary.

:eek:

the 370z doesn't do anything to me but sometimes it would make some of the drivers around me nuts, especially the ones in the slow moving cars :eek:

[QUOTE=xdeslitx;948277]I agree with how you feel...Since I got my Z, I started to feel like I have nothing to prove. My old car was an eclipse (stock except for exhaust and intakes) and it made me feel inferior lol.

Funny you mentioned feeling inferior in your Eclipse. I traded my Eclipse for the Z. I hated that car. I really don't know why I bought it in the first place. I had buyers remorse for the first time in my life, two days after I brought it home. I too felt inferior when I drove it. I am sooo happy with the Z.
I don't think I drive it any differently than my other cars. I believe there is a time and a place for everything, when testing a vehicles limits. I like the acceleration more than the raw speed. My speed fix is more than satisfied with my Hayabusa. With that motorcycle I do wonder if I'm coming home in one piece.

Speeds above the posted limit, while lawless, are not necessarily wreckless.
I consider myself a safe driver at any speed. My focus is always on the road and my driving, never on my Blackberry. I've gotten my speed thrills at track days and racing motorcycles, so I don't need to play race car driver on the street.
I pretty much do my own thing and don't care what other people are doing or what they think. Punks in Civics and Galants try to get me to race all the time. Geezers and moms who still rock the "baby on board" placard slow down to 34mph in front of me when they see me coming up on them on my favourite back roads. Whatever. I don't have anything to prove to anyone and the road will be there tomorrow.