the 70 percenter

ImportConvert · 05-01-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadoquad

I bought this car primarily for its mix of handling and grunt. I'm not a drag racer, I'm a corner carver.

I do push the handling on this car. I have no idea if I'm pushing it 70% or 100%, but the feel of knifing through apexes and then accelerating quickly out is why I chose the Z. And it does this very well. I even know a few routes with choice hairpin turns.

But whatever percent I'm at, it is only as fast as I feel the car comfortably operates. I have fishtailed a few times, but easily corrected because I wasn't going way too fast. For me, the lateral G's is the joy of the car. And I agree, you probably don't have to be pushing the limits to get that out of it.

I think a lot of people have no clue what their car can do or how to do it. I say this because on the other forum I am a member of, time and time again people who come from the Bondurant racing school experience say things like "The instructors were in STOCK cadillac CTS's, NOT V's, and we couldn't even keep up in Z06's".

What that tells me, is that unless you have a lot of experience on track with a lot of proper coaching, you probably just FEEL like you're going fast. I know when I got a car with a G-meter I was surprised that to ME, 0.5G in a banked on-ramp corner felt pretty gnarly even if the car was capable over over 1G.

shadoquad · 05-01-2011, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

I think a lot of people have no clue what their car can do or how to do it. I say this because on the other forum I am a member of, time and time again people who come from the Bondurant racing school experience say things like "The instructors were in STOCK cadillac CTS's, NOT V's, and we couldn't even keep up in Z06's".

What that tells me, is that unless you have a lot of experience on track with a lot of proper coaching, you probably just FEEL like you're going fast. I know when I got a car with a G-meter I was surprised that to ME, 0.5G in a banked on-ramp corner felt pretty gnarly even if the car was capable over over 1G.

Well, as previously discussed, I'm not tracking it - yet, and whether it's 1G or .5G, it feels fun in the Z, as I'm sure it does in the Vette, to let it loose in tight corners, and that's all that really matters.

Edit: Plus, I've heard similar stories. I know a guy who tracks his Z, and when he first went out with an instructor, he let the guy drive, and he said he was amazed at how fast they were taking turns. Realistically, even if I'm slow or only pulling .5G or whatever (and who knows?), I enjoy the rate at which I take corners, and the vehicle can safely achieve it, so why do I need to go any faster until I'm ready to track?

ImportConvert · 05-01-2011, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadoquad

Well, as previously discussed, I'm not tracking it - yet, and whether it's 1G or .5G, it feels fun in the Z, as I'm sure it does in the Vette, to let it loose in tight corners, and that's all that really matters.

Edit: Plus, I've heard similar stories. I know a guy who tracks his Z, and when he first went out with an instructor, he let the guy drive, and he said he was amazed at how fast they were taking turns. Realistically, even if I'm slow or only pulling .5G or whatever (and who knows?), I enjoy the rate at which I take corners, and the vehicle can safely achieve it, so why do I need to go any faster until I'm ready to track?

don't know how you took my post, hard to tell over the net, but what I mean is that as much fun as we are having in our cars--370z or z06 or whatever, we are most likely very far from their potential in the twisties. Fun is what counts, but pushing a car with 50/50 dost in a corner on the street is risky if you go much past 70%.

shadoquad · 05-01-2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

don't know how you took my post, hard to tell over the net, but what I mean is that as much fun as we are having in our cars--370z or z06 or whatever, we are most likely very far from their potential in the twisties. Fun is what counts, but pushing a car with 50/50 dost in a corner on the street is risky if you go much past 70%.