370z sports car?

GingaBreadMan

Is the 370z really a sports car? It's fast and agile but it is extremely loose over rough pavement. I was at the "track" doing about 110mph and when ever I hit a patch of uneven road the car felt so unstable I was afraid 2 go any faster. It handles like a dream. Where ever u want it 2 go it goes. The problem is when u hit bumpy pavement the car doesn't give u much confidence. I'm going 2 talk 2 my mechanic and see what can be done about this problem. Anyone else have any suggestions. The car is amazing but it is nothing worst then getting passed by a Sentra at 110mph. Don't worry I didn't allow that 2 happen.

spearfish25

So a car isn't a sportscar if it's unstable over rough terrain? I think that makes it 'not a rallycar'.

GingaBreadMan

We aren't talking about sand dunes or the Baja. I'm talking about a few bumps on the road. I just feel it shouldn't be as unsettled as it is over uneven asphalt. Am I the only 370z owner who is having this problem?

wstar

Trust me, the Altima you're comparing was way more "unsettled" at the same speed on the same patch of pavement. This is a sportscar, and that means grip the wheel tightly and expect to feel (and react to) every little nuance in the pavement surface. Unpredictable surface can lead to the need to react to unpredictable handling. That's why tracks tend to have very good surfaces.

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wstar

Oh, and for the love of dog, please type in english. Are you worried about wearing out the keys on your keyboard spelling out the words to, too, and two, or just concerned you'll always type the wrong one?

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kannibul

It'll loose traction if you're applying power to the ground or braking too much in a turn....just about anything will!

That said, I do feel teh car doesn't quite stick as well as I would have thought - mostly because I think the car is too stiff in the suspension and/or the tires don't grab as well as they could...

ZKindaGuy

Well did you ever think just maybe YOU think wrong????

kannibul

No, because for whatever reason, I can take corners with my 97 ford ranger faster than I can with the Z without the rear end trying to swing out.

My truck USED to do it, then I put new shocks and tires on it...

NewlyIMPORTed

no i know what you mean i feel that two but jut on the main roads like if im in a turning lane and i go and the road is bumpy it gets unstable but i dont think thats something that you should worry about i mean it isnt a hummer its a sports car your going to feel the road

bluzman

Punctuation and capital letters are your friends.

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Educ8r

Just trade in your Z for a Sentra.

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NewlyIMPORTed

haha im such retard i just realized that i spelt too as two

jginnane

I mentioned in a recent thread the Z felt "skittery" driving 100mph in rain with a 15mph side headwind. Had the opportunity to drive that same stretch on a sunny day, recently ... and it was just bad road, with the curves cambered to the outside of a turn to improve water runoff. The car never slipped, but felt as if it wanted to ... I had no interest in seeing where the particular boundaries of adhesion were, since the Jersey barrier was only 20 feet to the side.

My neighbor who's retired from racing advises you can improve road grip a lot even before springs, etc. by adjusting the alignment: toe-in and camber. This can tend to make the car more of a handful for an inexperienced driver, but is far better for driving at the limits.

OTOH, he also rotates all 4 tires on his daily driver every two weeks, and most of us wouldn't do that (even if we could).

So to answer the question, "Is it a sports car?", I'd answer it definitely is within the limits ... in this price range.

You can spend 10K in improvements and will still be constrained by the fact that it's a V6 RWD in a small frame. You'll never beat a V8 Corvette; you'll never lose to a Miata. If you have to turn the steering wheel on a race course, you'll probably never lose to a Mustang, Camaro or Charger, either.

spearfish25

I think it's just the general question that bothers me.

If it's not a sportscar, then what is it? A compact? A 2 door midsize? Family coupe? Come on guys...

GingaBreadMan

Don't take the question literally. Of course it's a sports car. It's amazing. My only gripe is how it handles bumps. I also know someone who had a 350z and he said he never had that problem. I wanted 2 see if anyone else felt the same as I did. I'm taking the car 2 my performance guy soon 2 see how I can alleviate this problem. The 370z should be represented correctly. It's an incredible automobile. I don't want 2 hafta hold back on the "track" because of this minor issue.