By your logic, the Corvette is worst off....right? Don't you ever get tired of trolling? :bowrofl:

There isn't a single track anywhere that the V6 Mustang is faster than the Z if the Z is driven correctly. Tracks like VIR Grand do give an advantage to the higher horsepower cars that is for sure, the new GT should be faster there.

I don't understand your comment about using all 4 tires.

The v6 makes less power, it is actually faster through the corners.

Have you driven a stock z recently?

I don't believe that the V6 can be faster through the corners than the Z if both cars are driven to their potential, granted it will be easier to reach that potential in the Mustang. The Z in stock form has plenty of grip just needs to be driven differently to take advantage of the wider rear tires, it isn't going to throttle steer quiet as easily and should be driven on the momentum line like you would a Miata, where as the muscle cars prefer the traditional late apex line.

Chris, thats probably true--if you can use both cars to the full potential, the z has more grip. Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors that prevent that a lot of the time. The z often doesn't have enough power to balance out coming through a dramatic decreasing radius, or any turn that has a high speed exit but requires a low speed entry. Even when you're able to get things to line up, it often requires juggling gears unnecessarily to get the car back in the powerband- which is fine if you're just looking for one hot lap, but tough if you're trying to compete. On a related note, aggressive trail braking is incredibly dangerous in a stock z as a result, since you often can't get on the gas enough to balance the car.

Of course, like I said before...this is all moot in a modded z. The nice thing about the z is it picks up a ton of time from little things...swapping the rear sway, front camber arms, and snagging beefier front tires makes it an entirely different animal.

I'm with IC on this one. It's not as if the Z has set the benchmark for a perfectly balanced car in the first place. It's only when all the competition has over 400 hp that people will start saying "oh yeah, well the Z is more balanced!" That's just another way of saying underpowered. Think of it this way: if the suspension/brakes/chassis of the Z are great, then the car could handle 400 hp and still be "balanced." To say that the car wouldn't be balanced with that much hp is just saying that the rest of the car is not up to the task. It just doesn't seem like a winning proposition either way.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Z - that's why I don't want to see it fall behind.

Dude, I never said "oh yeah, well the Z is more balanced!"

I meant that even though it's certainly not lacking in the "balanced" department, it make for a better sports car if they focus improving that aspect instead of just dumping a turbo or supercharger. Nissan needs to make the Z truly lighter (closer to 3k lbs) & bump up the torque and hp without going FI.

Cars like the Elise/Exige, though not particularly powerfull when you just look at the engine spec., are quick when you see the whole package. That's kind of where I want Nissan to go with the next Z. It's certainly feasable considering how the 370 evolved from the 350. If you only look at the power bump, it's only a 26hp increase. We all know by now, how much faster the 370 is, so logic would tell you its not just more power.

I tracked the car stock with just sway bars and didn't really find that to be an issue. Some tracks the gearing just seems to be wrong but that can happen at any track with any car, on the most part I find the gear spacing pretty good. I would never complain about a little more power, mostly the area under the curve (wider power/torque band) is what would make the car easier to drive fast.

I didn't mean to imply that I was quoting you directly, my friend. In any event, I think we both agree that more hp/lb is the answer. Less weight would be ideal, but it seems cheaper and easier for Nissan to just add power. I would take either option, though (or both).

Sway bars alone make a pretty big difference I would think.

Definitely agree about more power under the curve being huge. Too many situations where you need to be on the gas and there's just not enough there...

From a driver perspective, I don't think this car needs more power, really, to be an enjoyable car to drive. I love everything about the Z owner, Z driver experience.

From a marketing perspective, I agree with most everyone here that Nissan has to do something for the Z to survive (unless they just keep it like a phantom limb like the RX8).

It doesn't have to be more power or better handling, either. It could be something tech savvy or aesthetically pleasing. They just can't rest on their laurels anymore. It doesn't best its rivals at the track and has only two seats.

I agree to a point... most people, buy the Z to drive (not to race). So saying it loses at the track is a moot point, really. But Nissan does need to do a little more tech-savy "stuff" to the ride to catch up with competitors.

Yes but a lot of people buy it because of its performance. If it's performance can not match up with it's competitors then it will lose a lot of sales because it it. Not saying everyone is like that, but a lot of people look at that when deciding what car to buy.

Agreed.... BUT.... dollar for dollar(?) The Z has great value.

The V6 mustang matches most of it's performance numbers on the track, or comes very close. That's not okay.

:iagree:

Telling them that doesn't go over well here:icon17:

That might be true but in order to drive a mustang w a v6 you need breasts and some other female specific parts.

You're right. However, I fail to see how your car comparing with a teenage girl-mobile on the track stock for stock reassures you.

I dont need reassurance, I dont, worry about v6 Mustangs. Its funny when you make a little joke on here and people get all pissy.

I'm not pissy about it. My whip has over 500 horses. That makes my manhood a baseball bat! My ls7 assures my manhood. Fast, powerful, hung like bull. All thanks to GM :)

Again, I'll say that 300 hp is fast and fun performance.

But I agree with the idea that if you're a performance nut, and you want to compare with the Joneses on performance, the Z is going to lag behind.

I'm not saying the Z's a bad car. I love it, baby, love it! But if you care about speed/performance numbers, you will not buy the Z based on its competitors, and since it's a performance car, that does not bode well.

Moar Power, less weight, tech toys. That's gotta happen imo.

Hey guys, don't get too pessimistic. Look at it like this. The difference between the gencoupe and Z currently in RWHP is only about 8hp our advantage. Our weight about 100lbs our advantage. Yet our accelrations compare like we have a 300lb advantage and 50rwhp more. So this SC may only break them even with our 7at's which are our fastest accelrators. The SC may give them an advantage up top, but we may be able to run, considering the lackluster current platform? The current gen can't keep up with our stock cars with full bolt-ons and a tune. So the SC will be hard at work. I'm not saying we will beat there SC car. I'm just saying that it might not look like that much of an advantage compared to there power gain. GTM BETTER START GIVING SOME VALUE DEALS! LOL.

PS. I accidently made a second thread on this subject. Please forgive me. :)

I love the Z06 but everyone seems to have one these days. A supercharged genesis coupe will put out about 333hp at crank.

370Z's were produced something like 5:1 to the Z06 for the last few years from what I gather on the production #'s.

Probably true, but lots of non-Z06 vettes are on the street too. Most people can't tell the difference and don't care.

+1, but in the end, screw that. Didn't buy it to be seen in it. Bought it to drive! :driving: