[Raptor08]

I was driving home from work late last night and passed a 370Z. About 10 seconds later I see it zoom up next to me and hang with me for a little while (the guy was obviously interested in the car). So he tried to do the macho thing and speed off... but I decided I wanted to see what the VT had and gunned it. Surprisingly, I caught up with and kept up with him. We went back and forth topping out at about 110 (coulda went faster but didn't feel like being TOO dangerous lol) and I was crazy happy with how well the VT kept up with it, seeing as how the knock on the VT seems to be in doesn't have enough power/speed to run with cars like that.

Long story short, i'm really happy with the speed/power and acceleration and was pleasantly surprised at the reaction and response i received going against a car like the 370Z.

Ok story time is over lol

 

[Turbosocks]

did he know you were flooring it?

The 370Z is much faster in any gear than the V.

I'm not knocking the car but keeping up with a car like the 370z when the owner is in serious mode is not going to happen unless the Z is fu-barred..

we are talking a full 2 seconds faster in the 1/4 and a full 2 seconds faster to 60mph.. 2 seconds is a LONGGG time in speed comparisons..

 

[[email protected]]

anything can happen on a roll, from a stop the z has an enormous benefit of RWD and probably significantly better throttle response lol depending on which version it is it's 1.5-2s faster in the 1/4 but there are many things that help that in the z's favor.. i'd like to see a veloster with coilovers, good tires, and the twm pedal box run a 1/4 mile.. i would bet they would shave .5 off the stock 1/4 mile if not more..

that being said.. the 370z weighs only 300-500 lbs more and has almost 100 whp more then the vt does.. so he probably was in the wrong gear but still good stuff

 

[Raptor08]

haha ya, i get that the Z is a faster car.. we never raced from a dead stop.. it was all starting at freeway speeds, which levels the playing field a LITTLE bit.. but i'm guessing the guy wasn't in "serious-mode" or just didn't know how to drive what he had (probably the case lol) still.. i thought it was cool that the VT hung with it fairly easily.. and it looks cool enough to catch an eye like that. =)

 

[Dcannon203]

I am proud of what the little 1.6 can do, i dont think everyone else realizes how small our engines are....people always are trying to race me with grossly unmatchable power. the funny thing is when i have Z's picking fights with me and im like........wtf are you doing...... go find an STI to play with..... like dude , I have a 1.6L go get an engine this size then come back to play with me.

 

[GT800]

Sadly it seems when im in my shelby i see perfect cars for the veloster to play with and when im in the Veloster i see perfect cars for the shelby. Just my luck. I can see you keeping up with a Z though OP they are geared kind of funny and if the other guy was overly confident in his car he may have screwed up. Or he may have just sucked at driving.

 

[Stone Axe]

Obviously the 370Z is in a different class than the VT and all things being equal it is significantly faster.

But I've had similar experiences with several different faster cars and my VT on the highway. There is something about the turbo response when the engine is revved up, its light weight and the MT that gives it a surprising amount of instant acceleration. A major aspect of street "racing" is the desire to get the jump on the other guy and committing to full throttle first and the longest. With modern cars like the VT you end up exceeding the speed limit to the point of a reckless driving charge.

That said, I did hang with the 370Z's fat sister - the Infiniti G37s - off the line on a tight city street. I was playing with the ECT off and noticing that it felt a little more spry and the turbo was less surgey in 1st and 2nd when I noticed that this G37s was still alongside me even though all the other cars were way back behind us. We were on a downtown street with lots of stoplights and narrow lanes and I think he wanted over in my far left lane so he could turn. Normally I'm a nice guy and always let people over - but not this time. I did my first "max effort launch" and the VT got the jump on the G37s - it is almost definitely an automatic. I knew that my short 1st gear was going to be a problem so I let it go longer and as I went to shift to 2nd I heard the dreaded clank of the rev limiter. He pulled a fender ahead of me as it became time to brake for the next light.

 

[GT800]

Sorry off topic but ive always wanted a g37..

 

[Stone Axe]

Oh yeah, I definitely looked at both the 370Z and the G37 coupe.

The G37 is really nice because it is not as cramped as the 370Z and the ride has a great balance. Plus the interior is also very nice. And did I mention it has 330hp?

But it is too heavy and expensive for my needs. And I didn't care for how few 350Z's and G35 coupes that are still on the road.

 

[GT800]

Yeah you dont see alot of them do you really? I have never driven a 37 but have driven some older 350zs and they are nice but really not powerful enough out of the box. I hear they are fun with a turbo though.

 

[Memphis]

Off topic but when I launch the VT from a stop (manual) I get a lot of wheel hop Where are you guys launching from in the RPM?

 

[GT800]

Im an auto sorry but if your getting wheel hop just try leaving at a lower rpm. Wheel hop is very damaging so try not to.

 

[Memphis]

Im an auto sorry but if your getting wheel hop just try leaving at a lower rpm. Wheel hop is very damaging so try not to.

Well I have only launched like that twice. Since then I have been easing into the accelerator. Just wondering what optimal launch rpm is for the car. Would like a general idea before I start experimenting.

First two times I was an idiot.

 

[Stone Axe]

Yeah, wheel hop is not good and the VT can easily overpower the hard stock tires when launching.

I had a problem with just spinning the tires at first more than hopping, but I did get some hopping if I just dropped the clutch.

I can't tell you what RPM I launch at because I don't look at the tach normally and I vary the launch RPM depending on my mood and how hard I want to launch. What I do is slip or feather the clutch when launching hard to just keep the front wheels from spinning - and that varies depending on road grip and how high I rev before engaging the clutch. After many attempts it has become fairly natural and I don't think about it anymore.

Now some people feel that slipping the clutch is hard on the clutch and that dropping the clutch is better. But with a front wheel drive car with a kinda modest drivetrain I think dropping the clutch is harder on both the clutch and definitely the transmission and driveshafts. I've driven like this for years on about 6 different MT cars and have never had to replace a clutch yet.

 

[GT800]

Regardless id rather slip the clutch a little. Id much rather have to replace a clutch than an axle or trans.

 

[Memphis]

I wish I could get the wheels to spin on takeoff

 

[GT800]

Memphis its alot cheaper on tires if you can't though haha.

 

[Stone Axe]

I can get the wheels to spin on command with no problem.

There was this giant mininvan - like a Yukon or Suburban - that was lumbering in my tight parking garage and it couldn't figure out how to park and there were 3 of us clogged up behind him. I thought about tooting my horn but instead I just squeeled the tires for a second. I don't think I moved forward more than a foot. He got the point and took up 2 spaces at the end of the floor.

 

[GT800]

Nothing like a little noise to get people to move. If im in the gt500 ill just rev at people driving to slow or not paying attention. It grabs peoples attention reallll quick

 

[Stone Axe]

Yeah that GT500 growls plenty just by revving it.