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A 370Z with a modern twist


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That's why I miss the supercharger so much on mine

The engine in its standard form to me just doesn't feel like it wants to sing

 

Anything above 4500 rpm and it feels course and doesn't encourage you to rev it out

 

With the supercharger on between 4500 and redline was where the magic happened

It just begs to be reved out and just keeps pulling to the red line

 

Definitely how it should of been from day one :)

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Funnily enough, the Z with a decent exhaust some HFCs and an uprev feels plenty powerful enough to me, Perhaps it's partly to do with context and driving style etc. I don't think of myself as anything more than a reasonably competent driver and I don't do track days so I never really feel the need for more power. I'm pretty sure I'll be going for a Lotus of some description when it's time to say goodbye to the Z, so it's likely to be weight loss rather than power gain. :)

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Thanks for your input guys.

 

I normally like cars that are conceived as sports cars/ performance cars from the ground up and the fact that the M3 shares its bodyshape with the run of the mill models was initially offputting. However, having driven Kirstie's 3 series convertible, even that is good to drive, beautifully built and looks very nicely proportioned, so has changed my opinion of the lower level BMs.

 

Its all very well saying the Z has heritage, but when you get back in one after sitting in a quality car like the 3 series, the flimsy unsupportive seats, plasticky interior and poor visibility do jar a bit!

 

The lack of torque with the M3 is on my mind again, so thinking of paying a visit to my local Jag dealer to talk about what sort of PCP deals are available on F Types. I normally like to pay cash for my cars, but might consider PCP if the deal was right.

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I'd have an f type if I could afford one , this and the Cayman in my eyes are the best looking small sports cars out that normal people can afford ..... Mind you f type is in m4 money and they don't lack ftlb !! Friend has one and it has a litchfield tune box on , think it's 460 @wheels with similar torque

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James junior loving this thread and all the awesome road trip updates, takes me back to a time before babies! I also have the cobra / berk combo on my 370 nismo and agree that the best balance might be just be the cbe on standard cats, however i wont be removing the berks because they are pure deafening evil! Intereating to hear about the Kw v3 because the suspension is the next thing i want to experiment with after i get some MPSS. Keep up the good posts.

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

 

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Hi guys,

 

Thanks for your interest and kind words. :)

 

I can only echo Nic's comments re the KW V3s. They are sublime and such a great upgrade. The car handles so much better with them and is still really comfortable. I am having another set fitted to my MR2 turbo at the start of August and can't wait.

 

The only downside is that on the standard drop my Stillen front splitter has been catching on speed bumps and ramps. This in turn has led to the splitter sagging on one side, so now it catches everywhere, turning heads with a wince-inducing scuffing sound! The splitter was tiger sealed as well as screwed on, so going to have a bodyshop look at it and advise me whether it can be removed. The current one is toast, so hoping to go back to standard front bumper and bring the front ride height up 10mm. Then i can think about replacing the splitter if I am confident a small increase in ride height will stop it catching. Otherwise I might just leave the bumper as is. Worst case scenario is that the splitter is permanently bonded onto the front bymper, in which case I think it will be new bumper time!. :surrender:

 

This is of course a unique situation created by the fitment of the Stillen front lip and shouldn't be an issue for anyone just using KW V3s with the standard front bumper. Besides, as the coilovers are fully adjustable you could always just raise them up at the front end from outset, to avoid any potential scrubbing.

Edited by James Junior
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Thanks for your input guys.

 

I normally like cars that are conceived as sports cars/ performance cars from the ground up and the fact that the M3 shares its bodyshape with the run of the mill models was initially offputting. However, having driven Kirstie's 3 series convertible, even that is good to drive, beautifully built and looks very nicely proportioned, so has changed my opinion of the lower level BMs.

 

Its all very well saying the Z has heritage, but when you get back in one after sitting in a quality car like the 3 series, the flimsy unsupportive seats, plasticky interior and poor visibility do jar a bit!

 

The lack of torque with the M3 is on my mind again, so thinking of paying a visit to my local Jag dealer to talk about what sort of PCP deals are available on F Types. I normally like to pay cash for my cars, but might consider PCP if the deal was right.

 

Don't you need to look at the F-type R for the significant leap in performance you seem to be hankering after? On paper, the F-type S doesn't look to have a great deal more performance than a Z with a few breathing mods. I'm not knocking them - lovely cars and I realise that 0-60 times etc isn't the whole story - but I wonder if they would give you the extra excitement you're looking for?

Edited by sipar69
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Thanks for your input guys.

 

I normally like cars that are conceived as sports cars/ performance cars from the ground up and the fact that the M3 shares its bodyshape with the run of the mill models was initially offputting. However, having driven Kirstie's 3 series convertible, even that is good to drive, beautifully built and looks very nicely proportioned, so has changed my opinion of the lower level BMs.

 

Its all very well saying the Z has heritage, but when you get back in one after sitting in a quality car like the 3 series, the flimsy unsupportive seats, plasticky interior and poor visibility do jar a bit!

 

The lack of torque with the M3 is on my mind again, so thinking of paying a visit to my local Jag dealer to talk about what sort of PCP deals are available on F Types. I normally like to pay cash for my cars, but might consider PCP if the deal was right.

 

Don't you need to look at the F-type R for the significant leap in performance you seem to be hankering after? On paper, the F-type S doesn't look to have a great deal more performance than a Z with a few breathing mods. I'm not knocking them - lovely cars and I realise that 0-60 times etc isn't the whole story - but I wonder if they would give you the extra excitement you're looking for?

 

Its a very fair point and one that I had considered myself. The problem is that the V8 F-Type is significantly more expensive again than the V6 S. I am trying to stick to a budget of around £30k ideally.

 

My research indicates that a stage 1 tune on an F-Type S would take power to 400bhp and torque to 350 lb ft, whilst the weight of the car is comparable to the 370Z.

 

So not a dramatic increase in performance by any stretch. There is a good car stats and comparison site called fastestaps.com that I came across recently and this supports the theory:

 

http://fastestlaps.c...ns/sisfgg1lbsdp

 

So not much in it at all really. I actually did have a play with a V6 S coupe in the Z a few weeks ago on Snake Pass and there was very little to separate the two cars. That said driver input also plays a role of course, so perhaps I was pedalling a little more effectively than the guy in the F-Type. Anecdotally the figures do suggest the F-Type would at least have a bit more low down grunt for overtaking.

 

So even with the stage 1 tweaks, in the real world you are absolutely right; there wouldn't be much difference. However, there really isn't much out there that is of a similar age, that offers a significant step up in performance, without spending a hell of a lot more.

 

I am a financial adviser and I manage portfolios of investments for clients. One of the basic rules we work to is risk vs return. That is to say, the more risk you take in investing, generally the greater your potential for return. We use something called the efficient frontier curve to plot the maximum amount of return possible for a given level or risk and try to get our portfolios to as close to the curve as possible, as this means we are achieving the maximum return possible on behalf of our clients for the level of risk we take.

 

https://www.google.c...oCrTS8Af68KugDA

 

I mentally apply the same theory to cars (stay with me here!) by changing the x and y axis on the chart to price vs performance. Generally speaking in the world of performance cars, the more performance you want, the more you pay for the car. You also suffer the law of diminishing returns, which means that once you get to a certain performance threshold, you have to pay substantially more, for only a relatively slim increase in performance.

 

Certain cars sit at the efficient frontier in terms of price vs performance. The 370Z because of its bargin price for the performance on offer is a great example of this. The Golf R is another great example, whilst the Nissan GTR is arguably on of the best examples on the market; supercar destroying pace for a relatively low outlay compared to its performance peers.

 

This creates a bit of a problem when moving on from the Z and other cars along the efficient frontier curve, as it means you have to spend significantly more for any meaningful increase in performance.

 

So I am struggling here to find much that offers any significant leap forward in performance whilst retaining usability as a daily. When you add in other factors such as presence, rarity, quality and overall desirability I think the F-Type S rates pretty highly.

 

Hope I haven't bored you all to death! Its actually been quite useful to lay it all out on the page as it has galvanised my resolve to keep the Z for another year before changing it.

 

In the meantime I think I will be removing the front lip and side blades, whilst maybe adding a new set of wheels to help keep my interest.

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Beautiful zed there, You said the cobra HFCs were too loud for daily use, is that personal preference or are they obnoxiously loud and get me pulled every day. did you consider the support struts for the lip to keep it up?

Edited by wez370
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Thanks for your input guys.

 

I normally like cars that are conceived as sports cars/ performance cars from the ground up and the fact that the M3 shares its bodyshape with the run of the mill models was initially offputting. However, having driven Kirstie's 3 series convertible, even that is good to drive, beautifully built and looks very nicely proportioned, so has changed my opinion of the lower level BMs.

 

Its all very well saying the Z has heritage, but when you get back in one after sitting in a quality car like the 3 series, the flimsy unsupportive seats, plasticky interior and poor visibility do jar a bit!

 

The lack of torque with the M3 is on my mind again, so thinking of paying a visit to my local Jag dealer to talk about what sort of PCP deals are available on F Types. I normally like to pay cash for my cars, but might consider PCP if the deal was right.

 

Don't you need to look at the F-type R for the significant leap in performance you seem to be hankering after? On paper, the F-type S doesn't look to have a great deal more performance than a Z with a few breathing mods. I'm not knocking them - lovely cars and I realise that 0-60 times etc isn't the whole story - but I wonder if they would give you the extra excitement you're looking for?

 

Its a very fair point and one that I had considered myself. The problem is that the V8 F-Type is significantly more expensive again than the V6 S. I am trying to stick to a budget of around £30k ideally.

 

My research indicates that a stage 1 tune on an F-Type S would take power to 400bhp and torque to 350 lb ft, whilst the weight of the car is comparable to the 370Z.

 

So not a dramatic increase in performance by any stretch. There is a good car stats and comparison site called fastestaps.com that I came across recently and this supports the theory:

 

http://fastestlaps.c...ns/sisfgg1lbsdp

 

So not much in it at all really. I actually did have a play with a V6 S coupe in the Z a few weeks ago on Snake Pass and there was very little to separate the two cars. That said driver input also plays a role of course, so perhaps I was pedalling a little more effectively than the guy in the F-Type. Anecdotally the figures do suggest the F-Type would at least have a bit more low down grunt for overtaking.

 

So even with the stage 1 tweaks, in the real world you are absolutely right; there wouldn't be much difference. However, there really isn't much out there that is of a similar age, that offers a significant step up in performance, without spending a hell of a lot more.

 

I am a financial adviser and I manage portfolios of investments for clients. One of the basic rules we work to is risk vs return. That is to say, the more risk you take in investing, generally the greater your potential for return. We use something called the efficient frontier curve to plot the maximum amount of return possible for a given level or risk and try to get our portfolios to as close to the curve as possible, as this means we are achieving the maximum return possible on behalf of our clients for the level of risk we take.

 

https://www.google.c...oCrTS8Af68KugDA

 

I mentally apply the same theory to cars (stay with me here!) by changing the x and y axis on the chart to price vs performance. Generally speaking in the world of performance cars, the more performance you want, the more you pay for the car. You also suffer the law of diminishing returns, which means that once you get to a certain performance threshold, you have to pay substantially more, for only a relatively slim increase in performance.

 

Certain cars sit at the efficient frontier in terms of price vs performance. The 370Z because of its bargin price for the performance on offer is a great example of this. The Golf R is another great example, whilst the Nissan GTR is arguably on of the best examples on the market; supercar destroying pace for a relatively low outlay compared to its performance peers.

 

This creates a bit of a problem when moving on from the Z and other cars along the efficient frontier curve, as it means you have to spend significantly more for any meaningful increase in performance.

 

So I am struggling here to find much that offers any significant leap forward in performance whilst retaining usability as a daily. When you add in other factors such as presence, rarity, quality and overall desirability I think the F-Type S rates pretty highly.

 

Hope I haven't bored you all to death! Its actually been quite useful to lay it all out on the page as it has galvanised my resolve to keep the Z for another year before changing it.

 

In the meantime I think I will be removing the front lip and side blades, whilst maybe adding a new set of wheels to help keep my interest.

 

You've obviously given it a lot of thought and I think you hit the nail on the head re the bang for buck point. Even seven odd years into its lifecycle, it's still a great performance to price car. I know there are hot hatches now that are quicker off the line, but they don't have the same allure for me, especially in the looks department.

 

Perhaps you should stay with the Z until you're ready for something in a different league altogether. That's my plan (hopefully an Evora 400 if the prices come down enough in a year or so) :)

Edited by sipar69
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Well, the standard cats are finally back on. I went for a little spin this afternoon and first impressions are....damn the car sounds quiet now!

 

Will have another spin later once the traffic dies down, but it is certainly a lot more reserved. The performance delivery also feels a touch blunted too.

 

However I think this is how I will keep it from here on, as for daily use all of the aftermarket cats were just too loud for me, despite the noticeable increase in performance that they gave.

 

Will report back after some more time at the wheel.

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For those of you wondering what the car DID sound like, here is a driveby video taken on tour.

 

 

The set up of the car in this vid is:

 

- Stillen G3

- Motordyne ART pipes

- Cobra Y pipe and cat back

- RS Tuning remap

 

It sounds pretty mean, but I just felt I wanted to go back to something a bit more sedate for daily use!

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Wez - all a matter of opinion I suppose. All of the aftermarket HFCs I tried were really loud. However, what is too loud for me, might be fine for you. To be fair I have been running the car for almost a year with various HFCs fitted so definitely liveable as a daily.

 

Paul - as I plan to remove the Stillen front splitter I think the car might look a bit odd if I keep the side blades on. Will see how it looks when the saggy Stillen comes off. Thats the next job! I will post a few pics once this is done.

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You've obviously given it a lot of thought and I think you hit the nail on the head re the bang for buck point. Even seven odd years into its lifecycle, it's still a great performance to price car. I know there are hot hatches now that are quicker off the line, but they don't have the same allure for me, especially in the looks department.

 

Perhaps you should stay with the Z until you're ready for something in a different league altogether. That's my plan (hopefully an Evora 400 if the prices come down enough in a year or so) :)

 

I guess as a finance geek I cannot help but get wrapped up in the numbers and the research!

 

Totally agree about hot hatches. They just don't have any appeal to me.

 

Like you I think I will just wait and see where I am financially in another years time. An Evora 400 would be awesome, but a bit too rich for my blood I think! You'll have to take me for a spin in yours... :teeth:

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Wez - all a matter of opinion I suppose. All of the aftermarket HFCs I tried were really loud. However, what is too loud for me, might be fine for you. To be fair I have been running the car for almost a year with various HFCs fitted so definitely liveable as a daily.

 

Paul - as I plan to remove the Stillen front splitter I think the car might look a bit odd if I keep the side blades on. Will see how it looks when the saggy Stillen comes off. Thats the next job! I will post a few pics once this is done.

cheers. Think I may give them a go then, I always got the feeling the v6 should shout a bit more than it does.

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