mwood

Is this going to be the Z to take down the RX8 in BS? Rumors have it smaller, shorter, lighter and more powerful...wonder if it'll even make it to BS?

http://edmunds.com/insideline/autosh...html#370zfront

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iTrader: (1)

If all the improvements Nissan claims are true, I would expect AS, looks like a C4 on paper. Hopefully I will know shortly, we have been promised a pre LA auto show preview here at the office.

First thing on the list, get it up in the air and look for front camber adjustment, one of the rumored improvements. Second, get it on the scales. Third, see if a G37 rear seat can be retrofitted, need to be able to haul the kid on non race days.

mwood

I agree, if it is same old, same old as far as no camber, that would be a buzz kill. Also, "lighter" may mean 3300lbs (as the 2008 is close to 3400) or may mean sub 3000lbs...but, I'm betting it's the former, not the latter...I think you're s.o.l. on the rear seat retro, though

Not sure I agree with the idea that it is an AS car, though. The RX8 has had a good run in BS and, fact is, you now have CS and FS cars going as fast as BS...may be time to up the ante, a little.

CodingParadox

Mike: Remember that they're trying to kill off BS by merging it with the other classes so they can free up room for SuperDuper Stock. If they do the BS-CS merge, which seems to be the prevailing theory right now (*passes Costco-sized bag of salt*), it's unlikely that they'd want to up the ante for a year right before they merge in 2010, which would then simultaneously destroy the solstice, RX-8, and 99 miatas in one fell swoop.

This is all, of course, going under the assumption that the new car will be faster than the old.

mwood

I forgot about the proposed BS-CS merge...probably because I think it is a dumb idea...do we really need "Extreme Stock" or whatever? I think not...

Anyhow, I do agree that if the proposal is passed, yeah, the 370Z would not fit in that new class. As far as speed, I can't see it being anything but significantly faster than the current Z, but I just don't know about AS fast...I hope they don't put it in FS!

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Actually, the prevailing speculation on my350z.com is that the car will have a curb weight in the 3,100lbs range, along with 330-340hp. I'm thinking AS.

However, the car will be sold in '09 as a 2010 model - so it won't be eligible for Nats unless the SEB classes it before September.

P.S. I love the new look. However, like Jason, I need a backseat. So I'll probably hold out for the 16X RX-8.

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iTrader: (1)

I think a BS-CS merge is a great idea, the times are very close, often going the wrong way for us. But if BS was to get faster that would kill the CS cars, where as with the current speed of BS it can go either way.

I also think Super Duper Stock is a dumb idea.... However, there are some people that think we need to let the SC Lotus play. I would not support the merge if the result is SDS. I for one would like to see a tweener class, take all the fodder in SS and build a new class.

SS stays the same
AS -tweener
Old AS becomes BS
Old BS becomes CS


I would like to see a tweener with: C5 (non-Z06), RX7tt, 996 911 (non-GT3), Z4M, BoxCayS. I think this has the same potential as the current SS and AS, as you can play for $15-$50k.

CodingParadox

I agree totally. SDS is a dumbass idea, and if they were to make it, they should just do XS. They need a tweener class for the million awesome cars that can't quite cut it in SS. The BS-CS merge is just fine, but killing a class just to make a hopelessly undersubscribed publicity class (so they can take press photos of ferraris!?) is ridiculous...

mwood

I totally agree. When I said the BS-CS merge was a dumb idea, it was in reference to merging the two classes just to make room for this super duper xtreme stock. I also agree that it is just a weak excuse to make room for the SC Loti, which would be class killers in SS. So, the "answer" is to make a spec class for Lotus? What happens next month, when Lotus comes out with some other Elise/Exige permutation...followed by another...and another. I just don't see how it can possibly make any sense, besides appeasing a couple of current Elise owners/drivers, who want to play with the SC cars.

A tweener class has great appeal, with lots of fun cars and the prospects of very broad based participation. I can see ULLLLLLLLLLOSER breaking out his gold chains from the C4 days and jumping in a C5

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iTrader: (1)

I need more gold.... I want the 911. I just want something with some power. After driving an MS-R at the last event I saw how slow the RX-8 is. I want Tq.

mwood

Can you get any camber in a stock 996? The Cayman S would be such a sweet daily driver/autocross car, but the lack of camber adjustment is a total deal breaker, for me.

The thing that's nice about the C5 is that you can set them up to handle extremely well, with tire wear on par with a RX8. Speaking of which, would the FD RX7 be a player? I kind of think "no".

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iTrader: (1)

Not sure how much on the 996, but a 996 GT3 can get over 3. The FD could hang with the base C5 back in the day, but the cost to keep one running tip top is insane.

mwood

When you start thinking about all the cool cars that would fit this "tweener" class, and how very limited a super duper stock class would be, you have to wonder how on earth there can even be a debate...it's a total no brainer.

So, given the scenario of CS-BS, the 370Z goes into AS...and gets crushed by the S2K's? I guess it will come down to weight, rim size and camber...

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

How much faster do you think you would have been in the MS-R than your RX-8 on the course at that particular event?

I want more power as well. Hopefully the 16X will fix this 'deficiency'...

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iTrader: (1)

I don't have to guess, I drove both cars back to back. The RX-8 was faster, but it was not an equal test. My car is fresh from natls with the tires that only had the Sun practice on them, so eight short runs. The MS-R had just been built, but was on last years set of 225-45-17 (way to tall) V710s that were dead - these tires were on their 2006 MX-5 all last year. I have no doubt with a few tweaks and fresh tires I would have matched, or beat, my RX-8 time.

But an MS-R would not fill my need for speed, and I am not going to hold my breath waiting for Mazda to build a faster 4-door.

So I will wait and see what the classes will look like for 2010, and then buy something.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

I'm starting to lean towards this more and more myself. Someone on NASIOC posted the following:
In this little package - that could be quite quick!!!



For comparison's sake, these are the specs on a 2008 Z4 M Coupe (per Edmunds):



Horsepower: 330 hp
Torque: 262 ft-lbs
Curb weight: 3230 lbs
MSRP: $50,400.00
Linkey: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2008/bmw/...chlanding.html

The 370Z has better #'s in each category - except the Z4 M Coupe comes with a torsen rear diff, while the new 370Z will probably have to make do with a viscous.

dothackRAVE

See, this is why you race with NASA. Less BS bureaucracy, and the people seem to be more in the thick of it.

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Imp

When was the last NASA-X National Championship? Heck, how about a National anything?

When NASA-X gets out of the big fish, small pond as far as events go (not talking about the people that participate in them) then maybe they'll be taken with a bit more seriousness. But right now, that's all NASA-X is: all talk, blah blah blah, we're better, blah, rules, blah blah.

Make an effort to hold some national NASA-X events where it's not just a 'local' event, and then you may have a 'right' to compare SCCA to NASA-X *rules* (again, not the people that run or compete in them).

--KC

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iTrader: (1)

We will be rolling a 370 at the end of the month, to bad we only have it during the week when there is no autox - wonder if they planned it that way. I hope I am disappointed with the weight, lack of camber and LSD, as I don't want to think about a two seater as a daily driver.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

A back-to-back twisty road run with the RX-8 would probably reveal a lot. I don't think a 2 seater is in my cards anytime soon though...hope the 16X RX-8 comes to fruition!

mwood

Hopefully "we" will have a chance to get some real data...not just a ride around the block...

Any chances of GT and KenMo opening up the gates at El Toro

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iTrader: (1)

I doubt it. Going to have to see if I can find some place. But without R tires and a full setup it won't mean much.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Motive mag just released this:

CodingParadox

Weird - downshift rev matching system for the 6spd manual. Wonder how that works. Detects you moving the shifter towards a lower gear and starts blipping?