mattross1313 Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 Mattross - nice picture! Did you get a video flyby? Sadly not in the Zed. A few years ago in my MR2 turbo we stopped there in a 15 strong convoy of MR2's. Good pictures and general hooning was had during that visit Thats good figures for stock cats , my old n/a car made 309hp with the stock cats and 345hp with decats. HFC typically make around 20hp on the 370z after mapping its not so much the flow as the additional timing that can be added with the smaller cats That's an impressive gain for decats!! I keep looking at them but have read a few owners with ARK Grip systems saying how loud the car gets over all. Unless there is a way of fitting the decats, but somehow quieting down the cat back system? which may then defeat the object of decats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 Thats good figures for stock cats , my old n/a car made 309hp with the stock cats and 345hp with decats. HFC typically make around 20hp on the 370z after mapping its not so much the flow as the additional timing that can be added with the smaller cats Also the 370z auto is geared for around 240mph in 7th gear , I did see one do that on a dyno but you couldnt do it on the road , I had Reggie on the rollers for a 5th gear run and the dyno rollers were screaming got to around 170mph but typically most places run them in 4th to about 130mph which is much more sensible imo Thanks for sharing that Rich. In that case the figures could be correct. I must admit, of all the breather mods I had done, the HFCs were the only one where I actually felt a marked increase in performance and torque in my 'butt dyno'! However, based on my previous figures, whilst this is 'only' a drop of 18bhp, it is a drop of 40 ft lbs of torque! I was already having trouble with some overtakes and in hauling the car up the mountainsides in June. This time with less torque and a passenger the car is going to feel really gutless I fear. I must admit, whilst I like the Z as a daily, again I am starting to crave something with more shove for my touring exploits. Whilst it is fun keeping some of the supercars honest in the twisties, it would be nice to be able to take the fight to them in terms of power. The MR2 would be a blast, but dont want to put the old girl under such pressure, whilst I don't fancy testing the staying power (or lack thereof) of 1990s braking technology on long Alpine mountain descents! I would love to stay Japanese, but the modern Jap performance car market is pretty non-existent at the moment. GT86 is way too underpowered for my taste. That pretty much leaves only the Lexus LF-A, but that is 'only' 400 BHP ish in a much heavier car, albeith with a lot more torque. Still not really any quicker on a good twisting road however given the weight and handling deficit against the Z. Obviously there is the GTR but that is not my sort of car at all. Pete and Dan our tour guides have chosen BMW M235is as their tour cars. It is not hard to see why - they are right at the efficient frontier in terms of bang for your buck and a very appealing all round package. The performance figures are ballistic given the combination of powerful and torquey power plants and light weight. They are RWD with a short wheel base so handle like a dream. The only weak point that I can see is the brakes, as is often the case with BMs. I had a quick drive of one on tour and it felt very quick. The only trouble with them however (aside from not being Jap!) is that they are butt ugly to my eye! Part of the tour experience for me is the car photography and I would not enjoy photographing one of those one bit! What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richf Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 That's an impressive gain for decats!! I keep looking at them but have read a few owners with ARK Grip systems saying how loud the car gets over all. Unless there is a way of fitting the decats, but somehow quieting down the cat back system? which may then defeat the object of decats I had an invidia on my old car , it wasnt too loud but much louder than with the stock cats , it would be interesting to compare just decats on the stock system , I have a feeling that cat back exhausts offer minimum power gains on the 370 the only reason to fit them is for the noise If I could only have one car it would be a BMW M4 but its not special enough for a weekend car and not practical enough for a daily driver for me 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattross1313 Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) That pretty much leaves only the Lexus LF-A What do you guys think? You should totally buy one!!....but I think you mean the IS-F? Which is also a very nice car, but likely a tad too heavy / wallowy on the fun twists of an alpine pass. EDIT - However, if you do the mean LFA can I be first in the queue for a passenger ride Edited August 26, 2016 by mattross1313 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) Thats good figures for stock cats , my old n/a car made 309hp with the stock cats and 345hp with decats. HFC typically make around 20hp on the 370z after mapping its not so much the flow as the additional timing that can be added with the smaller cats Also the 370z auto is geared for around 240mph in 7th gear , I did see one do that on a dyno but you couldnt do it on the road , I had Reggie on the rollers for a 5th gear run and the dyno rollers were screaming got to around 170mph but typically most places run them in 4th to about 130mph which is much more sensible imo Thanks for sharing that Rich. In that case the figures could be correct. I must admit, of all the breather mods I had done, the HFCs were the only one where I actually felt a marked increase in performance and torque in my 'butt dyno'! However, based on my previous figures, whilst this is 'only' a drop of 18bhp, it is a drop of 40 ft lbs of torque! I was already having trouble with some overtakes and in hauling the car up the mountainsides in June. This time with less torque and a passenger the car is going to feel really gutless I fear. I must admit, whilst I like the Z as a daily, again I am starting to crave something with more shove for my touring exploits. Whilst it is fun keeping some of the supercars honest in the twisties, it would be nice to be able to take the fight to them in terms of power. The MR2 would be a blast, but dont want to put the old girl under such pressure, whilst I don't fancy testing the staying power (or lack thereof) of 1990s braking technology on long Alpine mountain descents! I would love to stay Japanese, but the modern Jap performance car market is pretty non-existent at the moment. GT86 is way too underpowered for my taste. That pretty much leaves only the Lexus LF-A, but that is 'only' 400 BHP ish in a much heavier car, albeith with a lot more torque. Still not really any quicker on a good twisting road however given the weight and handling deficit against the Z. Obviously there is the GTR but that is not my sort of car at all. Pete and Dan our tour guides have chosen BMW M235is as their tour cars. It is not hard to see why - they are right at the efficient frontier in terms of bang for your buck and a very appealing all round package. The performance figures are ballistic given the combination of powerful and torquey power plants and light weight. They are RWD with a short wheel base so handle like a dream. The only weak point that I can see is the brakes, as is often the case with BMs. I had a quick drive of one on tour and it felt very quick. The only trouble with them however (aside from not being Jap!) is that they are butt ugly to my eye! Part of the tour experience for me is the car photography and I would not enjoy photographing one of those one bit! What do you guys think? What about an Exige S V6. Be a heck of a car on the sorts of trips you seem to enjoy doing. http://www.evo.co.uk/lotus/exige/7363/lotus-exige-s-review-price-and-specs Edited August 26, 2016 by sipar69 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 I must admit, whilst I like the Z as a daily, again I am starting to crave something with more shove for my touring exploits. Been there, done that. Another 150hp and it would be very difficult to move on from but its got a bit too much weight and not quite enough power Pete and Dan our tour guides have chosen BMW M235is as their tour cars. And after a struggle between M235i/1M I bought a 430hp 135i coupe with M3 running gear, its awesome. Brakes are actually pretty good with high quality pads and it would keep up/pass everything on your list up there other than the Aventador, its about GT3/997T pace in a straight line. Ive also driven an IS-F and although I preferred it to the E92 M3 its a bit big and heavy, an R35 would be good fun but I think you'd struggle to do much better than a 718 Cayman on these kind of trips though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 That pretty much leaves only the Lexus LF-A What do you guys think? You should totally buy one!!....but I think you mean the IS-F? Which is also a very nice car, but likely a tad too heavy / wallowy on the fun twists of an alpine pass. EDIT - However, if you do the mean LFA can I be first in the queue for a passenger ride Ha ha....that's the one! I think an LF-A is a bit out of budget! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 Unfortunately Sipar I need a car that is suitable as a daily driver and for client duties. Whilst a forthcoming move to bigger premises will mean I can commute by train going forward, I will still need to travel out to the odd client meeting. For that purpose unfortunately the Exige is a bit on the raw side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 DCT M235i is very fast in a straight line and twisties, can keep up with an exige or fezza no probs. Speed is dead TBH its all going to be about feedback and feel going forward. When your dad's tesla can outrun a lotus (when towing a lotus) and a 30k 4pot turbo hatch does sub 8 mins at the ring, time to give up and get a caterham. Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 I think gone are the days of this is quicker that's faster blah blah blah It's got to come down what you love looking at a driving Because it won't be long we'll all be priced out of petrol cars and driving robots Enjoy it while it lasts 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Well, I have just got back from another amazing tour of Europe. I thought this tour would sign the death warrant of the 370Z (er...in a manner of speaking!) and give me the final push to change her for something else. It is true that in such esteemed company, on a number of occasions, I did find myself craving a bit more power and bit less weight. In particular on the steep ascents, as the Z struggled to keep up with some of the more potent cars. And yet, I have come back home again this time with an even deeper connection with the car and a better understanding of how to drive it well. On a few days particularly towards the end of the tour, I got it flowing in a way that I never have before. I think the problem with the Z is that it feels pretty inert at low to middling speeds. As you start to wind things up and the weight begins to move around it can be quite alarming, as it comes as a bit of a surprise when you are used to the car being so planted. However rather than this marking anything like the edge of grip, it is actually the beginning of the zone in which the car starts to come alive. You have to learn to trust the tyres and use the brake liberally, often entering corners at higher speeds than you might initially feel comfortable with. Lifting as you enter the bend and just holding a partial throttle settles the car down as you feel the lateral force load up and keeping this momentum gives you the option of either powering out earlier if the bend opens out, or trimming your line and turning the car with a bit more lift or dab of brake if the turn tightens before the apex. The more you learn to do this, the more you get the car flowing in a wonderful rhythm, carrying pace through momentum, which in turn helps offset the cars modest power to weight ratio. You can really feel the weight moving around and the car feels alive in your hands, especially with the ESP disengaged, as this seems to make the tail more manouverable. On the last day in particular I had a sublime run chasing Dan's M235i, with a Gallardo and 12C on my tail across mile after mile of abandoned French countryside. On this stretch the car didn't once feel underpowered and did a great job of keeping the supercars busy. This tour I also really came to appreciate the new braking set up. The Endless pads are simply astounding. Paired with uprated brake fluid they need heat in them to become truly effective, but once warmed up they just go on and on, with immense stopping power and no fade. This very much redresses the balance on downhill sections, as you can outbreak pretty much anything, whilst giving you confidence where you need it most. The KWs also remain an awesome piece of kit and enhance the handling of the car in every way. I really recommend them to anyone who is into fast road or track work. The only weak point that I feel needs to be addressed now is the oil temperature. This got very high on a few of the longer ascents, especially those with lots of hairpin turns, sometimes putting the car into limp mode as it needed to cool down. I am going to start researching oil coolers as a little winter project after the season is over to see if I can remedy this, as I plan to keep the car for a little longer yet. I have so many amazing photos I don't even know where to start, but will try and post some of the highlights for you all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) I was at Rockingham Sunday and watched a young lad in a standard vxr astra.start at the back of the grid take the whole pack come in for a problem go out and do it all again This definitely reminded me of the importance of being able to drive over having all the mods lol I will be spending some money on training this next year Glad you had a good trip I litraly can't wait to get back out to Europe Edited September 12, 2016 by nissanman312 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) Parked up at Le Regal which is always our first hotel stopover after a long autoroute slog. Being so near the French/ German border it makes a great staging point to get right into the good stuff from the morning of day two: Off to bed after dinner and a few beers. Fun starts tomorrow... First proper chance to play in the hills on our way to the German border, chasing Mario's Cayman GTS and Adam's Golf R: Wrong turn into a cornfield in the German countryside! Er...guys....I don't think this is the right way! Heading up Fluelapass into the Swiss National Park above Davos breezing past the odd campervan: Time to stop for a moment and let the oil temp recover again near the top of Stelvio Pass as we neared our hotel: Great views up here: Very cold and wet start from our hotel at the top of Stelvio: Better keep the ESP on for now: Was foggy on the descent but it lifted further down the pass, providing amazing views: Waiting for a blast through the Munt La Schera tunnel to Livigno: Having fun despite the wet weather as we went up and over Albula Pass. Sometimes keeping things smooth in the wet is just as fun as going hard in the dry: Things dried out for a bit as we arrived at San Bernadino: But got worse again as we arrived at Susten: By the time we hit Grimsel the mountain streams had burst their banks leaving waterfalls tumbling onto the roads. What a spectacular drive that was. The Z is much better in the wet than you might expect and managed to hang onto the Golf R for miles despite its 4wd advantage: Thats it for now as I am flagging, but will post some more up when I get chance. Hope you like the pictures. Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 (edited) Great pics. The Exige S looks surprisingly wide in the front-on shot. As you probably know already, oil temp is a well known 370Z issue, although not usually a problem in normal driving conditions. I'm glad your accidental detour looked to be on a fairly flat surface. We're house hunting in rural Kent/Sussex at the moment - the other day I found myself on a very uneven track in the Z going to view a place. The house was ruled out the basis that the car would have to go! Edited September 13, 2016 by sipar69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 Very nice ! You certainly do some nice trips ! Really interested to hear your thoughts on the Cayman and exige s and how they compare to your modded zed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
370Nut Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 loving this thread ! , any chance you can fix the pics at the start alot are not working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 Very nice ! You certainly do some nice trips ! Really interested to hear your thoughts on the Cayman and exige s and how they compare to your modded zed Well the first thing to note is that with the HFCs removed, on the rollers my car has apparently lost power and a chunk of torque. With just an intake and exhaust think it appears to be putting out bang on stock horsepower, with a small torque deficit. In pure acceleration terms, in most real world conditions, both the Cayman R, the Cayman GTS and the Z were very close. The Porsche's had a small edge, but nothing significant. I thought the Exige would be exponentially quicker given that is is packing 350bhp, but was surprised to learn it also weighs around 1,200kgs, so whilst it still has a big power to weight advantage, it is not as much as I expected. Given the room to wring it out, it was a fair bit quicker once it had time to hold its gears and ride the full extent of its torque. In the twisties it made little difference. In terms of braking meanwhile I found that I could outbreak everyone once the pads had some heat in them and they simply did not fade. Over the course of the tour I found myself having to radio through to pass the Exige and the GTS on a few occasions, as I was the more confident driver. The driver of the Cayman R meanwhile tended to gradually pull distance on me, especially in the uphill sections. I ran him close in his F430 a few months back, but this time around he was consistently quicker than me in the Cayman. One thing I have learnt having now done a number of tours, is that whilst the faster cars may make themselves known on the straights and the ascents, in flat or downhill twisty stuff the Z should be able to keep up with most things if you can master a momentum driving style. I still have a way to go yet, but definitely getting quicker. Hopefully the oil cooler and the confidence to stay off the brakes will help me get quicker on the uphill. I had a really good run with Stu in the Exige one afternoon where we lost the pack and played chase, swapping positions every now and then. In the uphill sections I was holding him up a bit, but on the longer downhill sections coming down one of the cols and in a twisty canyon section I started leaving him behind and had to wait a few times for him to catch me up. When we chatted over a beer later in the bar In pure acceleration terms, the Porsche Caymans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 loving this thread ! , any chance you can fix the pics at the start alot are not working Well thats annoying isn't it?! The image links are lifted from my FB account so don't know why they would disappear like that. I will post some more of my recent trip then start going back to repost the earlier images to see if I can fix them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 (edited) So here is my selfie-loving co-pilot Kirstie. She is an amazing passenger and also a great photographer. Most of the photographs taken from inside the car are hers: Snap of the Exige at driver briefing at our hotel halfway up Grimsel Pass at the start of day three. The mountainside in the background was wreathed in fog at first and gradually emerged as the sun burnt it away whilst we discussed the day ahead. Spectacular! Chasing the Cayman R and C63 down Furka Pass: Here is most of the gang parked up together at the summit of Nufenen: Kevin's Gallardo Superleggera in the sunshine at the top of Nufenen: Daz's GT3 in the mountains above Bourg St Maurice: And Alex's E30 M3 at the same spot looking the other way: Mario's GTS: Looking out over Bourg: The view from the dining room of our hotel for the evening: Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 (edited) Stopped by the police heading up into Val D'Isere for a document check. Apparently they had received reports from some locals that a group of sports cars were driving quickly and making lots of noise on the area...: Top of the Col De L'Iseran looking out over the glacier. Kirstie was riding shotgun with someone else that morning, so I just parked up by myself for half an hour, got out and stood bathed in Alpine sunshine drinking it all in. An incredible place. I took some great interactive 360 videos that are on my FB but cannot post them here sadly, so these pics ill have to do: Stopped at the top of the Col De Gallibier having just driven up the twisting road below to take some more snaps: Alex's E30 M3 and Aaron's Cayman R parked up at the lunch stop. Old school and new school German engineering: Hanging out with Stu and the Exige at the top of the Col Du Bonette: On the descent I sadly obliterated a marmot that ran out into the road suddenly. I pulled over to check the car and there was no damage. Stu helpfully pulled up behind me and declared 'well, its definitely dead!'. Thanks mate. Mario helpfully made this picture to mark the occasion: Parked up outside our hotel for the evening after an amazing fast canyon run being chased by the Exige: Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 Right dudes, time to put the laptop down, will share a few more pics later in the week. Also have some video clips you might like. Once I am up to date I will go back and see if I can fix the broken links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Thanks for sharing. Do you have details of the route you are willing to share ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 Hello Payco, The exact routes have been devised and refined over years of research and scouting trips by Petrolhead Tours. Every waypoint, lunch stop and even fuel stop is meticulously planned to ensure every days driving takes in the best routes. As a result I wouldn't feel comfortable giving out Pete's routes in detail as it is effectively his intellectual property. However, if you look on the website there is a publicly available itinerary which gives you a pretty good outline of where we go and what passes we drive: http://petrolhead.tours/tours/europe/the-alps/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Thanks, completely understand. Will have a look at the link. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted September 15, 2016 Author Share Posted September 15, 2016 (edited) A few more pics for you... Heading up into another of the Cols: I ended up dogsitting Jenna's dog so Kirstie could get in with her for a stretch: Kirstie and Jenna chasing me through the forests near Chamberry: Top of the Semnoz pass. This was a great run up and over mikes of twisting Alpine tarmac through a pine forest. Had the road to myself as the group had fragmented and enjoyed picking my own lines and going at my own pace: Split off from the pack one afternoon and had fun chasing Dan and the two supercars: Then we swapped places with Dan up front and the Mclaren and Gallardo chasing me. That was great fun: At the end of the day Andy casually quips 'fancy a drive in the Mclaren?'. Er....yes! He was very encouraging and we went on a loop of around ten miles through the French countryside. Got to power down some straights and get it hooked up through a few bends. It is several levels above the Z obviously in terms of acceleration and compsure: Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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