Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

imag · 07-01-2009, 05:57 PM

Note that the reason the newer cars are having issues is that they are quite a bit faster. The horsepower wars have put cars into a category where a lot of other parts need to be upgraded. In addition to brakes and driveline parts, the high cornering speeds and sticky tires will also no doubt impact wheel bearings, bushings, etc.

Remember, these cars are seriously fast - as fast as the supercars of the early '80s - and they are darn sure more reliable than a Countach or a Testarossa. And race cars - designed from the ground up for use on the track - are not "reliable" in any sense. Colin Chapman, perhaps the best race car designer ever, pushed the idea that if things weren't breaking, they were over-engineered. I'm not saying I want a car that breaks, I'm just saying that we have to understand some of the difficulty involved.

People rail on Toyota and Honda for building boring cars, but they are the ones that really drove home the idea that a car would "just work". Now we're all used to it, and we're starting to take offense at the idea that a car will have problems, even when it is being used at 10/10ths at the track.

A track environment is, by definition, severe. We need to accept that driving hot sh!t cars there will be costly. The Miata is reknowned because it has been, and continues to be, the cheapest possible way to get track time. But when you double the horsepower and only add a few thousand dollars, and you can't expect the car to be bulletproof.

My $0.02 anyway...

07-01-2009, 05:57 PM	#24 (permalink)
imag Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 446 Drives: up the wall Rep Power: 16	Note that the reason the newer cars are having issues is that they are quite a bit faster. The horsepower wars have put cars into a category where a lot of other parts need to be upgraded. In addition to brakes and driveline parts, the high cornering speeds and sticky tires will also no doubt impact wheel bearings, bushings, etc. Remember, these cars are seriously fast - as fast as the supercars of the early '80s - and they are darn sure more reliable than a Countach or a Testarossa. And race cars - designed from the ground up for use on the track - are not "reliable" in any sense. Colin Chapman, perhaps the best race car designer ever, pushed the idea that if things weren't breaking, they were over-engineered. I'm not saying I want a car that breaks, I'm just saying that we have to understand some of the difficulty involved. People rail on Toyota and Honda for building boring cars, but they are the ones that really drove home the idea that a car would "just work". Now we're all used to it, and we're starting to take offense at the idea that a car will have problems, even when it is being used at 10/10ths at the track. A track environment is, by definition, severe. We need to accept that driving hot sh!t cars there will be costly. The Miata is reknowned because it has been, and continues to be, the cheapest possible way to get track time. But when you double the horsepower and only add a few thousand dollars, and you can't expect the car to be bulletproof. My $0.02 anyway... Last edited by imag; 07-01-2009 at 06:14 PM.