Quote:
Originally Posted by Mt Tam I am
The driver is everything.
A working theory: People buy cars for their popularity/badge (Ferrari, BMW) but purpose built cars like the Porsche GT2 and 3 costing far more than a base 911. And tend to not hold-up folks behind them, because they are driving enthusiasts.
With the Z you get a car for enthusiasts that does not carry a "trendy" badge. They even took the Z off and replaced it with a Nissan burger. I refer to my own as a Datsun 370Z.
The Mustang sells far more, than every Z, and every single Porsche built during the same year. As a result you get people who buy a car that is both popular and has a worthy badge. A GT and a GT500 both say Mustang. The Corvette also has a base and ZR1. It is just that the Mustang buyer since 1964 has been more concerned about power than handling. As a result, the standard new Mustang driver still holds up traffic, just like their older one.
All this holds true for the Camero and Charger too, just that the Mustang is top in the group.
This is a personal theory not fact. Any agreement or disagreement? I am not married to this I just can not figure out why all these cars hold up Camrey's, and trucks. I know in my own hands it would be different.
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I don't think it's car specific because the type of person that would actually take their car out on track is a totally different breed. I know, and have known, plenty of crappy Z drivers that would hold up traffic on track regardless of how much seat time they had, so I think it's unfair to generalize and say the "standard" driver for any given type of car would hold up traffic on track... because the type of person that would actually go out on track is not the "standard." We are a very small minority.
I think Dan touched on it earlier, and I remember from your other track day thread, but the car out on track was a V6 convertible on all-seasons. I would hold up traffic too if I was driving that... but I assure you if I was driving the GT, or a V6 Coupe with Performance Package, I wouldn't.
Track days are always a crapshoot because there is a varying skill level. Throw a newb in a McLaren F1 and he'd hold you up in the corners.
To insinuate that the Z is strictly for enthusiasts, or that its typical driver has more skill than another type of car, is disingenuous. There are PLENTY of drivers that buy the Z purely because of how it looks, and that is VERY evident if you read about these forums. And there are plenty that couldn't drive 'round a track if their life depended on it (think "oops, VDC off").