In all reality you should be able to dry a car the size of the Z with one quality waffle weave towel if you're using the proper method.
FINAL RINSE - Use the 'pooling' or 'sheeting' method. Simply take the nozzle off the end of the hose, turn the water down to a low trickle and let the water do the work. By using this method to push all the beaded water off of the surfaces there won't be much left to dry. This also cuts down significantly on water spots as there are less water beads left behind. Junkman has an excellent video demonstrating this technique:
YouTube - The Pooling Rinse Process
COMPRESSED AIR, LEAF BLOWER, ETC - Use one if you've got one. Nothings more annoying than drying a car then as soon as you close a door a bunch more runs out of the trim. We sell a little compact blower by Metro called the
BLASTER SIDEKICK that is excellent for this. It heats the air as well so thats a nice touch. The only thing to be cautious of - DO NOT STIR UP DIRT FROM THE GROUND!! Keep the flow of air in a horizontal or slightly upward direction... if you stir up dust and debris its going to redeposit on the paint, you rub, swirls appear... no bueno!! Also pay close attention to the water you're blowing out of the trim and gaps... if water is hiding there dust/dirt/grit/etc is hiding there too. Make sure to use a drying agent to lubricate and protect the paint so you don't introduce new swirls.
DRYING AGENTS - Using a
Detail Spray or
Waterless Wash to aid in drying makes a HUGE difference. It will add another level of protection to the drying process by lubricating the surface and helping to encapsulate any of the debris I mentioned above. It also seems to make drying easier. By using Detail Spray you'll also get a marginal amount of gloss added to the surface while you're drying, excellent if you're not planning on doing any waxing afterwards. Also helps prevent water spotting.
PICK A GOOD TOWEL - you want a HIGH QUALITY waffle weave microfiber. Ours is just about the softest you'll find, plus its a very thirsty towel. You'd be amazed at how much water one
Great White Drying Towel will suck up. We chose to go undyed (no dye = fibers that will hold more water as they're not clogged up with color) and its a good size. Using the other methods I mentioned above I can dry my truck (2009 Avalanche) with ONE TOWEL.