BGTV8

I have to agree with the general thrust of earlier posts ... the 370Z as a stocker is a brilliant drive - sweet handler and even though oil temps in slow traffic with high ambient temps will rise over 105-115DegC, this has never been a problem for me.

As a track day weapon, the Zed has a few issues (oil temps being one, and body roll another). Both are very simple to correct ... throw an oil cooler and a set of sway bars at the car, fit decent pads and good rubber and you can have a real blast. If you want to go further, it will start costing big bucks. Once you have done the above (all up cost maybe $2K max), each second of lap time will start escalating in cost. Figure:

headers/hi-flow cats and CBE add $1.5-2K, maybe 1 second/lap
suspension (shocks) at least triple adjustables add $2-3K, maybe 1-1.5 seconds/lap
slick tyres add another $1.5K, more if you need another set of wheels, maybe another 1-1.5 sec/lap

Now you get to the point of a serious brake upgrade over the Akebono's - anywhere from $2-4K or more, maybe another .75sec/lap

Now you need more power, and that means s/c or TT - engine life is compromised, and this is a $5-10K investment and might give 2-3 secs/lap, but by now, the vehicle will be a b1tch to drive on the road, it will be darty and the ride hard enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth, and the engine is almost guaranteed to go bang sooner rather than later.

As I said at the outset, the 370Z is a brilliant daily driver as it comes, and it will give hours of pleasure on a track with surprisingly modest investment. As a serious track weapon, it requires a substantial investment - I have priced up the construction of the GT4 version for European and Australian GT-series and excluding the vehicle purchase price, at least US$45-50K is required to produce a car that is still 2-4 seconds a lap slower than the 911 GT3 Cup - which is the benchmark vehicle in these series.

I enjoy my Zed as a brilliant daily driver and occaisional track day car with only those mods required to make it suitable - pads, tyres, exhaust and bars - anything else and the expense gets truly out of hand very quickly (IMHO).

If you have a stocker, then enjoy it - Mr Nissan has built a great car .... if you wish to avoid oil temp issues, then keep the revs under 5-6000rpm - there is no point in wringing the engines neck to redline every shift ... because this is usually the source of elevated oil temps, especially in high ambient temps.