Couldn't resist...
 

I know about the "break in" period that I have read about on here and in the user manual...but I was at a track this weekend and just couldn't resist. Ran a quick quarter mile at full throttle and actually got up to about 130 mph before letting off. I only have almost 400 miles on it, and a very weird smell was happening right after I finished. The smell went away after a few minutes...but have I done some damage here I should be worried about?

No damage, probably just a little hot motor smell, no big.

Just did a 2-day HPDE this weekend and there was a Z out there with dealer plates on. I know he wasn't driving quite as aggressively as I was, but I'm sure he was holding those revs up pretty high most of the time too.

It's a recommendation, not a requirement to baby your car for a while. With the tolerances new motors are built at the concept of a break in period to seat rings and other things is less necessary. Obviously you don't want to ream it too hard, but you shouldn't be actually worried about damaging anything.

word. I dont think you need to baby it for as long as they recommend. Ive been told to do some easy and hard driving so the rings do seat properly. Ive broken in my last 3 cars right away with some heavy driving and never had any issues with them.

Well, how quick?

this

I'm gonna try hard to baby it to the 1200mi. break-in point but just this afternoon I rev'd her up a lil' over 5k.......but just once or twice!!!!! The manual shift on the 7A/T is awesome, hell my wife even enjoyed the ride w/ me, and she usually freaks out when I haul *** in the Armada, on purpose too, lol!!!!!!!

oh no, please not another break in debate. please please just avoid commenting on break in procedures!

in for 1/4mile times!

^^^Ditto

Please just search the forum for questions on break-in or strange smells.

The only strange smells left to describe at this point are those made by the drivers.

I make a lot of strange smells. All the ones that have come from the car, however, are explainable.

Im pretty sure you broke it.

OP you can't say you ran a 1/4 in a new Z and not post the time!

I don't think he ran a timed quarter on a track. What I mean to say is... maybe he doesn't have the time slip or it wasn't a quarter mile track per se

And he didn't hit 130 (with)in a quarter mile