370z sports car?

GingaBreadMan

Is the 370z really a sports car? It's fast and agile but it is extremely loose over rough pavement. I was at the "track" doing about 110mph and when ever I hit a patch of uneven road the car felt so unstable I was afraid 2 go any faster. It handles like a dream. Where ever u want it 2 go it goes. The problem is when u hit bumpy pavement the car doesn't give u much confidence. I'm going 2 talk 2 my mechanic and see what can be done about this problem. Anyone else have any suggestions. The car is amazing but it is nothing worst then getting passed by a Sentra at 110mph. Don't worry I didn't allow that 2 happen.

spearfish25

So a car isn't a sportscar if it's unstable over rough terrain? I think that makes it 'not a rallycar'.

GingaBreadMan

We aren't talking about sand dunes or the Baja. I'm talking about a few bumps on the road. I just feel it shouldn't be as unsettled as it is over uneven asphalt. Am I the only 370z owner who is having this problem?

NewlyIMPORTed

no i know what you mean i feel that two but jut on the main roads like if im in a turning lane and i go and the road is bumpy it gets unstable but i dont think thats something that you should worry about i mean it isnt a hummer its a sports car your going to feel the road

wstar

Trust me, the Altima you're comparing was way more "unsettled" at the same speed on the same patch of pavement. This is a sportscar, and that means grip the wheel tightly and expect to feel (and react to) every little nuance in the pavement surface. Unpredictable surface can lead to the need to react to unpredictable handling. That's why tracks tend to have very good surfaces.

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wstar

Oh, and for the love of dog, please type in english. Are you worried about wearing out the keys on your keyboard spelling out the words to, too, and two, or just concerned you'll always type the wrong one?

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Educ8r

Just trade in your Z for a Sentra.

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NewlyIMPORTed

haha im such retard i just realized that i spelt too as two

jginnane

I mentioned in a recent thread the Z felt "skittery" driving 100mph in rain with a 15mph side headwind. Had the opportunity to drive that same stretch on a sunny day, recently ... and it was just bad road, with the curves cambered to the outside of a turn to improve water runoff. The car never slipped, but felt as if it wanted to ... I had no interest in seeing where the particular boundaries of adhesion were, since the Jersey barrier was only 20 feet to the side.

My neighbor who's retired from racing advises you can improve road grip a lot even before springs, etc. by adjusting the alignment: toe-in and camber. This can tend to make the car more of a handful for an inexperienced driver, but is far better for driving at the limits.

OTOH, he also rotates all 4 tires on his daily driver every two weeks, and most of us wouldn't do that (even if we could).

So to answer the question, "Is it a sports car?", I'd answer it definitely is within the limits ... in this price range.

You can spend 10K in improvements and will still be constrained by the fact that it's a V6 RWD in a small frame. You'll never beat a V8 Corvette; you'll never lose to a Miata. If you have to turn the steering wheel on a race course, you'll probably never lose to a Mustang, Camaro or Charger, either.

spearfish25

I think it's just the general question that bothers me.

If it's not a sportscar, then what is it? A compact? A 2 door midsize? Family coupe? Come on guys...

FricFrac

You could spend double the money and get a Cayman S - this is the exact circumstance where the Cayman will outshine the Z. Or you can adjust your suspension to make the car work better in those situations. You'll have to ask one of the real racers on here but swhat I know from other racing we would adjust the rear droop for better contact on rough surfaces. The downside (and there is always a compromise in most of these situations) is that your car will not transition as quickly say in a chicane where you need to go from left to right quickly (or vice versa). I don't know what adjustments are available from stock (likely not much if any) but if you are tracking the car you are likely going to want an adjustable suspension. Toe and caster are going to affect tracking, turn in, etc but I don't think they will have much of an affect on the rough surface. The spring rate and the valving/rate of your shocks as well as the suspension travel will affect how it handles the bumps.

Other than the other blazing hints that this is a sports car the ability to feel the road and feedback as to when you are close to loosing traction is a good indication that this car is a sports car....

Maybe the question would be how to get my car to handle rough surfaces rather than is this a sports car.....

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kannibul

It'll loose traction if you're applying power to the ground or braking too much in a turn....just about anything will!

That said, I do feel teh car doesn't quite stick as well as I would have thought - mostly because I think the car is too stiff in the suspension and/or the tires don't grab as well as they could...

ZKindaGuy

Well did you ever think just maybe YOU think wrong????

ZKindaGuy

Well considering that 2 objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time then it stands to reason the pavement under the Sentra must not have been exactly the same "roughness" as the pavement that was under your 370Z.

zilent_jay

I had a 350z for 5 years and tracked it. (entirely stock suspension down to the tire)

The 350 handled bumps in the twisties leaps and bounds better than the 370. No questions asked, no room for debate.

Bumps that you wouldnt even notice in the 350 send my 370 sailing.

I guess it's a result from the changes in the suspension... it feels more like a buick than a sports car, and the wider tires probably contribute as well.