DavidM

I met up with a guy with an '02 STi. Besides being taken for a hard 'spin' and driving the car myself, we did some acceleration comparisions as well. We did a fair few runs (ie. around 10), but the location and timing was not suited to anything else but 100 - 160kph runs (and the odd 80-160kph starting in 3rd gear). Here's how things went:

- Test #1: 80 - 160kph, both cars starting in 3rd gear:
The first few times we run, I jumped on the throttle a fraction before him and jumped to a 1 car lead straight away. Though, from there on, I could not see any difference in terms of acceleration .... maybe I pulled away another 1/2 a car, but that's about it.

- Test #2: 80 - 160kph, both cars starting in 3rd gear:
Next few runs he started a fraction ahead and pulled about 1 car on me straight away. Then all the way to the top of the 3rd gear there was nothing between the cars. Once into 4th the Zed may have been a slightly quicker, but we're talking at most about a 1/4 of a car made up from 140 - 160kph.

- Test #3: 100 - 170kph, both cars starting in 3rd gear:
This time we managed to start at more or less the same time and we stayed next to each other through the 3rd gear (ie. up to 140kph). Then when I made a gear-change to 4th, I lost about 1/3 of a car-length. Then things did not look that different, but I did manage to 'creep' back the 1/3 of a car-length by 170kph. So in this run we ended up next to each other like we started ... perfectly even. Later I noticed I had my A/C on ... not sure if it made me any slower. I would not think so.

So in summary there's practically nothing between the STi and my 350Z when accelerating from 80 to 160kph. It looks like the Zed is maybe a fraction quicker at higher speeds (ie. over 150kph), but it's barely noticable. I think that the Zed may be even quicker over 180kph, but we did not go to those speeds when next to each other ... just seperately in each car. Either way, when the STi has 4000+ rpm on the tacho, it is a very good match for the 350Z.

When I get a chance/opportunity, I'll do some 'comparisions' with the car in diffrent gears and at much lower speeds. Though, I can practically quarantee that I won't be able match the STi from a stand-still start.

ps. My car has the Hi-tech exhaust and K&N filter. Also, there was only the driver in each car.

KY350

Nice report David - I thought Melb was under water tonight - you're a brave man doing those speed in the wet if that was the case. Looking forward to the next comparo at lower speeds.

zuff

Nice one... I did expect you to win on a rolling start though.

From a stand still you wouldn't stand a chance. Ohhh well...twin turbo time i guess !

frosty

I must have a "dead Zed" - my car isnt a match for the standard wrx (I race him daily - son-in-law), '99 model-exhaust, chip,
and certainly NOT for my previous 99 2-door coupe STI-exhaust,chip.

My Z's just exhaust. (and fugly no. plate mount, H.-is that much of a job?)

harryw

SHIZZLE, not including the new bracket it cost me about $400. Just take the fugly off, fill the holes and respray. You could probably get it resprayed in harder paint(?). My front bumper doesnt seem to have chipped that badly.

Back onto the topic.

Why dont I ever get to race anything decent. All I get is pimply gits in corolla's,civic's et al. Not even worth the fuel!!

Maybe it's because everyone knows that Red Zed's are just tooooooooooooo qwik. Bah, ha!!

As always

H

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

I have not yet raced any WRX/Silvia on the street and will not even TRY to lose my believe in my Zed to race a modified Rex/Silvia.... and don't even bother mention about the "Standard" GTRs (which has the red line at 9000rpm with turbo x 2), they are way stronger than the Zed.

So Frosty, it is not that you got a dead Zed, but our Zeds are all the same IMHO. That's why I will not even bother race them on the streets as I already can foresee the results.

Just enjoy driving our beautiful Zed which looks waaaaaay better than those Rex and Silvia inside and out... and also enjoy how it handles the turns!

cheers,

richie

DavidM

I thought Melb was under water tonight - you're a brave man doing those speed in the wet if that was the case.

Yes, it was ... but not everywhere. We went far enough out to have dry road (or at least the lanes where the cars have dried them up). So this was done in 90% dry.

Looking forward to the next comparo at lower speeds.

Likewise ... I'll try and set something up over the next couple of weeks.

Nice one... I did expect you to win on a rolling start though.

Me too. I though that I'd be a fraction quicker over 100kph, but it did not seem so untill at least 150kph. It was a pretty cold night so maybe that was of a good benefit for the STi.

Still, whoever got on power 1st always had the initial advantage so with cars this close in perfromance it is hard to get an 'edge'. Either way, I could not see me pulling much (if any) on the STi at any stage/speed that we tried.

From a stand still you wouldn't stand a chance.

I know ... for that you only need a WRX though. These 4WDs (when launched from redline) will always beat us (and most other RWD cars) over the first 60meters. They will always get a jump on you, but I just want to see how bad it will be for the Zed.

btw, I had the pleasure of experiencing a few 7000rpm clutch drops in the STi .... totally instane having all 4 wheels spinning and shooting you off the line.

Though, I I have no missconceprions about the Zed winning here. I know that the STi will outlaunch is significantly. Though, a Zed would blow it away from any rolling start where the STi has less than 4000rpm. I'll go as far as to say that an S2000 at the same revs will beat the STi. It is very guttless from idle to around 3500rpm (it actually surprised me). At 4000rpm the turbo really kicks in like it's on heat.

I must have a "dead Zed" - my car isnt a match for the standard wrx (I race him daily - son-in-law), '99 model-exhaust, chip

I don't know, but with the chip + exhasut, does not the WRX pull around 190kW at the crank? If so, then those extra 30kW in a 1280kg body make a big difference. I would have thought it'd be pretty close to the STi that you had (ie. older shape).

I raced a regular (ie. not modded) '99 WRX as well as one with just an exhaust and I'd say that my Zed is always noticably quicker. That is except for the launch (which I have not tried against a manual WRX).


...and certainly NOT for my previous 99 2-door coupe STI-exhaust,chip.

I'd expect a standard (ie. not modified) '99 STi to be quicker then the '02 STi and hence quicker than my Zed. Not by much, but still enough to notice. Though, with the mods you mention on the '99 STi I'd expect it to be a fair bit quicker than the Zed. I'm guessing at around 230kW in a car weigthing 1340kg.

mchapman

iTrader: (1)

Good write up champ!

Murray

dixonbn

Agree with Richie - the WRX is just dead ugly, and even an S15 now looks dated compared with the Z.

shimz350z

i dont' know about you guys but i can feel a huge difference when AC is on.

mchapman

iTrader: (1)

Yep, it makes a difference. Especially in smaller displacement cars.

Murray

DavidM

Nice one... I did expect you to win on a rolling start though

I just looked up the two STi vs 350Z comparos that the local mags did over the last 6 months or so. Well, it looks like the STi is always quicker than the 350Z in stock form. In the 80-120kph sprint in 3rd gear the STi was about 1sec quicker ... which should be very noticable. In the mags, as speeds increaded, the car's looked closer and the 350Z was no longer loosing ground.

So, the fact that I could stay with the STi from 80kph is just due to the exhaust. Would love to see what it looks like from 30kph roll.