2014 Nissan Nismo 370Z vs Mustang

The October 2011 edition of Car and Driver pitted the 2011 5.0 against the 370Z as well as the Miata, Evo, and a few others. The Mustang put up the fastest lap time around Grattan Raceway Park in Michigan, a 2.2 mile track. They even rank the car higher in subjective feel than the 370Z.

The breakdown:
1. Mustang- 1:32.5-85.6 average mph, 129.1mph max speed
2. 370Z- 1:33.3-84.9 average mph, 121.7mph max speed
3. Evo- 1:34.2-84.1 average mph, 117.9mph max speed



I just happen to have that magazine in the top drawer of my tool box.

 

Yes that was not a Nismo, but then again that also wasn't a 2015 Mustang.

 

I saw him mention that the Nismo would be more focused than the Camaro and Genesis, but he actually said that "an apt comparison would be to the previous Ford Mustang Boss 302".

I don't think he was talking about actual times, but more about the comparison between the base model and the "upgraded" model. I think he was specifically talking about the Camaro 1LE, and he also mentioned the Genesis R-spec. I believe the implication was that those two didn't stray very far from the standard versions. He was indicating that the Nismo strikes a good balance in performance differential between cars like those which are mild improvements, and cars like the CTS-V which were maybe too different and too expensive compared to the "standard" versions.

Or maybe he was talking about performance....It wasn't totally clear.

In any case, the problem with the Nismo IMO is the ugly front and side skirts. The front is almost too plain IMO, and the sides are too busy, especially in front of the rear wheels. I don't mind the massive wing.

I do think the Z is a great car (love my 350), but the 370's styling wasn't an improvement over the 350's IMO. I do think Nissan will have a difficult time competing with the new Mustang, mostly because I don't think they apply enough continuous improvement to the Z. They seem to spend significant effort in making yearly updates to the GT-R (which makes sense as it is a halo car), but I'd like to see them apply a similar effort to the Z. It really would make the Z stand out a bit more from a pretty crowded field of competitors.

-T

 

A Nismo 370z would certainly out-handle a s197 5.0, but they have a lot less power. The 370z nismo is lighter, has bigger tires, better brakes, and a better suspension than the s197 did. It should be really interesting to see a comparison of the handling of the new and improved s550 vs. the s197.

 

I can tell you from real life experience at VIR last January what I witnessed. First a little background:

I have been doing HPDE since 1998, and instructing them since 2005. I was a full time instructor from 2008-2013 when I was promoted to head the motorsports program. My car is a stock 2012 Boss 302. At VIR last year I had slightly undersized Firestone 255/45-18 tires on 18x9.5 SVT GT500 wheels, Carbotech 12f and 10r pads. The reason for the tires is that I had to drive through a snow storm to get there, and my new tires had not come in, so on went the wheels and tires I had in the garage. The car handled fine, and even though I had prior experience at VIR, it had been a while since I had been there.

Anyway! The 370Z that was there was also stock with upgraded pads, but some nice grippy tires. They were not R compound as temps were low, but they were better than my tires.

He smoked me! I have driven a 370Z, but even I was surprised at how fast this guy/car combo was. I take reviews with a grain of salt, and take no car/driver combo lightly at a road course. I've passed GT3s and Ferraris, only to have a Miata hand me my ass.

 

Vs. Nissan 370Z

I was driving home tonight alongside a (very sharp looking) 370Z and it got me thinking? I know the '15 GT will sound better, but do you think it could be the 370Z on the track? What about in a straight line? 0-60 times make it look close...

http://www.zeroto60times.com/Nissan-0-60-mph-Times.html

 

Well, the fastest 0-60 (non-nismo) time I saw was 4.5 seconds and the fastest quarter time I saw was 12.9 so I'd say yes, it will definitely beat it in straight line speed, especially with 3.73 gearing. As far as track times, a GT will supposedly be faster than the 12-14 Boss LS, so I'd say it's very possible that it will be faster in that respect, too.

 

I thought the '14 GT 0-60 time was 4.7. Even with the improvements for '15, that is a close race.

 

Here are a couple readily accessible comparisons:

Motor trend Best Driver's Car:
Boss 302 LS = 1:41.1 (2011)
Nizmo 370Z = 1:46.5 (2009)

C&D Lightning Lap:
Boss 302 LS = 3:02.8 (2012)
Nizmo 370Z = 3:12.0 (2010)

The C&D test of the 370Z seems a bit slow. They also ended up crashing due to brake failiure (as a 350z owner and general Z fan, I remember when this happened). They said they had a hard time getting a good time, and overall didn't seem to like the car much.

On the other hand, Motor Trend really liked the Z @ Laguna (which is notoriously hard on brakes), but rated it pretty low in their Best Driver's Car due to its harsh ride, poor NVH, and relatively unsophisticated character. They said it was almost too focused on being a track car.

Both reviews of the Mustang 302 LS were quite good, possibly due to relatively low expectations given the live axle and relatively soft suspension of the GT.

In any event, the Mustang wiped the floor with the Z in both of those track tests. Unfortunately they were done years apart, but at least MT had the same driver.

As far as straight line speed is concerned, that same website listed above has the following times for the Mustang:
2011 Mustang GT = 4.5, 13.0
2012 Boss 302 = 4.0, 12.1
2013 Boss 302 LS = 4.1, 12.5

So, if the new GT is anything close to the old Boss 302, it should be as fast or faster than the 370Z.

I personally love my 350Z, but am not in love with the 370Z, plus I now need extra seats for my kids. I hope the new Mustang feels as good as my 350. If so, I will likely be a first time Mustang owner once the GT350 (or similar) version arrives. Looking forward to some naturally aspirated V8 goodness.

-T

 

I thought GT350 is suppose to be supercharged?

 

Nope

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/svt-cobra-gt350-16.html