boxster vs 350z?

[986_inquiry]

Originally Posted by ProjectM96

I raced my buddies modified 2004 350z with my stock 217HP 2.7L.

My friend had full exhaust system with test pipes, Short Ram Intake, Plenum Spacer Upgrade, lowered suspension, lighter than oem rims. Estimating 300HP+.

We raced from 40mph to 120mph. In the end, he beat me by 2-3 car lengths. Pretty close race.

But now he bought an 06 M3 and sold the plenum spacer and test pipes off his 350z and I got an Intake, test pipes and UD Pulley for my 2.7L. Time for a rematch. Hopefully before his 350z gets sold. I think I can win.

On paper, the 0-60mph time and the 1/4 mile times are both 0.3 seconds apart when comparing the 350z and the 986 2.7 engine. Which means off the line, the 350z is quicker, but acceleration is the same after that.

The more I drive different types of vehicles, the more I realize that 0-60, quarter mile and horsepower don't mean that much.

for example, parents have a hybrid Highlander. Nothing much on paper, but stomp on the pedal and from 0-30 it's a rocket ship. I think it's those electric motors, instant massive torque.

Horsepower doesn't mean much either since it's a maximum number. 300hp sounds great, but if you only get that at 6500rpm then that's not as useful as, say, 300hp at 4500rpm, with 2000rpm to go.

Also minor mods can make a huge difference. Your friend's mods might not sound like much, but adding just 5-10 hp from 2000 to 6000rpm can make a huge difference. Dyno on K&N's website does a good job of showing that:
2007 and 2008 Nissan 350Z Gains 8.17 Horsepower with K&N Performance Air Intake System

Had he not modified his 350z I have a feeling you would have been probably right next to each other from 40-120mph

I've seen inexpensive headers on ebay, think I'll give them a whirl, and look for any other inexpensive mods. Not because the 986 is slow, but because it has a lot of hidden potential

[jacabean]

this reminds me of the day a dodge challenger big v8 thing with this insane exhaust came screaming up my ass as I am entering one of my favorite twisty roads. i even slowed down a bit and waited for the first set of turns. then just went for it. when i got to the end of the road, still moving real good i looked back , he was not there. i took a right after a stop sign and he was coming up behind me , seemed like it took him forever to catch up. Boxster on a back road with no straights tooled him. that's what the Boxster is all about not that straight line crap !

[ProjectM96]

Originally Posted by 986_inquiry

I've seen inexpensive headers on ebay, think I'll give them a whirl, and look for any other inexpensive mods. Not because the 986 is slow, but because it has a lot of hidden potential

Just be careful with those cheap ebay headers. I heard horror stories. They are cheap because they don't fit perfectly. You will most likely need to bend them into place. And they don't include cats so the CEL light will turn on and you won't pass emissions.

The cheapest street legal performance headers with sport cats I know of are from NHP. $999 I think. I plan to get them when I save up the money.

But yeah the 350z engine also has lots of potential. He also shifted gears much faster than me since he was more experienced with racing than I was. He matched his 350z's advertised 1/4 mile at the drag strip when it was still stock. I was afraid of shifting too fast because I didn't want to accidentally let the shift knob go while it was only half way in gear. But I am getting more and more used to shifting faster.