scathing

It's not just the engine though. The V35 and Z33 both share the same "FM" platform. Given that there's almost nothing between them in terms of real world performance a 350GT might be "considered" to be as fast as a 350Z.

I'd probably get better service if I showed up wearing loafers and a collared shirt like the typical mid-life crisis'ers that buy 350Zs. The fact that I actually drive my 350Z like a sports car, rather than a conveyance to the golf course, works against me. Nissan Australia's too used to selling Pulsars and Maximas to people in cardigans, and afraid of people who have passion for the more niche products. That's why I find it such a joke that Nissan Australia talks up the R35 GT-R and their place in the GT-R history.

Webber Sports makes a front bar for the Z33 and V35 that looks like the R35's.

Technically in NSW, the answer is "it depends on who you ask". On the RTA's web site on P1/P2 driving restrictions you have the following paragraphs: (Emphasis added) Since the V35 has the same underpinnings as the Z33, which is on the prohibited list, an interpretation of the above sentence would mean that its illegal. It's the same car with a different body, so it has practically the same performance. However, the fact that the V35 isn't explicitly on any prohibited list right now means you could argue that you didn't consider it prohibited. The RTA doesn't say by whose "consideration" the car should be banned or not. It's a very grey area, that lawyers would love to profit from. If the authority that is determining whether your car is P plate legal or not (the cops, RTA, or insurer) isn't aware of the shared platform with a banned car, then they also might not "consider it 'prohibited' " either. The fact that the V35 carries more weight, and is therefore a touch slower, than a Z33 might also be a factor in arguing that the car shouldn't be prohibited either as its not as fast as the banned vehicle.

That's pretty sad, because I haven't exactly enjoyed my time while servicing my car there...and mine's not even an import. They're not aftermarket-friendly at all, and they can't even follow simple instructions I asked of them (I guess if its not in their binder and requires them to think for themselves, its not possible). f**k stealerships.

Wow, the price has dropped. When I got mine back in 04 they were $1700 for the set. I retained the stock Z33 springs since I was generally happy with the ride. My Yellows adjusted bound as well as rebound (but not independently). So you could afford to run a softer spring for when you're cruising, without sacrificing response when you wanted it. I noticed from this pic that it has extenders on the rear damper adjustment. Does anyone know where those cables go? Like, as far as I'm aware there's no way to get the cable to go from the rear strut top into the Z33's boot without cutting trim. You might be a bit more lucky in the V35. I'm not sure how effective they'll be if you have to bend them around obstacles or something.

I'm running 12kg front and rear on my Flex, and I can't say I'm liking it. It's "livable" for a serious sports driving enthusiast, but I don't think that it would suit the grand touring nature of a V35. I also don't understand why they run such a relatively soft rear spring. The OEM springs are stiffer in the rear because the suspension design has the springs mounted slightly inboard. Bilstein keeps the rate rear-biased, and most other aftermarket coilover kits either equalise the rates or do a slight front bias. However, we're talking a 12kg/10kg and not 15/9. It's not like the FM platform cars are particularly tail happy. Unless they're making up for it in the damper bound all I see is an already-understeering car being even more understeery.

I still prefer the sound of a Tuscan Speed 6. I find the M3 sounds really anaemic at low RPM and low loads. That Tuscan sounds tough whether its being blipped while stationary, or driven hard.

Its about as "exciting" as cramming more air into the intake with a hairdryer. Lets get excited over shoving 2-3 atmospheres worth of air because we can't make power efficiently from just 1.

I find it ineffective, personally. The FM platform cars are front heavy. Due to the suspension they also axle tramp a fair bit off the line. Pulling weight out of the rear just exacerbates the problem, and might actually make your times worse. I know that, on the circuit, my car feels more planted and stable with my spare in the boot. If you can pull weight out of the front, then that would be worthwhile. Bear in mind that Nissan also "cheats" a bit to make the time look better. With a 206kW engine's stock redline, our cars don't quite reach 100km/hr. I am pretty sure the 0-60mph times only require 1 gearchange. Running a 0-100km/hr times definitely require 2. You should see low 14s, depending on the driver. My Z ran a 14 flat with a drag racing nub (i.e. me) with a Hitech catback and dead 17" RT215s. I know I didn't have the Unichip at the time - I can't recall if I had the JUN flywheel in. The V35s weigh more, but also seem to dyno higher as well. The softer suspension tune might also give you a bit more traction off the line.

I'll take them in silver.

Not entirely true. There are a lot of coilovers that are rate adjustable in the rear for our cars, but you need to pull the strut out to get to the adjustment knob (i.e. f**k that). For all intents and purposes, its non-adjustable unless you want to cut holes in things or spend time pulling your suspension out. My Koni Yellow dampers had the adjustment control on the side of the damper. You had to jack the car up a bit so you could get your arm between the tyre and guard and shift it with an allen key. Not an ideal solution, but better than pulling the strut out. As a damper I loved their performance (I had them with stock Z33 springs), though. The reason I ended up getting Tein Flex for the Z was to get EDFC. I wanted the Tanabe Sustec Pro Sevens, since their electronic controller is speed sensitive (and I like gadgets), but they were US only and would have cost me an arm and a leg. I am pretty sure there are one or two other suspension makers that do electronic controllers these days.

Just had a quick read of the Mechanical section. I like how the information for this "Australian" oriented site contains info that pertains to the US cars.

Lower centre of gravity due to the block being shorter. You can diss pushrods all you like, but power is power and the GM LS engines can make a buttload of it.

Sometimes, but not always. Every time I read about some old fart mistaking their throttle and brake pedals and ploughing into a bus stop / shop front etc they always mention the Corolla, Camry or Falcodore they're inevitably driving. If there's an injury involved it always ends up newsworthy. They may make less of a big deal about the "high performance car", but most media reports I read will mention the make at least once, if not model.

They're the same as any otehr eBay scam posted on here, that use a resistor to modify the AFM signal. Stay away. Luck is the only thing that will determine whether you get more horsepower because it leans the mixture out a tad, does nothing because its a crock of shit, whether you lose horsepower because it richens the mixture, or blows your motor up because it leans the mixture out too much. My basic attitudes are that any piece of powertrain-related electronics that don't allow for tuning to your specific car are a complete waste of time.

Maybe because it wasn't a Daihatsu that had its wheel fall off and hit a child?

If the camber hardware is stock then the accepted "best fitment" is 9.5" +22 front and 10.5 +22 rear, even if you lower the car. There's no front camber adjustment at all, and limited rear camber adjustment, on our cars. You can get away with a few mm each way but since most people opt for Volks they're the most common offsets for those widths. With the suspension geometry, if you lower the car the wheel naturally cambers in (as if it was being compressed that much from the stock height due to load). As long as you don't hit the end of the suspension travel and rub the inner guard, the height is irrelevant to clearance. I've got 18" wheels in those widths and offsets on my Z33. I've run a 265/35 R18 and 285/35 R18 with as little rear camber as the suspension allows. My guards aren't rolled, and that setup doesn't rub. If you go 19" with the same tyre circumference, it should be the same. Here's what mine looked like: Theoretically you can go wider. I've seen a US-based 350Z running 18x10.5 +15 all round while lowered, but the front looked a bit retarded (the wheels stick out a lot). The guards were rolled and he had aftermarket camber bits. I think he was running 3-4 degrees of neg. Mark would be the best to ask if you want to push the limits of offset with modified guards. As for 19" vs 20", of course dropping the tyre profile and increasing the unsprung weight is going to have negative effects on handling and performance. As for looks, that's in the eye of the beholder. I personally like a reasonable amount of sidewall on a tyre, but the V35 looks more awesome with big diameter wheels than my Z33, so for me I'd probably run 19". If I were to get a V35, I'd probably run a 19x9.5 front and a 20x10.5-11.0" rear (I want to go as wide as possible for aesthetics). The offsets would be in the mid teens and I'd run a touch of neg camber, but not more than around 2-2.5 degrees.

The Advan AVS wheels are actually worth something, since they're made by a reputable manufacturer. However, there are some knock-offs using the AVS moniker for their shit wheels. Post pics of yours, if you want a more accurate response.

OEM rims have the benefit of being free with the car. There's no shame in rocking out poor offset and widths when you didn't pay for it. Most 20x8.5s I've seen have had pretty weak offsets too, since they're designed for ricewagons (like sik WRXs) that can't run nice offsets. If I see another guy on 350Z-Tech wanting to know if they should run 20x8.5 +40 I will headbutt something. Why not upgrade the front and rear together, and keep the ratio the same? Or just run a wider rim, and strech an OEM sized tyre onto it? If you upgrade the tyre widths all round by the same number, the ratio's of width front/rear remains so similar there's not much in it. You could just change the pressures to fine tune the balance afterwards.

Don't fit 8.5" wide wheels, especially on the rear. It just looks weaksauce. The key to the V's great stance is the massive widths and low offsets you can fit under the guards. Running pizza cutters looks bad.

Car Advice = fail To be fair, there's also a bike and a ute there too.

If you want an Autowatch, give Trik Electronics a call on 0408 443 352. He did one in my car, and he does a lot of the compliancing alarms for imported V35s.

Because you're the one saying something I don't understand. I'm trying to figure out why the gearbox seems to be the magnet for "I don't like how it removes feel" despite the presence of a lot of other parts, hence why I'm asking. Not quite. I said you're acting like one. The following questions are directed to you as well as Birds (in the same vein). It's at the heart of what I'm trying to work out by questioning you guys. OK. I understand that "fun" and "fast" are two different things (I do daily drive a MX-5). However, that's not the point. My line of questioning is to work out why is only the gearbox the part you don't like about the R35? Isn't a drag race more special when you drive a 2WD car? Isn't it a greater expression of skill and feedback when you can get that perfect balance of clutch and throttle to get it off the line with just enough wheelspin to keep the torque up? Rather than just banging the engine off the cutout and sidestepping the clutch off the line? Isn't the feedback from the steering wheel, uncorrupted by torque and the unsprung weight of driveshafts, far better for enjoyment and maintaining control of a car? Instead of a computer deciding to shuffle torque to the front of the car, changing its balance and attitude, mid-corner? No-one bitches that the GT-Rs are active AWD (aside from KPGC10 tragics) but its just as much of a "cancelling out driving input and control" device as the gearbox. Same with the active suspension, which helps shift the weight around to maximise traction. Isn't it easier when you're the one controlling the weight shift with how fast you lift off the throttle, and how fast you get back on it, so you can keep perfect traction? At the same time, turbochargers blunt initial throttle response (unless you run anti-lag) and provide an uneven power delivery compared to a normally aspirated car. Even on the more responsive turbo setups on modern cars, let alone older engine designs like the RB, there's a moment of delay between when you actuate the throttle after you've come off it for a while and when the turbochargers manage to re-pressurise the intake. This removes a noticable amount of that tactile feedback from the throttle (but it does make up for it by making a shitload of power, making it a "technically superior" solution) which takes away from the experience. It's also a far greater feeling of achievement when you beat someone driving a FI car in an NA one, if "fun" is your driving concern about what you want from a car. Yet the engine and its induction choice doesn't come under the same barrage either. Neither do I, as a general rule. However, I'm also of the camp that I should approach things with an open mind, and consider informed opinions. There are guys who were mentally pre-disposed to disliking it (including various journos, and Snowman as he posted on here) who pushed past their prejudices about a semi-auto gearbox and found themselves pleasantly surprised. Those opinions hold far more weight than people ignorant of the topic commenting on something far different than they're used to. To clarify my position, I'm glad the R35 comes with all the advanced tech that it has. For me, the GT-R is meant to be a fast car (hence all the other "skill robbing" wizardry in the drivetrain). The only thing I'd remove is weight. If we're talking wishes then I wish it came with a Lotus Elise as well. That way I've got a car that's the last word in speed-for-cost, and another car that is amazingly fun. The latter would shit over any modern Skyline when it comes to the amount of skill needed to drive quickly, and the rewards it gives its driver in return.

FYI they're doing a fair amount of road work on Sir Bertram Stevens Dr. If you want to avoid stonechips from gravel, come in down McKell Ave from Waterfall.