GT6 Track Test: The Nissan Z cars

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
02/16/2015 at 17:10 • Filed to: None

I am a total GT6 nerd so I've decided to start compiling lists of cars and ranking them out on the track. Today I chose the Datsun/Nissan Z because they're well represented in GT6 and I wanted to see how the different generations compared out on the track.

The Track

I chose the Streets of Willow Springs for a few reasons. Firstly, it's a short track so I don't take all day getting a good lap time from each car. I also like this track because, though compact, it has high speed turns, low speed turns and plenty of elevation change.

The Cars

Pretty simple here. I just chose the best example from each generation of Z. It's a little unfair because the 280ZX in the game isn't the turbo model so it's kinda out gunned here. But anyways, to the laps!

240ZG

This is essentially a regular 240Z with a swanky nose on it. First thoughts? it sounds great! Sadly, the engine has a weird powerband and it seems to trail off after 5,600 rpm. It also feels very light. This is by far the lightest Z in the test and it really feels like it. For the decade it's from, this is a great car.

280ZX

I'll try to remain unbiased but I owned a 1983 280ZX and I loved it. The 280 is a full two seconds slower than the 240 and that's largely for two reasons: weight and gearing. The 280 is easily 300 pounds heavier than the 240 (thanks, crash standards) and it feels like it too. The 280 rolls more though it feels relatively well balanced and doesn't understeer too much. But the gearing is horrible! First and second are very close and third feels like a mile away. The 280 lost a ton of time between turn three and four just waiting on the engine to get back into its powerband after shifting into third.

300ZX (Z31)

It's turbo time! The 300 has much better gear spacing and great turbo torque in the mid range. It feels just as heavy as the 280 and only wallows slightly less. This was clearly a GT car when new rather than a sports car. But despite the weight and softness, it's still in a totally different league than the straight six cars for performance. This is the first car that feels modern.

300ZX (Z32)

I love this car. I love this car. i love this car. Dsscats is a lucky dude because the Z32 300ZX is a wonder. It might weigh a lot but it doesn't feel like it. It's got great power delivery, it corners flat and the gearing is great. This is a sports car and a real return to form for the Z. I honestly thought it would be faster than the 350.

350Z

The 350Z looks like a bubble Taurus and I thought it would drive like one. I was quite wrong. The VQ engine makes strong power and revs to over 7,000 rpm. It's taught and nimble like no other car on the list. Except for the 370, that is.

370Z

Take every good quality of the 350 and increase it. That's how a 370Z is made. Better styling, more power, tighter handling and cooler gauges too. The 370 is a fantastic sports car but you do feel the weight when braking into tight turn 11.

Driving these cars made me think about the Z. It's a car that's crucial to Nissan's identity but Nissan has been without a Z before. The current platform has been around since 2003 (refreshed in 2008) and you really have to wonder how much longer it'll stay around. Nissan has made no plans public of a new Z model and seems content to fade into beigeness like Toyota in 2007.

I hope the Z returns as a 240Z with a 2.4L turbo four-cyl. But more than anything, I hope the Z doesn't go away forever.

What cars should I do next? Corvette generations? Mazda rotarys? Miatas?

DISCUSSION (13)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:15

How about Lotus?

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
02/16/2015 at 17:17

Lotus Could be good. Elan to Europa to Esprit to Elise to Evora

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:17

do skylines next it'll take you aproximtely 3.6 years to get through them all

Now on a more serious note my vote would be for mustangs including the Mustang II if gt6 has it

MultiplaOrgasms > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:18

Lol I did the exact same thing with Skylines on Deep Forest Raceway.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
02/16/2015 at 17:20

I could do the skyline generations...
I'd do mustangs but they're so poorly represented in the game. There are no Mustangs between 1971 and 2000 in the game!

Hans Kuiper > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:21

LanEVOS!

Would be cool to see differences between the 10 generations.

By the way, did the sounds get fixed at some point or do they still sound like vacuum cleanres? it makes me so sad such a great game sounds so poor :(

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:23

That's bullshit. Another reason to get fourza. Pretty sure they have every generation

Street Surgeon > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:25

Was this with you at the helm, or the computer?

Also, cool test!

Also, the 300ZX is the best :)

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Hans Kuiper
02/16/2015 at 17:25

The sounds still suck ass. ANd I was thinking of doing Evos but there are so many of them!

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Street Surgeon
02/16/2015 at 17:26

This is me at the wheel. GT6 doesn't have B-spec bob haha

MultiplaOrgasms > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:27

Even though GT6 has a million GT-Rs, you have to give PD credit for representing the highest performing models of all Skyline generations since the Prince BLRA-3 (with the exception of the C210)

Street Surgeon > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 17:44

Ah, I just popped in GT5 to see if I could have the computer run about 10 laps and then take the average of said laps only to find out either I can't do that yet, it can't be done, or I don't know how to make it happen :(

GhostZ > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/16/2015 at 18:14

And here's some facts that totally explain the differences!

1. The 280ZX had a reaaaaally long third gear because it allows it to great good fuel economy at highway speeds. You can squeeze 32mpg out of them, even.

2. The Z31 300ZX used the same chassis as the 280ZX. It also had one of the lowest drag coefficients of, well, any car at the time. Because of the way GT6 does aero drag, it means that the 300ZX is amazing at accelerating at high speeds. Having a crossflow head (first Z with one, amazingly) goes wonders in improving performance.

3. I believe that Z32 has 4wS, which might hide the weight. Not sure.

It's seeming more and more likely that the next Z is going to have either a 2.5ishl turbo 4-cylinder or some combination of engines.