Due to poor weather and arriving early, I managed to get a few runs in at the track in quick succession, so I figured why not give plain old "D" on my 5AT another try to see if it had learned any tricks since those early days when it was giving me 14.8s. So below is one D time followed by a MM time 15 minutes later, both launched at barely above idle (while holding the brake, I press the throttle just enough to "wake up" the engine). If you're one of those people who thinks big wheels and spoilers make your car faster, then my G is the slowest possible configuration for a Coupe: AT premium with navigation unit and 17" wheels, no aero. Only serious mod is the Borla exhaust.

----------------- Drive ------------- Manual Mode
60'.................. 2.243................... 2.185
330................. 6.099................... 6.033
1/8.................. 9.293................... 9.185
mph................ 76.87 .................. 77.79
1000...............12.031.................. 11.893
1/4................. 14.342.................. 14.166
mph................ 96.91................... 98.86

Observations: the "Drive" mode hesitated off the line for a split second, like it had decided to do something else when I had the throttle half way down and then changed its mind when the throttle-stop hit the floor. It shifted early at 6100 rpms in 1st gear and 6300 rpms in 2nd gear. The only place where Drive kept up with Manual Mode was between the 60' and 330 marks (only a .008 second difference when you adjust for the launch), but I think that's because I lightly bumped the rev limiter in 1st gear in MM. Below is my best run, which came later that night after the temperature dropped another 8 degrees (who needs a CAI when you've got a mid-autumn New England evening?).

60'.............2.155
330............5.971
1/8.............9.107
mph...........78.25
1000.........11.797
1/4............14.055
mph............99.55

A couple 350Z track editions were running 14.1s, so I think my Borla has to be making more power than dynoed in that exhaust shootout (or the Z guys weren't such good drivers -- both were on their second trannies). Someone awhile back suggested that the few dynos that turned up big numbers for the Borla were all on 350Z Touring editions (the test car for the Borla was also a AT Touring), so maybe the AT gets more power out of it, although that makes no logical sense to me.

So anyway, if anyone tells you that AT cars are faster in "Drive," tell them that's not true in the case of the G35. There's definitely a big performance gain to be had if you use the manual mode properly, even on my ultra-slow, non-real-sports-car G.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

When did you manually shift? Is there a lag where it goes up a couple hundred rpms and then shifts or does it do it immediately. I don't have a G yet but I'm deciding between the G, TL, and 330.

 

There's a delay, you have to think of it as disengaging the gear rather than putting it in gear to get the timing right, except that in a drag race you're going to have the pedal floored the entire time. In first gear with the Borla installed, if I don't tap the shifter by 6000 rpms I'm going to smack the rev limiter. Even at 6000 it'll travel a little into the red. Before the Borla, 6000 rpms was completely safe, it'd shift you out just before redline every time. Anyway, with each successive gear you can go deeper (about 6250 2nd, 6350 3rd, 6450 4th), but the safest thing to do is keep your eyes on 6000 until you get the timing down. Hitting the limiter is not cool.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

Damn...that's some good times! Congrat! So the only mod u got is a Borla exhaust? Also the best time was wit the D or MM?

2004 G35 Coupe 5AT
Black/Graphite Ltr
Tire Pkg

 

nice times! what were the track conditions n did u do a burnout, how much air u let outta the tires?

hometown.aol.com/v35skylinepnoy
Sactown Cali

 

Best time was MM. Credit goes to a crisp New Hampshire evening, 36 degrees outside temperature on the 14.0 run. Like I said, actual cold air kicks any CAI's ***. But without the Borla, in 47 degree weather, my best run was a 14.531, so I think the exhaust is contributing too. No burnouts (total waste on street tires). Rear tire pressure was at 27, but I launch rather gently so I never get more than a chirp off the line. I think the fronts were at 34, I used to pump them up but didn't mess with that this time. VDC off, no spare, tank at 1/4. I had 3 hot chocolates while waiting though, so that probably prevented me from breaking into 13s (kidding). But mostly it was the weather, everyone was putting up really good times, except when the shivering caused them to misshift.

Oh, one downside to cold weather drags, I had a really promising time going when my wheels starting slipping 3/4s down the track, so I had to let up. Slipping around when you hit 90 mph with the pedal floored and VDC off is not a good feeling. Two races after mine I'm told a Corvette scraped up it's passenger side pretty good slipping in that exact same spot, but all I know for sure is that the staging lanes were closed for 45 minutes while machines worked over the strip. I'd guess one of the older cars spilled fluid, and it frosted over in the cold. When it re-opened I made sure to do all my runs in the other lane.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

Thanks for posting the numbers. How do you like the sound of the Borla v. Stock?

 

WOW, impressed. I wish I had a sea level track that got down in the 30's. Jealous. I can have Sea Level at 80 degrees or 30 degrees at 5000 feet but not both

Better Life thru Chemistry
Black on Black 03.5 Sedan 6MT - Custom Catback

 

Sound of Borla: I don't know how good I am with exhaust sound descriptions. First impression was that it sounded even more Ferrari-like when turning the ignition, before settling into a low murmur. The light, tinny rasp that I sometimes heard on the stock is gone. I thought it sounded rather congested at first, but this has gone away with some driving. Blipping the gas is much more satisfying, you get a hot rod growl at the peak followed by a noticeable burble when your foot comes off the gas. It's a little quiet at idle. Take it up around 1700 rpms, and there's a noisy reverb in the cabin that I don't like at all, but it drops out around 2200. Quiet again, then it erupts in a deep growl at 3500, which is where you're going to want to keep this car with this exhaust. Unlike what I've heard some others report, my car's growl drops out around 5200 and then the engine runs very smooth up to redline. Like the engine has gone zen, whereas I think the stock sounds like it's flailing a bit. But it's still a bit deeper than stock. I much prefer the growling part, but it makes for an interesting trip through the rpm range. A side effect to the exhaust change: the clicks and snaps I used to hear under the car after stopping after a hard drive have completely disappeared. Which is a bonus to me, because I hated those harsh snapping sounds. Overall I'm not overwhelmed with the Borla, but I love it in its midrange and for the performance gains I'm perceiving, I'd definitely buy it again, at that price.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

Good times!

Question - will the normal insurance cover any mishaps that might happen at the track?

Coupe CB/Willow/5AT/Prem/Perf Tire & Wheel/Splashguards/Alum Pedals

 

Insurance never covers u while racing on or off road from what I gather.

 

"If you're one of those people who thinks big wheels and spoilers make your car faster, then my G is the slowest possible configuration for a Coupe: AT premium with navigation unit and 17" wheels, no aero. Only serious mod is the Borla exhaust. "

Actually, I think the 17" wheels and non spoiler should be faster in a straight 1/4 mile run. The smaller diameter gives you about 2/10 of a second per inch. Plus I am not sure if the spoiler helps at all in a straight quarter, it might actualy hurt due to the added weight. I could be wrong.


Luv My G

 

i thought stock 17s and 18s won't make any difference bcuz infiniti balanced out weight and diameter or 18s will be better due to much better tires...but i'm not sure on stock 17 vs 18... i'm sure that aftermarktet 17s and 18s will make huge difference(.2sec or so and it's pretty huge to me)....

 

Nice times for basically stock! Are you saying the weather attributed to your times by 1/2 sec?

2003 G35 Sedan 6MT
14.35 @ 98.62

 

I think weather gets .3 of it, Borla .2. The only run I got on the Borla in moderate temperatures was a 14.4, but I hit the rev limiter hard in first gear. I did have a second run that was a 14.3, but I think it's screwed up because it says I had a 2.8 launch and got from the 1000 mark to the 1/4 mile in 0.9 seconds, neither of which is anywhere near my average. You'd need a massive shot of n2o to get a 14 second car from 1000 to 1/4 in less than a second. We're talking overdose. On the other hand, my next slowest launch ever was a 2.4. Gotta be a timer screw up.

My only other "performance" mods are the K&N filter (sounds nice, does nothing) and a HKS grounding kit which I did a little differently from others, but which I thought did nothing too. I didn't even notice any added smoothness. It's really just fuzzy dice for my engine compartment.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532