I would really appreciate any imput from sedan owners on this.

I'm about to purchase a 6sp mt sedan. But I'm concerned that I will not find happiness with it's at the limit handling behavior. I've read several tidbits on the topic, where owners have said either you drive it with the VDC on and it intervenes to early or you turn it off and wait for the rear end to steep out and maybe fishtail. I can deal with a slight tendency for the rear to step out if it communicates to me that its starting to rotate. But if it steps out and doesn't respond lifting the throttle, I don't want the car period. I wonder if all this is the result of no LSD (or maybe higher center of gravity).

What I'm looking for is more comentary on the sedans at the limit handling. I drove a 350Z track model and I was able to push the car to the limits of adhesion to examine its behavior. With the VDC on, it did the big brother thing of killing the fun way to early. Yet when I turned it off, it let me find the limit and only intervened very transparently. No rearend funny business. I can't have a 2 seater and I simply cannot find any NO sunroof G35 manuel coupes, so the sedan is my only option. I won't wait to order a coupe.

To understand where I'm comming from in all this, pretend I'm I'm planning to run the car in showroom stock racing. I will be upgrading to 245/40-18's, but I want to know how the car really is BEFORE I BUY IT.

 

I have a 5AT Sedan with the Sport-tuned Suspension. Sunday (March 30) I went to my first Solo2 autocross. Made 6 runs without the VDC. I managed to never spin out or hit any cones. The car handles quite well at limit. I did get the back end wagging just a bit on some of the turns. I didn't have any trouble correcting with a little throttle lift and steering. I'm not fully in-tune with this car yet (I've only had it 3 months, and gone to one race), but it felt like drifting around a corner was not out of it's abilities, though it's still beyond mine. I haven't driven a RWD in about a decade, but it all came back in a hurry, although it's a bit different than driving a Ford Crown Vic. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

The rear of the sedan will step out if 1) VDC is turned off and 2) you get back on the throttle too aggessively/early in the corner. Much like the 911, this is a car that rewards smooth inputs. I've got the standard rubber and I'd bet that some wider tires on the rear would help out drastically. A 215 width tire is way too narrow for a car of this weight and horse power.

 

Smooth inputs are good in any car. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Thanks for the replies thus far. In any car that I have owned I probe it's limits on a daily basis, so knowing how it behaves is very important BEFORE I sign the check to buy it. I'm now pretty much convinced to run with a staggered tire setup. I also have what Car&Driver said to go by.
"You can also induce something else: big, dirty oversteer. More oversteer than you'll recall since testing your brother's Mustang in the rain. It's not the simplest thing to catch, either, because the G35's steering — otherwise light, crisp, agreeable — is an iota oversensitive just off center, adding its own wobble at the critical instant you're attempting to restore navigation. Each editor sampled his own Rotational Moment, then reengaged the traction control and never touched it again."

I'm still pretty sure I'll buy the car, abit with a aforementioned wider rear tire setup. I hope I don't have to figure out how to give it LSD.

 

The sedan does not have an LSD, and it's not an option. I've heard that the LSD pumpkin from the coupe or 350Z should fit, though.

And as for staggered tires, the front and rear tires must have the same diameter, or you may give the VDC system fits. The coupe's VDC system is designed for staggered tires, the sedan's is not. This is according to my local Infiniti service consultant, nothing I've actually seen in print.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

If you check out tirerack.com, almost all the rims they sell have wider rims for the back of the car then the front. And since i'm sure they research this stuff, they know what there talking about.

I've learned long ago not to beleive everything the dealerships tell you. A lot of the time they will lie to you so you will keep your car completely stock. I'm sure there trained by Infiniti to try and keep peeps from having fun with there cars.

Ivory Pearl - 6MT - Sedan

 

TireRack.com gives you offset rims for the coupe, not the sedan. It's never shown me offset sizes for the sedan.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

I've heard about the concerns of running different diameters front to rear with the sedan. I'm thinking a smidge smaller diameter in the front will give me a bit more slip in the rear with the VDC on. As a example I'm looking at a setup that would give me 25.7" height in the rear and 25.3" in the front, or something close to that. What I could always do is just order the wider rears, put them on the car to see what they do and how the car behaves (and look at VDC behavior). Then what ever I determine makes sense, size wise for the front, I'll order the front rims and tires then. I know it's a cheesey idea, but I don't mind. Another possibility is to run 18x7.5" 42mm front rims and 18x8"35mm rears to give a slightly wider rear track (Enkei RPM2 rims), would likely have to roll the rear fenders however.

When you look at the tirerack's selection of rims for the sedan they have 2 or 3 rims shown that do allow you to select a 9" rear wheel. And of the three rims they have that interest me at the tirerack have a offset of 40mm.

 

Does the 6MT sedan even have VDC? I thought this was only for the 5ATs.

Limited Edition Twilight Blue / Premium / Graphite / Xenons

 

Yes, the G35/S/MT has the VDC (Vehicular death control) From my brief experinces, we are going to need a lot more rubber under this car to even think about turning the VDC off. It does some great work sideways, if you really want to know. I think I'm going to spend a little money on driving school, then look for upgraded tires. It also does a nice job of lighting the tires up, if you want to go straight ahead....


G35/S/MT....this car rocks!

 

kfreefall: where do you live??? Im in southern california and looking for some driving schools to attend.... first highway saftey driving.. then go to preformance driving..

..pestilence..

 

..pestilence..I am presently living in North County, San Diego. Same weather as LA, no smog and no attitude. It's on my summer agenda to learn how to drive this thing.

G35/S/MT....this car rocks!

 

One way to play with your car at it's limits is Solo2 autocross.
San Diego: www.sdr-scca.com (site is being moved, not complete at the moment, but Solo2 info is up)
A little farther north: www.calclub.com
When you start Solo2, you run as a Novice - which comes with the benefit of free instructors riding along in your car.

Plus, coming up real soon is the Mazda RevItUp event, offering some relatively cheap lessons if you're willing to drive a Mazda 6 for the day instead of your G35:
www.mazdarevitup.com

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Hi ryoken:

I had a very similiar experience as you had. I went to my Chicago regional SCCA driving school for the first time with my 3 month old G35S BS AT w/prem/sport/winter/nav on March 29 and 30. I had 5 runs on the second day of the class and the G35S tail gives out very quickly with throttle. Actually, the times was much better than I thought given that this is almost the tallest car in the whole pool (other than 2 PT crusiers). I too had been driving FWD car for the last 7 years. My previous RWD car is a Merkur XR4Ti, which is no comparison with G35S in terms of handling and power. I am struggling with the limited selection for tires on G35S and its potential competitiveness in the SCCA class DS group (against Integra type R, WRX, Audi S4). I think the G35S has the highest power to weight ratio in the group. Perhaps we can exchange notes for our future events.

Leo