Don't know if anyone saw this, it's the first published time i've seen of the 05's. This was buried in the back of their rwd vs. fwd vs. awd article. The G35 was their rwd test car.

0-60 5.8
1/4mi 14.1 @ 99.7

 

i guess the 03/04 MT's are pretty close to the 05's.

quicker to 60, but slower in the quarter mile. If I'm not mistaken they tested the 03MT at 5.6 to 60 and about 14.3 in the quarter?

 

I didn't realize 03/04 MT Sedans were ever that quick (5.6 to 60). Most 350z times i've seen aren't even that good.

 

i have an old issue of motor trend (may 2004) and under road test it says:
03' G35 sport coupe/6mt: issue date (1/03), 5.8sec (0-60), 14.2sec (1/4 mile)
03' G35 sport sedn/6mt: issue date (8/03), 5.8sec (0-60), 14.3sec (1/4 mile)

 

Yes, we are that quick (5.8 to 60MPH, never heard of 5.6 tho) - virtually no difference 04 & 05, only difference for '03 was due to lack of LSD. MT got 350Z times quicker, as well (MT seems to always get the quickest times, of all the car mags - but they are consistently quicker, model for model, Mftr to Mftr).

I also recall seeing a 100MPH trap speed on a 6MT sedan in one MT test (think it was vs. Acura TL in 2004).

 

Seems performance is marginal at best. Glad to see more info coming out. If they had a 04- 6sp sedan in ip/blk or blk/blk with nav it would have been my current ride. But since they didnt I just ordered and waited.

 

How different are the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for a 5AT? For the 05 model year.

 

I believe the 5.6 time came from Automobile magazine. These cars are tricky to launch sometimes.

 

Again, one magazine test doesn't mean squat... if you are really interested in a true comparison, it will take many more data points and drag runs and dyno runs...

 

What I find interesting is that both the 300hp 30th Annv 350Z tested by C&D and the 298hp 6MT G35 sedan tested by MT both posted slower 1/4 mile trap speeds than their 287hp/260hp counterparts. ET is largely based on traction whereas trapspeed is an indication of available power. If you've ever been to the track, you know that trapspeed is nearly impossible to mess unless you get a rediculously bad 60 foot (2.5+) or miss a shift. In my Maxima, I could run 14.3@99mph or a 14.6@99mph. The only difference was 60 foot.

Back to the 05 Z and G, both these cars are trapping about 1mph to 1.5mph slower than the previous motors. The 350Z was actually about .2 slower than the 287hp model. While it's stupid to say that 05 aren't making their advertized power, I think the data is pointing to something I noted months ago when these 298hp-300hp motors were released......their average power is fractionally less than the previous motors. The new motors trade low to midrange power for more upper rpm charge. While the motor is making more peak power, it doesn't have the punch in the midrange (4500-6000rpms) where the car actually spends most of it's time acceleratiing.

IMO, I think the 1/4 mile times will be no different for the 6MT 05s vs the 03/04s. As for the 05 280hp auto sedans, IMO there is little difference between the 280hp motor and the 03/04 260hp motor. According to the dynos and 1/4 mile times, I believe the 03/04 sedan motor was putting out closer to 270-275hp and the 05 sedan auto has just been rerated to reflect the correct numbers. This waits to be seen though. The quickest I've seen for a tested 03/04 G sedan auto was a 14.6@97mph.

One thing I'm confused about is the weight of the 05s. Apparantly these cars gained over 100lbs? Is this right? Both C&D, MT, NADA.com, and the Kansas DOT list my 03 G sedan auto at ~3340-3360lbs. According to Infiniti and the new MT, the 6MT sedan now weighs 3510lbs. I know the 6MT weighs about 40lbs more than auto, but where did this additional 100lbs come from?

 

It was great to see the 05 tested, albeit with little detail.

0-60 is sort of a silly test. A tenth here or there is a terrible indicator of a car's overall performance capablilities. That being said, 0-60 in under 6 seconds is impressive.
The 1/4 mile test is more interesting.
It's just that 0-60 depends on so many factors- I think you'd need a new 04 on the same surface, same day to really see the difference.

Remember, the 05 6-speed has less torque. Would be interesting to see a race between an Auto and the 6-speed

 

Does the sedan really have the same 0-60 time as the coupe?

 

Agreed - marginal performance differences, if at all. Anything under 6 seconds is moving, and for me personally, since I went from 6.7 in my Maxima, to 5.8 in the G, that's a solid upgrade.

Not my best question ever, but would the 18" tires on the 05s have any impact on straight line acceleration?

I read C&D has the write-up of the 300HP 350Z, which also has the reduced torque figure down at 260. I'd consider this engine identical to the 05 6mts on the sedan/coupes. They list a myriad of "engine upgrades" that bump the 287 to 300hp, but they admit the performance is basically a wash.

 

I guess the 03/04's not only look better than the 2005, but are also just as fast!! j/k j/k

oh well, I guess our 'old' sedans are actually 275/280 horses after all.

 

TBone,
I would think the 18s would have a negative effect- Again, probably a tenth here, a tenth there. I think if what they changed in the 05 models improved the driving experience, that's all that matters.
To me, it's hard to tell the difference between old and new.
The 05 seems to have a nicer sounding exhaust, but I imagine it's just that they changed the muffler a bit, or the resonator.

It's only a matter of time before C&D tests the new 330i, A4, TL, C350, and G35 for the 05 model year. And I bet that we see similar results to those we have seen in the past. Crystal ball tells me that Bimmer will take the win, Merc will be a surprise.

That test will be interesting. Wonder if they'll use Manuals or Autos since the A4 3.2 is only available with the auto at this point?