Sliding a 350z : My Review

So Ive been driving for 8 years and sliding for about half of that. Ive driven many different chassis' and had various opinions on each. I would consider myself exeperienced in many forms of motorsports, beginning racing go-karts when I was just a little trouble-maker. I used to tear the streets up in my cart and run from anyone who tried to stop me. I learned various lessons of vehicle dynamics and physics all while having a blast. Driving cars was natural for me.

When I began sliding, I learned everything in my 240sx. The car was pretty damn perfect for a young kid. Enough power to get sideways, but not really enough of anything else to get hurt. It was predictable, easy to drive, and most important slow. Naturally, my skills outgrew the car in its former state and I was ready to start driving something with more potential.

When I began sliding the 350z things changed. This chassis is great. The vehicle has enough torque to get sideways with a pretty mild clutch kick. The powerband is phenominal for drifting and the stock VLSD does a nice job of locking when it should. The powertrain needs very little work to tackle medium speed corners, especially when paired with a lightweight set of wheels and tires.

The suspension on the 350z is also great. Although some people complain about harsh ride quality its actually a little soft for my taste. The car is highly predictable and the steering feel is heavy, but nice. Countersteering can be a bit of a chore with such a huge stock wheel, but the steering feel allows drivers to control the car in a slide very well. Once the car gets sideways, it is very twitchy and small driver adjustments make rather large impacts on the vehicles angle. Throttle control is highly important as small changes really snap the car in various directions. The short wheelbase is the cause of this issue.

All in all the 350z is a great car to drift. Although it takes a while to get used to its twitchiness, the car has great potential to become a serious street/track weapon. The only thing I need to get over is the fact that if I make a mistake, Im putting twenty grand into a wall, curb, or dumpster. Plus, the car belongs to my father who has a particularly low tolerance for wrecked possessions. Damn.

Heres a picture of my dads car, thanks to Nackers for the pic.