The Smoking Tire: LS swapped 300ZX

[kevm14]

Random reading:
91 Corvette Z51 vs 300ZX

Keep in mind this was 1 year before the 300hp LT1.

Supposedly there is a C/D review of the 300ZX, 92 Corvette (LT1), 3000GT and Supra. Need to find that.

[kevm14]

Although lag was minimal, the Nissan's V-6 still didn't deliver the even response of the Corvette's rumbling V-8, nor did it pro­duce enough back pressure to work ef­fectively as a braking tool—which raised another issue. After three flat-out laps, the Corvette's brakes were muttering, "Come on, let's go!" while the Nissan's had faded noticeably and were crying for a cool-down lap.

When all was said and done, the Cor­vette turned laps in the one-minute 38-second range, at an average speed of 64 mph, while the Nissan was almost a second per lap slower. "No big deal," you're saying? On the contrary. It is a big deal in a two-hour race. Far more important, the Corvette—with its hip-hugging seats, smooth power delivery, and neutral handling—is far easier to drive for long peri­ods at those speeds. To put the Cor­vette's racetrack prowess into per­spective, remember that the big V-8 produces 50 fewer horsepower than the twin-turbo terror.

[kevm14]

Ah the (early) 90s.

The Corvette proudly reasserted itself on the skidpad, however, rounding the 300-foot circle at a viselike 0.91 g, the highest figure we have ever recorded for a production car. And in our 70-to-0-mph braking test, both cars stopped within a few feet of our all-time record. Lotus and Lamborghini would kill for stats like these.

Ooh.

In our 1000-foot slalom, the 300ZX Turbo snaked through the pylons 4.8 mph faster than the Corvette. In fact, the Nissan's slalom speed is the highest we have ever logged. The kudos, here, go in equal parts to the Z's razor-sharp Super HICAS steering (which provides an ini­tial dollop of opposite-phase rear steer­ing), its predilection to understeer, and its astounding transient stability.

[kevm14]

Yikes.

Not everything about the Nissan left us grinning. The first 300ZX Turbo we test­ed was reluctant to produce full boost. The second was felled by loose-fitting calipers. And the third (the car you see here) shed an eighteen-inch piece of inte­rior trim, broke its heater, and then, un­der full acceleration, began intermittent­ly to spit blue haze from its four exhaust tips—an ominous matter in an engine producing 100 horsepower per liter. Have we uncovered a build-quality prob­lem? We'll keep the maroon 300ZX for 30,000 miles and let you know.

And I assure you that the 300ZX was heaps better quality than the 3000GT.

[Bob]

Supposedly there is a C/D review of the 300ZX, 92 Corvette (LT1), 3000GT and Supra. Need to find that.

Are you referring to this? One of my all-time favorite C&D comparison tests. Not sure if it is online anywhere.

[kevm14]

No but that'll do. What is that, a Porsche 928 with that 4.5L V8?

[Bob]

No, that was a Porsche 968 with a 3.0L I4! It was the successor to the 944. Predictably, it did not fare well in this test.

[kevm14]

Tell me more about the DeVille Concours.

[bill25]

I am not knocking the car, I agree that performance wise it was very good, I just don't like the aesthetics. I would not entertain the idea of doing a swap on a car that I don't like to begin with aesthetically.

[Bob]

Random reading:
91 Corvette Z51 vs 300ZX

Keep in mind this was 1 year before the 300hp LT1.

Supposedly there is a C/D review of the 300ZX, 92 Corvette (LT1), 3000GT and Supra. Need to find that.

They used the word Oriental to describe the 300ZX's origin. Not sure if that would be considered politically correct today.