How should we drive a 6mt G-35 Coupe?

[Jacko3]

I am not the best on mechanical lingo, and I have admitted that several times. But, I can truely say that I haver an innate ability to connect to any car. With that ability, I can say a lot about any car I have ever driven. I feel everything in a car when I drive.

Based on this premise, the question is, how should we drive our G-35 coupes given its design, the way it feels, and its limitations? This si a very important question because, that should help us determine how to enjoy our G- coupes. BTW, I am already addicted to mine, so you can see why I am asking this question.

I drive hard. Period! Why? Because there is omething about the G-35s design that actually encourages hard driving. So, was the G-35 coupe and the 350z really designed for our streets, or was their use on the street an after thought by Nissan Engineers? I ask this because, for the price of both cars, you get the harshest rides ever. I have not driven any street car with that harshness, which I actually love. I seem to feel both cars were actually designed for race tracks. Thus a G-35 or a 350z are actually racing cars being placed on the street.

If these cars are racing cars, then, wouldn't it be counter-intutive to drive them gently? it also seems prety clear that both cars were designed with modifications in mind at Nissan. So, is Nissan tacitly encouraging G-owners to use superchargers or go crazy with their G mods, since they themselves install Stillen superchargers on some 350Z engines?

Has anyone noticed that the G-35 and the 350Z cars are the hardest to drive under 3000RPM. It is almost impossible to drive them below 30000RPm, except you are crawling and holding up traffic. Thus, it would appear that 3000 - 5000 RPM is normal for these cars, and it would seem that the Nissan negineers intended for the cars to be driven at those high RPMS, and it would seem that their 200,000 mile design philosopy may have taken these high stress RPM levels into account. I don't recall any other street car from factory, operating at such high RPMS, and stiil be good to go everyday. Everything about the VQ engine is counterintuitive.

I would dare to suggest that a G-35 coupe should be driven hard because the nature of the car and the design philosophy suggests track and race driving. Very few cars of the same price range have the type of aerodynamic qualities underneath the car as the G-35 and the 350Z. Thus, I am of the strong beleif that Nissan intends for every G-owner to mod out their car to the limits of the pockets. and I strongly beleive that Nissan intended for the G-35 to be driven hard.

Those having issues with the G-35 are having issues that have nothing to do with the way you drive. The problems were always there from the factory.

My experience has show that when I drive the g-35 gently, it is very quirky and uncomfortable. But when i push it, it seems to love it. I thought that was strange for a new car and a street car, at the same time. I have driven other powerful cars, and none of them give the slightest signal that they want to be pushed.

Anyone with a different or similar experience or view on this matter? This is worth discussing becasue those babying their G-35s may actually be hurting their cars in the long run. And those, drving therir cars hard will need to take into account, fuel consumption and police tickets.

[rn79870]

...Has anyone noticed that the G-35 and the 350Z cars are the hardest to drive under 3000RPM. It is almost impossible to drive them below 30000RPm, except you are crawling and holding up traffic...

Sorry, I have a 5AT and I take off easy, and the shifts occur at 2100 RPM until it reaches 5th. at about 46 MPH. I feel sorry for my G brothers who have to shift.

[joe603]

Sorry, I have a 5AT and I take off easy, and the shifts occur at 2100 RPM until it reaches 5th. at about 46 MPH. I feel sorry for my G brothers who have to shift.

I love the labor of shifting. I feel sorry for those who have a transmission that they don't enjoy.

[telcoman]

I love the labor of shifting. I feel sorry for those who have a transmission that they don't enjoy.

Joe 603

Me too!

I love the feeling of going thru toll booths (we have EZ PASS), on and off ramps without ever having to use my brakes I find having the ability to shift, downshift to control my vehicle exhilerating.

Telcoman

[Jacko3]

Joe603 and Telcoman:

I second your thoughts and reasons for the 6mt--the very same reason I bought it and the very same reason my other car is a 5-speed manual.

However, I have been partucluarly impressed with the automatic G-37, 2007 and 2008 G-35 and the CVT of the Nissan Altima and Maxima.

[rn79870]

I feel sorry for those who have a transmission that they don't enjoy.

That would be terrible wouldn't it...

[kmech_7]

i drive very hard.... you have to.. i will never be the old guy with a nice car that cant drive it like the way it was made to be driven.

plus my car is s/c now......Flame on, baby!

[rn79870]

... i will never be the old guy with a nice car...

Age is a privledge denied to too many people. I hope one day you too become an old guy, in a nice car.

[Jacko3]

rn79870:

Very profound and wise words! I am but a grasshopper, great one!

[leeG35]

In aviation the old saw is:

"There are Old pilots, and there are Bold pilots, but there are no OLD BOLD pilots."

I think this applies doubly to drivers on public highways.

[2mhighside]

Drive it like ya stole it !!!

[G_whizz]

Age is a privledge denied to too many people. I hope one day you too become an old guy, in a nice car.

Old age is EARNED

rn79870:

Very profound and wise words! I am but a grasshopper, great one!

Drive it like ya stole it !!!

[tollboothwilley]

The other day I was thinking about how my driving style has change..I'm 26 today. You watch the kids in high school who do really stupid things on the road, in really crappy cars. I remember being the daring person. Not that I dont drive hard, cuz I do, but the crazy part seems to leave as maturity sets itself further in.

I totally agree with you on this one...[QUOTE=kmech_7]i drive very hard.... you have to.. i will never be the old guy with a nice car that cant drive it like the way it was made to be driven.QUOTE]

Ya gotta have fun when you drive. This isn't a car to idle through life in!!

[Minmey15]

I have 08 G35S 6Speed. I traded my 06 Evolution MR because it wasn't too practical. I love my G35 because it is very comfortable, fairly fast, and most importantly, it is a RWD.

I never considered 350Z and G35 or G37 as race cars. They are GTs. I'd say they are far from race cars. But it's just my opinion.

Nissan engineers said that skyline is supposed to be fun to drive, and I wholheartedly agree. However, fun to drive doesn't necessary mean driving fast. I sometimes go to windy roads and drift with my G35. I race with some cars when no one else is around. Or I enjoy music during my commute in bumper to bumper traffic. All of those are supposed to be fun to drive. My G35 provides me all of those. That's why I love my car. If I wanted something fast, there are faster cars, but no other cars offers combination of history, looks, power, handling, comfort, and all that for me.

To make a long story short, I drive slow daily, and drive fast when no one else is around. Hope others are doing the same.

[telcoman]

I have 08 G35S 6Speed. I traded my 06 Evolution MR because it wasn't too practical. I love my G35 because it is very comfortable, fairly fast, and most importantly, it is a RWD.

I never considered 350Z and G35 or G37 as race cars. They are GTs. I'd say they are far from race cars. But it's just my opinion.

Nissan engineers said that skyline is supposed to be fun to drive, and I wholheartedly agree. However, fun to drive doesn't necessary mean driving fast. I sometimes go to windy roads and drift with my G35. I race with some cars when no one else is around. Or I enjoy music during my commute in bumper to bumper traffic. All of those are supposed to be fun to drive. My G35 provides me all of those. That's why I love my car. If I wanted something fast, there are faster cars, but no other cars offers combination of history, looks, power, handling, comfort, and all that for me.

To make a long story short, I drive slow daily, and drive fast when no one else is around. Hope others are doing the same.

Agreed. I have a sedan but it is also a fun car to drive. I try to commute when traffic is light. When I am in bumper to bumper traffic Howard Stern provides the laughs and takes the edge off the commute.

Telcoman

[mycoupe8urs]

I have 08 G35S 6Speed. I traded my 06 Evolution MR because it wasn't too practical. I love my G35 because it is very comfortable, fairly fast, and most importantly, it is a RWD.

I never considered 350Z and G35 or G37 as race cars. They are GTs. I'd say they are far from race cars. But it's just my opinion.

Nissan engineers said that skyline is supposed to be fun to drive, and I wholheartedly agree. However, fun to drive doesn't necessary mean driving fast. I sometimes go to windy roads and drift with my G35. I race with some cars when no one else is around. Or I enjoy music during my commute in bumper to bumper traffic. All of those are supposed to be fun to drive. My G35 provides me all of those. That's why I love my car. If I wanted something fast, there are faster cars, but no other cars offers combination of history, looks, power, handling, comfort, and all that for me.

To make a long story short, I drive slow daily, and drive fast when no one else is around. Hope others are doing the same.

Couldnt have said it better myself. When i first got my license when i was 16 i used to speed everywhere i go for no reason at all. Now that i got my G coupe, i cruise when neccessary and i speed when i have the opportunity

[Minmey15]

Couldnt have said it better myself. When i first got my license when i was 16 i used to speed everywhere i go for no reason at all. Now that i got my G coupe, i cruise when neccessary and i speed when i have the opportunity

I'm glad some people feel he same way as me. And our Gs respond to us whteher we are driving slow or fast! That's what I love about the car.

As for comment about being hrd to drive under 3000RPM, I have no clue of what to say. My G35 lets me feel its movement even on slow cornering in the city, and that is bringing me so much enjoyment in my life. The car responds to 1mm of my foot movement on the gas pedal.(Yes, under 3000RPM, too) It is alot heavier, but reminds me of S15 Silvia I used to own in Japan. AI guess V36 is Skyline after all!

[gt306]

Wow!

You are over thinking this but i will endulge. i have a 07 6mt sport sedan. I love driving it at any speed. Slow shifts, fast, or medium, the thing feels good and is easy to drive. Obviously when you drive it hard it feels great, but make no mistake these cars are meant for the road. Although they will perform well at the track they are not built to be track day cars.

[Jacko3]

gt306:

2007 6MT Sedan is not the same thing as a 2007 6MT Coupe, which is what i was referrring to.

[Minmey15]

gt306:

2007 6MT Sedan is not the same thing as a 2007 6MT Coupe, which is what i was referrring to.

Have you ever driven V36 Sedan 6MT? Do you know 07 Sedans have HR engine while 07 Coupes still had previous VQ engine?

[Jacko3]

Minmey15:

Yes, they are different. And that difference is what I was referring to.

[JimW]

Just bought my G35 6MT Coupe last night. Pure awesomeness. On this topic, let me ask: Is there a more detailed engineer-type graph or list of what performance you get at what rpm, etc?

Let me try to explain better. There was an aviation quote above. When I was "a young man" (lol!) and flew helicopters for a living, we had these pages of graphs that showed, with changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, how much power came from the engine, what airspeed was most efficient, etc.

I would have thought that I could find a similar graph or list of what rpm/speed on the G35 provides the most torque, or power, or gas efficiency, etc. So far all I can find is 293 HP @ 6,400 rpm, and 258 lb-ft torque @ 4,800 rpm. So how do I take this info (and any more specs I find) and apply to my driving/shifting to squeeze the most out of my car, I guess is my question.

And I'm guessing some people will tell me to quite over-analyzing and just drive it the way that feels right, which may not be a bad idea.

Anyway, new guy rambling here. Thanks,

Jim W

[Jacko3]

JimW:

You asked an excellent question! Yes, for fixed and variable wing aircraft models, there are tons of charts for humidity and power output, as well as for temperature and flap adjustments.

Drive the G-35 for a few more months, to see how the G-35 behaves. I suspect those who live in higher elevation states will feel the car a certain way than those who live in lower elevation states---temperature and humdity differences.

Also, as you break the car in, it gets more exciting. And then, when you modify the car a little with intakes, exhaust, and sapcers, it even gets better. Congratulations on the new car. I bought mine last year, and till this day, it puts a smile on my face. I would love to hear more about your driving experience! Take care!

[Minmey15]

Minmey15:

Yes, they are different. And that difference is what I was referring to.

In what condition did you drive the sedan? And what year was it? Was it 6MT? And what kind of road did you drive it on? ANd how long, and how did you drive it? And what was the major difference that you noticed compared to your street legal, ready-for-track, race car?

[Jacko3]

Minmey15:

I felt heckled by your question. I don't know what to tell you. My experience is that the HR engines are smother during accelreation than the VQ engines. Again, some Sedans came with sports suspension, and many did not. Those with sports suspension seemed a little more stable than those that didn't have the suspensions. The VQ engines feel very different from the HR engines. The HR engines seem more throttle responsive than the VQ engines, especially at lower RPMS. At higher RPMS, it is s different story all together. The VQ engine seem more robust and able, while the HR engine seems more refined and willing. I hope thi helps.

[Minmey15]

Minmey15:

I felt heckled by your question. I don't know what to tell you. My experience is that the HR engines are smother during accelreation than the VQ engines. Again, some Sedans came with sports suspension, and many did not. Those with sports suspension seemed a little more stable than those that didn't have the suspensions. The VQ engines feel very different from the HR engines. The HR engines seem more throttle responsive than the VQ engines, especially at lower RPMS. At higher RPMS, it is s different story all together. The VQ engine seem more robust and able, while the HR engine seems more refined and willing. I hope thi helps.

All 6MT Sedans come with Sport suspension and 07 Sedans come with HR engine. You told GT306 that your 07 Coupe is a race car and his 07 Sedan isn't, so I am wondering.

BTW, Nissan engineers said in interview that they want Skyline drivers to feel how much fun it is to drive, and control the car. That's why I bought my car. From low speed to high speed, from bumper to bumper traffic to drifting, it if fun to drive! I never consider Skyline as a race car, but it sure is a fun car to drive while being practical. That is what Skyline is all about.

[Jacko3]

Minmey15:

I never told anyone that my 07 Coupe is a race car and his 07 Sedan isn't! You may have misquoted or misunderstood my comments. I have only said on this blog that the G-35 feels more like a race car than a regular Coupe. Everything about it is rough and tumble. This doe snot mean it is a race car. It just feels that way.

[Minmey15]

Minmey15:

I never told anyone that my 07 Coupe is a race car and his 07 Sedan isn't! You may have misquoted or misunderstood my comments. I have only said on this blog that the G-35 feels more like a race car than a regular Coupe. Everything about it is rough and tumble. This doe snot mean it is a race car. It just feels that way.

I understand what you are saying. I just don't know how you can possibly feel Skylines are rough.

[Sentientbydesign]

To all:

Please don't refer to the VQ35DE as the VQ engine and the VQ35HR as the HR engine. It's not only wrong, but it's confusing (always consider newer members who are trying to understand the lingo).

Jacko:

I agree with your assessment of the cars willingness to drive at low RPMs vs. High RPMs. My coupe seems to like being between 2500-5000. If I am below that, it seems to drag, and if I'm above that, I love the power, but I can feel vibration.

I don't think it's fair to say that those who are babying their cars are hurting it. Stress is stress, regardless. It is illogical to state that placing more stress on a vehicle will make it last longer or will do less wear.

Also, this isn't a blog. I'm sorry to sound like a police, but it's kind of a pet peeve of mine. A blog is a web-based journal. This is a web-based forum. It is meant for discussion and sharing of thoughts, not just to go ranting about cars and telling stories about your day (though some do do that).

[toysRus]

New guy here!

I have to agree with everyone on the great styling and performance the the G has.. but i can't say that i agree on comfort... I have had my 04 G35 CP 6MT for two months now... and for the life of me, i can't seem to get the seat adjusted to where i feel comfortable! The clutch is stiff and to get the clutch pedal to touch the floor i would have to adjust my seat far forward where i can't seem to shift without the side bolster getting in the way. The seats are not very comfortable at all... does anyone have this problem? if so is how are you dealing with this?

I love my car and to be honest i am thinking about selling it only becuase i don't feel comfortable when i'm driving!!

ok.. i know some of you are asking how short i am and probably laughing inside!! but i'm 5'7"... i don't think i'm too short for this car??

anyhow, sorry to to vent but i'm hoping that some of you have the same issue and could help me.... otherwise she has to go... either that or i buy new seat! yikes!