my car kinda of fish tail on me this afternoon, thought i was going to spin out or something. the vdc was on and it was raining, guess that was the problem.

 

Ugh.... No.. The car fish tailed on you because you gassed the car on (likely) a turn and the lower co-efficient of friction due to the rain on the roads allowed your rear tires to lose traction and thus the momentum of the rear of your car continued in its linear direction. VDC corrected it as much it could by lowering engine speed and thus allowing your tires to regrip...

It was your fault, not VDC, that the car fish tailed. Understand your car, the road, and what it means to drive a RWD car... Do people even know what they buy before they pay $40,000?

 

Excellent!!!
That's what I've done with every car I have owned.
Dry weather, rain & snow.

Just stay away from the lap posts in the parking lot!!

 

I agree completely. Drivers should be proficient enough to handle a powerful RWD car like the G37 in the snow with the VDC off and not lose it! I've driven 300ZX's through unexpected blizzards when I lived near Chicago and never lost control, and the 300ZX had no VDC at all.

 

It finally rained enough for me to kick the rear out a bit today. Fun times! Now if only I could find an open parking lot that wouldn't get me a ticket...

 

Truck drivers DO drive aggressively. At least around here they do. I've seen them tailgate cars on the highway at 80mph. Cut cars off. Use their trailers to impede other motorists and somehow protect "their road."

It is all relative, really. Realize that physics is undeniable and everyone is taking a risk of some sort when they drive in ANY manner. Different vehicles have different performance envelopes. I don't drive enthusiastically often.. but sometimes, when the road is clear and conditions are right and I'm familiar with the route, I'll have a little fun. I've seen plenty of people driving their big husky truck pulling a trailer as if they're driving an empty honda accord... IMO they are taking a much bigger risk than me kicking out the tail ever so slightly and accelerating briskly in my much higher performance vehicle....

I know "public safety" is there for good reason, and I'm not saying it is bad or shouldn't be there. What I'm saying is that these cars are MADE to be driven hard on public roads... they are made to break laws, in effect. Everyone denies it but WTF do I need 330HP RWD w/ .9g on the skid pad for? To go get my groceries? I don't think so. And like I said... the car is NOT meant for the race track. Talk to your dealer about how much of the car will be covered by warranty if it fails due to being used at a race track.

I'm just being realistic. If you want to solve the problem I'm talking about, ban the sale of these cars... otherwise, the problem will always exist.

 

That or require owners with a car over a certain performance rating to be required to attend a driving school, HPDE, etc.

 

VDC was invented for a reason... to assist the car stay in control, before losing control...

For those who states their car fishtails, loses control, etc... that is induced by the driver pushing physics to the limit... VDC attempts to prevent passing that limit...

Now, VDC (depends on use) could or could not be beneificial for performance/spirited driving... still, it depends on driver's ability to understand their car. If the car fishtails and you did not want it to, better take some laps in an empty parking... Hopefully learned from that lesson. Don't blame car...

 

I'm not sure what this would accomplish. The fact is that traffic laws prohibit drivers from exploring anywhere near the potential of these performance-oriented vehicles. And, since the manufacturer states the car is not meant for track-duty, the cars are basically pointless from a legal "straight-shooter" point-of-view.

Just because the owner knows how to drive his car fast doesn't make it legal to ever do so unless it is in a straight line on a freeway. Makes me wonder why any of us perfect model citizens even own this car.

 

I don't deny that the car was meant to be driven hard or "enthusiastically" on public roads- just not "dangerously". But doing so as a normal daily drivng habit in a manner as some have indicated is crazy.
There is a big difference if one knows how to drive well. There is a big difference in what you have described and what some of the other posters have described.
When I say track - I really mean "road course"

 

Do you know where it specifically says that?

Zimbrick Infiniti of Madison WI. (My closest dealer---300 miles away)
has known for some time that I race my FX. Autocrossing and at the track.
2 yrs ago, I went down through WI. to get to South Haven, MI. (Gingerman Track)

Reason being, I noticed my right front wheel bearing making noise a couple days before the event in South Haven. I was scrambling.
I explained the exact situation to them and they bent over backwards to get a wheel bearing air freighted in there, changed their schedule around to put it in, and I was on my way having to spend 1 night there. I've sent them videos of my escapades at the track and autocrossing. They are aware of all my modifications, none of which has affected my warranty.

In fact---here's a little clip of a session at the track.
Believe me---the VDC is off-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm33dwvCkFI#GU5U2spHI_4


(The right front wheel bearing on the FX is known to fail, for whatever reason)

 

Warranty work is first up to your dealer. If your dealer will go to bat for you on things that Infiniti would deny (if it were brought to their attention), then your dealer is awesome.

My dealer specifically mentioned when I got the car that Infiniti considers racing (track day, 1/4 mile track, whatever) "abuse" and thus most any warranty work can be denied.

If you dealer decides they don't want to warranty your heavier duty breakdowns because it was caused by track use, Infiniti will back them up.

Or so I've been told... What will your car insurance company do if you roll your car at the track? I've been told they will not cover motorsports unless you pay the higher "I plan to race my car" premiums...

 

I just get fed up with people preaching about how you should never drive your sports car in a sporty fashion. It makes no sense to buy this car and drive it like a Corolla. Everyone takes risks, every time they drive. It is about knowing your limits, your surroundings, and understanding the risk you are taking.

Example: A young woman down the street from me drives on her Mitsubishi Eclipse's spare tire (tiny donut type) about 50% of the time. I don't know where she drives but I drive by her car every day and there's a spare on it more often than not. I also end up behind her on the highway on the way home pretty often. I watched her wear that spare down to completely bald. She's riding on a tiny little patch of smooth rubber on one rear tire. Does that stop her from going 80mph on the highway on a spare tire that is rated for <50mph in tip top condition? Absolutely not. She drives aggressively (going around slower cars, etc), takes corners faster than some people here *claim* they drive their G37 through corners, all that. She's not racing her car so I'm sure the perfect citizens wouldn't say anything.. but since she's driving on a worn out spare, her risk exposure is very high.

So when I see open road, no cars around, no cops, dry conditions, and I know the road like the back of my hand... and I want to have a little fun while being alert for any changes (any cars showing up, etc) and understanding I'm taking a slight risk because I'm driving closer to the limits of my sports car than usual -- am I such a horrible person in this circumstance? What does that make this lunatic who is just begging for a blow out at freeway speeds in congested traffic? Am I more or less of a lunatic?

Basically... Enough with the "OMG I can't believe you drove your car fast!" crap. I'm sooooooooo tired of it.

/rant

 

Good point on the insurance. Laws changed just last yr as a matter of fact.

Timing was the main factor. No standard car insurance will cover "timed" events. There are now rules that go further. I don't remember the exact particulars right now and so will not post what I think I remember.

I checked into this this quite extensively before last May's event. I explained the exact situation to my insurance people. They went through the policy with a fine tooth comb and determined I was good to go.

Anybody looking to do something like this needs to check their insurance and go from there-

 

I know if I had ESP turned off on my SRT8, I'd be all over the place under acceleration. 425hp and 420tq can play wonders on the public roads, especially when they're wet. yeeeehawwww it's going to be fun when it rains. Hell, it's even fun when the roads are dry.