When the Lightning was introduced back in 1999, it was one of the 10 fastest vehicles you could buy in North America. That included top end, 0-60 and quarter mile. That included everything from ferrari, Lambo, NSX, vette... I remember reading an article titled "Power Nation" or something like that.

Today, many fast vehicles have been introduced but let's not forget that the Lightning is a 1998 design and therefore 10 years old. Its still relatively pretty damn quick.

The 350Z has nice styling but the first few years of production that car was a piece of junk. Nissan/Renault have completely re-engineered that car since it first came out. Nissan is still by far the lowest quality Jap car on the market and their trucks; Armada, Titan, Q56 are a bunch of crap riddled with quality issues with quality rating even below Dodge.

 

not to get anyone PO'd but i guess youve never experienced a sports car.

 

Neither have you if you think a 14 second car is a "real sports car".

A stock 13 second lightning is fast... for a truck.

When you start dipping into the low 12's.. then your moving. Then you can really call it a sports car... but that's all just my opinion.

 

if an SVT stock is running 13's then what is a mustang gt running?

 

Stop wasting time with labels.

The 350Z is fast by car standards. Period. Others are faster, but it's still fast by any rational metric.

The Lighting was (and still is) fast by truck standards. Period. The cool part is that it's also fast by car standards. And that's also the problematic part, because it's tempting to start comparing it with cars. But it's still just a hotrodded farm implement, and certainly not a "sports car," no matter how quick it is.

And the "sports truck" label, while I'm guilty of using it myself, doesn't help. A stock Miata can give a Lightning a run for its money of a road course.

To impose a 12-second limit on the definition of "sports car" would eliminate virtually every great sports car of the 20th Century (as well as the entire "muscle car" era). A Porsche Speedster is an iconic "sports car," but would have trouble keeping up with most modern family cars.

 

The stock Lightning is faster than the stock Z. I own both so I do have a baseline to compare them against. Now the 07 and newer Z would be a bit closer (probably a driver issue) but I think the Lightning is faster. I did just test drive an 08 on Thursday.

Tempting but I think I am just going to Supercharge the Z...

 

13's. They weigh less but the "SVT" has 80 more hp and 130 ft/lbs more torque.

 

Well, the beauty of the Lightning in comparison to the Z and alot of other high performance vehicles, is that for about a thousand bucks, you can significantly increase the HP of the lightning. Try doing the same with the Z with the same amount of money. Ain't gonna happen.

 

Tim, you are right. Lables don't really give justice.

A 350Z would most likely smoke a lightning on a road course. in straight line motion is all I was referring to.

I was kind of mentally thinking about what I think is fast in my head. To me, when you hit the 12 second zone in the 1/4 mile..... that's a fast vehicle. Driving a 12 second capable vehicle on the street will be faster than most any other cars on the road. At least around here. In bigger cities, there may be alot of faster cars (I know there is).. but still 12 seconds is fast. 12.99 is faster than most street cars.

 

HEH HEH HEH .... what about a truck that out manuevers them? Or actually two or three trucks ...

Do yourself a favor ... go bum a ride in a lightning

 

Dude, RU kidding?

I've got aLightning, and a sports car...
http://www.geocities.com/meyer-thoma....net/index.htm

 

He has to be kidding. Probably a 16yo kid looking to see if he can get people fired up. Ha, a 350z, what a joke.

 

Mustang GT's STOCK run High 13's low 14's...Do yourself a favor,Go to the track and watch...

 

Stock for stock, I have YET to have a good run from a 350Z. It's all (most) a waste of gas.

I can go 13.8s all day long in my truck (Hot lapping it), with a 13.46 (Med 50F and a cool down) being my best at over 101mph.

 

Well well well....another debate, let's add some more...I have the lightning and a srt charger (4 door family wagon), both are fast (quick) and I like the charger, but nothing beats smokin' some of the local cars (i.e. 350 z's) around here in an 'supercharged farm implement'.....charger is fast, but it's a different kind of 'fast', but then again people expected me to 'spank' them back in my Supra, but sure is nice to 'do that' with the wife and kids in the car as well....