onanysunday

I recently picked up an '09 G37x a few months back. What a fun car to drive! Reminds me a bit of the sportbike acceleration I had off the line with my GSXR1100. It came with color-changing LED fiber optic lights embedded in some black velour ceiling fabric like a starry night sky. Additionally, the previous owner gave the engine cover a proper Japanese flag paint job which is unique and pretty cool looking considering it has the heart of the 370z sportscar. I added an aftermarket cold-air intake with heat shields using K&N universal round tapered filters with the open, free-flowing endcaps and wrapped the metal intake tubes with DEI Reflect-A-Gold heat resistant tape to reduce IAT, as I noticed all intakes seemed to have either rubber, plastic, or metal tubes which readily absorb heat and increase air temperature. Performed two separate intake cleanings with the CRC Intake Valve & Turbo Cleaner sprayed directly into throttle bodies which has a very high concentration of PEA (highly recommended for instant improvement). Differential and transfer fluids replaced. Then, I swapped rear sway bars with the thicker G37s version. The front G37x sway bar is already pretty beefy so I kept that. Then, new double iridium Denso plugs, upgraded Z1 ignition coils, and a couple of oil changes with Valvoline Restore and Protect for some engine de-carbonizing while I drive, and a coolant flush using Hy-Per Cool Super Coolant added to Peak Global Lifetime coolant and distilled water with special attention paid to the mix/ protection level using a refractometer to give me just enough freeze protection to not freeze over in winter but to allow the engine to run just a bit cooler in the summer than a 50/50 ratio would allow for added engine performance. At first, my coolant concentration was so strong it was ridiculous and pegged the freeze protection needle of my tester at something like -60°F, so you may want to check yours and dial-it back a little either through a flush or fill to experience some gain in that regard. 93 octane pump fuel goes in with Lucas UCL and a mix of acetone 3oz/10 gal. to release surface tension of the gasoline and allow better vaporization of the fuel mixture in the combustion chambers. Also, straight toluene at a ratio of 3oz/10 gal. has proven beneficial which doesn't sound like much and can't be raising octane all that much but provides a noticeable boost in pedal-mashing performance nevertheless. Consider the fact that small bottles of 'octane boosters' are typically only 6-8 ounces per bottle (or fill-up) anyway. You don't need to dump in gallons of xylene or toluene to experience added performance like everyone seems to think you need to. Add chemicals prior to fill-up to mix them properly. It also helps to clean carbon and other build-up in the fuel system like a fuel system cleaner would, but you're getting that effect every single time you fill-up. It has had the effect of raising my combined mpg the more I use it, up to a certain point. Eventually those gains will stop as there will be nothing more to clean in both the fuel and lubrication/oil systems. In this way, you can revive a higher-mileage vehicle to get it performing closer to new, which is the best you can hope for without spending a lot of money.

Finally, it has a stock exhaust, but the mufflers were chopped off underneath. This is good in my opinion. You can manage or tame the exhaust note (and its noise) through gentle acceleration but when you step on it, it roars to life. Sort of a Jekyll/Hyde setup. When cops or pedestrians are near I dial it back with a light touch -but then it's off to the races. Also in case anyone's wondering, there's no perceivable resonance with the stock mufflers chopped off with shortened exhaust pipes underneath. You can remove them without any perceivable penalty of resonance. Not sure how, as my previous car, a 2013 3.5L EcoBoost (twin turbo) Interceptor, had its mufflers bypassed with straight pipe and was extremely resonant (and annoying) at highway speeds [this was with its resonators still installed]. I've shed any unnecessary weight that I'm willing to get rid of. I bought this car based off 1.) power-to-weight ratio and 2.) looks. I found an online power-to-weight list and just went down until I got to the first car I could afford (used) which was this one for around $7k.

One interesting thing about this car is its technologically advanced and truly remarkable VQ37VHR engine with VVEL. Variable valve timing on the intake side as well as variable valve lift which really ups the ante on its naturally-aspirated performance and rivals (or outperforms) other 3.x liter turbocharged engines. Its off-the-line acceleration put my twin turbo 3.5L EcoBoost police car to shame, even though it has something like 30hp less in stock form but also weighs less than Taurus/Interceptor which is the key. The G37 does respond very well to any upgrades in your intake and ignition system. It sucks in ALOT more air at wide open throttle position than it does at idle and you FEEL and hear it. If you give it more air, better fuel and a bigger spark, it will impress you with what it's capable of. With every small tweak, the effects of added performance were noticeable. Together combined, they've drastically improved its "fun factor", as the ECU is designed for premium fuel and is adaptive to "improved inputs and conditions" to a certain degree.