Original title:Z Meets Wall: We Investigate Why the NISMO Z's Brakes Failed at Lightning Lap

Teaser:A follow-up look into what caused the brake failure and collision of our Nissan NISMO 370Z.

Excerpt: When we last left off, we had just embedded a Nissan NISMO 370Z into Virginia International Raceway’s Turn One retaining wall during our fourth Lightning Lap [February 2010] so forcefully as to have fused them together into a sort of vehicular diphthong.

The cause? It certainly wasn’t a case of running out of talent. No—fact is, the NISMO’s presumably strong brakes weren’t. And they failed us at the worst possible time—at the fastest point on the track, when we were attempting to decelerate from 130 mph for the 45-mph right-hander that is Turn One.

What was unnerving to this driver, having just survived the most terrifying experience in a 15-year driving life, was that Nissan officials from Japan weren’t at all surprised. They matter-of-factly reported that the Z’s stock brake pads were designed primarily for low noise and low dust, and not for racetrack situations. It’s our view, however—and we don’t think we’re alone—that the NISMO Z, an even sportier version of a sports car, should be equipped with brakes competent enough to survive a few hot laps. And it’s worth noting that we’ve never ex­peri­enced such hella­cious brake degradation in the ­history of our Lightning Lap events.

As a result of our crash, Nissan began offering high-performance brake pads as a $580 option for any Sport package–equipped 370Z or NISMO Z.

Read more here:http://www.caranddriver.com/features/z-meets-wall-we-investigate-why-the-nismo-zs-brakes-failed-at-lightning-lap

Weed at work