Willow Springs Raceway is a real race track where people drive cars hard and put them through corners. It’s famous in the car world, so going there is a big deal for enthusiasts.
“Japanese cars” just means cars made by Japanese brands. In car events, it usually means a lot of enthusiasts with similar tastes—often performance models and modified builds.
Suspension is the system that connects the car to the wheels and controls ride comfort and handling. When the speaker says the suspension is harsher than expected, they’re describing how the car absorbs bumps—often influenced by spring rates, damping, and tire setup.
GPS is the navigation system that tells you where to go using satellite signals. They’re joking about one person having it on and the other not, especially since the track is far away.
Right-hand drive means the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. If you’re used to cars with the steering wheel on the left, it can feel weird until you adjust.
“Three on the tree” means the gear shifter is on the steering column, and there are three forward gears. It’s a style you mostly see on older vehicles.
The segment highlights a common driving adaptation: when you change the “handedness” of shifting (like left-hand shifting in a right-hand-drive car), your muscle memory has to relearn. This is why downshifts and gear selection can feel easy to get wrong early on.
Aftermarket wheels are wheels that aren’t the original ones from the factory. They can make the car look better, and if they’re the right size they won’t rub or cause fitment problems.
Overhang is the distance from the wheels to the ends of the car—especially the front overhang from the front axle to the bumper. The speaker uses overhang to compare how different Z cars “sit” and how far the nose extends, which also relates to perceived size and balance.
A “50-50 weight ratio” means the car has about equal weight on the front and back wheels. That balance can help the car handle more evenly instead of feeling like it wants to push or spin.
Lowering springs are springs that make the car sit lower. They can also make the ride feel firmer, especially if the shocks aren’t matched to the springs.
Camber is how tilted your tires are. On a track you can tilt them a bit so the tire grips better in turns, but if it’s off, the tire wears out quickly.
“19-inch wheels” just means the wheel is 19 inches wide/large. Changing wheel size can change the car’s look and how the ride feels because the tire shape changes too.
“18-inch wheels” means the wheel is smaller than 19 inches. With smaller wheels, the tire often has more sidewall, which can make the ride feel smoother.
They’re comparing the car’s look to Porsche. Porsche cars often have a sporty visual style, and the speaker is saying the wheel/brake combo reminds them of that.
“Red calipers” are the colored parts of the brakes you can sometimes see through the wheel spokes. They’re mostly about looks, but they also make the car’s brakes stand out.
Car
GTI
GTI is Volkswagen’s sporty version of the Golf. It’s a popular “hot hatch” that’s fun to drive and also works as a normal car.
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Hey, what's happening? How are you doing today? Thank you so much for being here
I am Chris of the world famous cool cars with Chris. You clicked on the right show at the right time
Thank you so much. And if you're watching this on YouTube or anywhere else hit that subscribe button or follow button right now
Listen, I'm looking at you. Listen. You see me. I see you. Yeah, hit that subscribe button
It'd be super cool if you did and the reason why we're here today is because last weekend
courage and I went on up to
Willow Springs Raceway all
There for the all Japan showdown show. It was an amazing experience and guess what? Yeah, we filmed the entire thing
So today our podcast came alive from the event
So on today's episode although if you are listening to this on an audio podcast great
I highly encourage you if you want to see everything. It's happening. Everything is happening in this video in this episode
I suggest you head on over to coolcarswithchris.com
Click the YouTube channel. It'll be on there and if you're listening on Spotify
This video audio show will be in video form on the Spotify app directly
You have it right there either or you can do that, but if you're still listening on an audio podcast
that's fine too and
We talk about the immersive world. We were in we were there at this
Race track that it's a legendary racetrack that I've always heard about what it was like actually being there
Especially being there at six in the morning. You're gonna hear that story
How we almost got lost heading over there and also
Of course, it's all about Japanese cars and cool cars and of course Z's galore
Lots of Z's are in this event. My Z was there a
Bunch of other Z's you're gonna see and hear us talk about all the different Z's that were there from the
240s to the new ones and everything in between like every single model of
Nissan Z was there at the event super super cool
and of course, you know one thing we can always talk about is movies and
The biggest car movie of all time for cars in this generation. Anyways, it's got to be fast and furious
We're talking all about that all of that and more on this episode. Let's go
Who's got us this episode to go up. It's somebody gonna start to fire up the other end. Oh, yeah, that guy there
Okay, I think we're rolling we're rolling. Yeah, okay
We were rolling live from Willow Springs
Cool cars with Chris. I got courage here. How you doing anybody? I'm good, man
Is it we have bright and early out at Willow Springs on a racetrack? I'm doing awesome
Man, we are in the thick of it all right in the middle of Willow Springs. I got cars firing up
I got races happening on the hill. We got
It seems like it's like everyone's here. Well, I mean people are coming and going
It's pretty nuts man. What is your experience so far being here at Willow Springs?
No, I mean, it's it was interesting getting here right, you know at 6 o'clock 6 30 where it's pretty quiet
Like you didn't hear anything, you know, folks are folks are camping out here
Which is pretty cool and seeing people just getting up waking up to now where it's like literally the track is alive
You know cars driving around the pits. Yeah, the whole extra driving on the hill right now
It's kind of nuts, you know, it's kind of surprised how you feel actually out here. I think that's an all variety of cars
It's not just Japanese cars. I thought it's gonna be only Japanese cars, but I've seen Corvettes. I've seen a GT 40
I've seen
You know that viper over there. There's there's a new Z on a trailer. Oh, yeah, right over there
Yellow one. I saw a new Z. I got my Z right over here. Yeah, I brought the Z out here took it all the way out here
It was quite a journey. He lots of traffic, you know, take it taking the I was your first big experience
You know longer trip in the Z. How would you sum it up?
Bumpy traffic
The suspension on the thing's a little harsher than I thought it would be and so
You know, it's it's definitely an experience taking it out here
So it's kind of trip soaking it all in all the people the vendors all the stuff that's out here, you know
It's kind of trip. Yeah. Yeah, no
It's it it's it's interesting because we went to Laguna Seca last year
During Monterey car week and it was one of those where like it was kind of like this and we were able to walk around the
Panic and see the cards and everything but you know, you you just really feel like how how it is to like kind of feel like
You're at a racetrack like you're you're part of these like race teams almost while they're getting their cars ready and warmed up
And we are the official cool cars to Chris podcast race team. Yeah happening here at Willow Springs
You know, it's not even a little nowhere by the way
It's like way higher in the sticks. It is it is far far away, but
Well, we were driving here because I was following you over and I didn't have my GPS following or anything
I was like literally like Chris. Where are we going?
Well, you were using your GPS. I'll do that
Not until the last turn I like finally kind of turned it on because because I was like, oh, Chris knows where he's going
It's all I've been working. Why they're better for how they know what's going dude. Yeah
I'm leading the blind basically. Well, I have a GPS on you know, thank God the maps work
Thank God that my Apple maps worked and I got some kind of a signal
But it is crazy. I hear today. It's getting busy. I first guy here was like nobody here really
I mean a few things we didn't know where the right spot or anything
But but now that we're here, we're kind of set up in the middle
But I great the thick of everything like right where everything is happening. There's a Mustang firing up next to us
There is it's like a it's like a GT 350
Shake out that thing
And it's super crazy loud out here
And I don't know how the podcast gonna work out all the audio and all the all the noise
But well along along as you talk right to the microphone. I think you're fine. I get as close as you can
You're probably fine. So yeah, I mean it's hopefully this will feel like you're here
You're here with us the folks listening and feel like they're here and involved. So, you know, we'll see I know
I know I know so this is the first time doing a little of the doing the show on the road like this and
It's quite a trip actually to you
Hopefully we get a lot of people come out on the show interviews and whatnot and we're all set up
We're ready to go for that. So this is we're doing the podcast right now here live at willow springs, you know at the raceway
So what is the most impressive car you've seen so far today?
What's that? Well, you got it again. It was a passing car. You got to give me that one more time
What was the most impressive car you seen today?
I mean seeing that ace that it was an ACX I guess that viper is I mean it's just something about a viper like even amongst all
Of these race cars and these like purpose-built, you know race car even though we're sitting next to something
It's also pretty crazy. I don't even know what that thing is, but it looks like an airplane with wheels on it
You know, that's also pretty crazy as well
But I mean the GT 350 is awesome, but there's just something about a big wing, you know
ACR ACX viper in person that it's just menacing for sure
So that's one of my favorites the GT 40 was cool, too
I mean as I have comment on you being a tall guy and like seeing you stand next to it
It's fun to walk man. That thing is like on the ground. It's so low to the ground. It's crazy
I love the ground. Yeah, that's not my car was low, but I think is that crazy low
It's it's a smaller car. Do you think it is? You know, it's really small doesn't seem very big
I guess I think back in the day. They actually drove those things. They're probably pretty small guys
So, you know, there's that but this is fun. It's been live here at willow springs and
We can't wait to introduce you to cool new people and we'll go from there
Man, this is great being here alive doing a live podcast at the racetrack. I got cars running around me firing up
Take a moment to take in this this v8 of this Corvette steve right rolling my hair. That thing's cool
What what year is that you think what's that? What year car was that?
Just was that maybe late 60s you think
Do you know?
Um, yeah, they go in 60s. Yeah, I take a good glimpse of it or whatever
But you know some of these cars are hard to tell because they do have somebody a lot of vacation on these cars that you don't know
Whether it's a 50 60s like that. I was at 93
What a good car that guy had up there all the um, yeah, the uh, not the state
Statio, um, I can't quite it keeps playing. I keep blanking on it
But it's the it's the real common the real common sedan that you've been seeing a lot of people import as a lake
Right because they had the other side car drive had the right
No, the left side right hand drive over there a right-hand drive. I'm gonna mix up
Yeah, the right hand drive is where it was on steering wheel and the other car next to it the same thing too
It had the right hand drive on the car imported directly from japan
I wonder I didn't ask the guy but
Maybe I'll have mon but I was going to ask him with the stick shift was if it was stick
And is it hard to drive a stick shift being that using your left hand for shifting versus your um, your right hand
Now i'm sure the clutch pedal gas pedal and brake are probably in the same spot all the same on the floor
It's just the other hand like if you're gonna drive it. I'm sure
You probably get used to it after a while. You know a long time ago. I actually drove one of those
old Chevy trucks
It had the uh
It was the it looked like an automatic because it was like the standard shifter on the side column
Yeah, but it was a three on the tree style. They call it
You know all so it's like, yeah, you you have to shift there's a clutch you shift
You kind of it's like you got to play with it and it's hard to tell because you can't it's hard to tell what gear you're in when you're using it
Yeah, so um, I remember I used that thing
Uh, I worked for a company that had that and I was driving that thing around town
I feel like that'll be an easy one to get wrong and then down shift
Gear or something. Well, you're just tricky because you're not used to that kind of shifting, you know, it's kind of weird
So I wonder if you're driving a car. That's a right hand drive
Left hand shifting how difficult it would be
To to do that. Actually, um, I've had a chance to I think you you you met him recently my buddy
My neighbor has the white s15. Oh, right rather 240. Yeah, and he actually let me drive that a little while
But it is at right hands. It's right hand drive. Yeah, no way. And so and it is weird
Especially being a right-handed person like, you know shift now shifting is standard h-patterns
Like to the left is one and then so yeah, just think exactly the same like in terms of layout
But then you're doing it now with your left hand
So it's it's definitely something to get used to after a while you probably do get used to it
But for me, you know, not really never have driven a right hand drive car. It was weird for sure
Well, that's gotta be trippy now. Did you leave the neighborhood or just to keep it around that then?
Well, yeah, we were we rode nearby my house. We kind of went around
We went went grab coffee and he let me actually leave the complex. Oh, yeah, uh-huh. Yeah, he he entrusted me
And this was close to when he first got it too. So, you know, he was he entrusted me to let me get Gavin to go
Wow, what a trip man. You know, that's pretty cool though
I mean, you see a lot of crazy stuff here. I see some z's here
I've seen a lot a lot of classic z's I've seen here a lot of 240s 280s
Real nice clean jobs. Like that's my favorite z is like the 240, you know, 280 stylish
Yeah, shout out to z club of america. Oh, yeah, they're behind us over here. Yeah
So I'm about to go get some swag
They all kinds of stuff for sale looks like over there t-shirts bags sweaters
Um, all that kind of stuff in fact, I thought bring my sweater today. It seems kind of cold this morning
But it's gotten hot, you know, since the summer came out. We're in the desert
So why you think it would be I think it would be so
Um, yeah, you know, we're here looking right behind us rolling up as a red 240 or 280
Oh, wow. Yeah, that's that's pretty clean. I like that
Looks like aftermarket wheels, but it looks pretty well fitting like it's just a nice look
Yeah, I dig it. I dig it
So we're doing the pod to bring the podcast on the road here at willow springs got the races underway behind us
You can see the racetrack behind us. Yeah, and you got the classic the classic muscle out
So I'm sure we might have a couple times when we get a little overpowered when these guys get to full throttle
But they definitely aren't glorious to hear for sure. Oh, definitely. I didn't expect to be as ladder comes a corvette of this thing
Rolling on by
That reminds me a lot of uh, if you remember when I think it was the fifth fast nefarious movie
Now they I get them all next up. I don't know what's which I've only knows like the first like three or four
After that it's uh, I don't they all mesh together
I don't even see the last one the last one. There was a scene where I guess dom like races down the uh, like
Hoover dam or something like that. Yeah, it's all exploding background or whatever. I saw a meme today
It said something like it's like, uh, who needs like gravity when you have the family
Yeah, like defies all laws family defies all logic all gravity
Yeah, no, I mean there's there was I always tell people there was a cutoff in the series where
It was the one scene in one of the movies where dom is trying to save leddie
And he like he takes his car and he crashes it into the middle barrier of a freeway
And he flies out of the windshield across the bridge and catches her and lands on a car on the other side
I remember that. Yeah, and I tell people all the time like that was where I was like, okay
This is just there's nothing in reality in these movies anymore. It's no longer grounded
You know, supposedly so what this is what uh, dom himself has said that the next fast if you're she's gonna be about back cars
They're bringing it back about cars about cars. I don't know how I mean, theoretically they're cars in every movie
They're just doing crazy stuff like going out of space. Yeah and driving down and then you know that'll down the waterfall
Whatever they're doing, you know or across to the bridge or across some crazy like crap playing basically playing bumper cars and
You know what not jumping out of parachutes on cars flying cars in space. I mean, it's it's jumped the shark so many times
I think they already kind of know that but the problem is is that it makes so much money
Because now what it's doing is it's bringing in a crowd to see the movie that is not about cars
Yeah guides that are into action movies. I don't care about cars and they come for that
It's just like watching the james bond movie. Yeah, and I I mean it's like it's something you expect in a james bond movie
You expect that level of kind of craziness and and action and that's
Exponage, but you know for a fast affairs movie at least originally you just wanted to know about the racing
You know well at first you did the cars street racing and all kind of stuff
But they still had to make it like an undercover cop movie. They had to make it this whole like spy thing
They had to make it like
You know like undercover cops trying to infiltrate the bad guy and his whatever he's got going on in his car
gang and all this other kind of stuff so
It's um, it's quite a fun experience, but you know, I mean I can't wait for the ride to open this summer at
Universal studios. They'll be riding that or at least go try and ride that. Yeah, I mean how busy it is
This guy here's getting towed
So, uh, man, oh I had some track troubles. What is that?
That was old, uh, was 510 I think one of those so it's pretty cool
I was gonna ask you on that fast nefarious topic
You had to if you had to choose a car a fast nefarious car
Like one car from the movie that you would bring out here to willow springs and put on the track
I'm curious what you what you might want to bring out here and put on put through his paces on the track
I think my favorite car from the entire
Show it's gotta be the first car. It's gotta be that supran the first movie. Which one the supran the always moving
because it's um, so iconic and um,
You know, they built it and it's like it's like kind of like a project the whole movie is kind of
Center around this project car, you know, they're putting together like a project car
And I think I think that'd be kind of a card. I've got the other cars are too like over the top
Like it's dom's charger and all that kind of nonsense. Yeah, but we got to take that out to a drag strip though
But I guess also also also you had that uh for a brief moment. He had that gtr
But that was only for like a brief moment
So there's that but no here we are alive at willow springs
You got you got headphones for courage and actually you can hear because all this noise
It's kind of actually hard to hear where you actually have a conversation
It's kind of hard to hear like what does the person saying and actually, um, here what's going on
But because this is louder. I thought it would be actually here willow springs. I mean, um,
I don't know. I mean, I guess I should have thought about this because it's that like a race track
Yeah, I think you'll think about you know, we try to like bring all the gear together and get everything going for the podcast
It's hard to put into perspective what these cars sound like when they're really at full revs. Like a lot of them unrestricted exhausts and and so
Oh straight pipe straight. Do you think they even have smog like cats on these or no this straight off the headers straight to the back?
That's probably the first thing to go on these cars to be honest
Wow, that's nuts. So I see a lot of crazy things here got new z's pulling up. I got old z's here
I got all kinds of different things. I'm not gonna lie. This is probably the most like new z's that I've seen in one place
Well, three is like three of them here. Well, yeah, but but still I I haven't seen them around a lot at all
Especially as late because they're awesome cars, but it just you know
Unfortunately people haven't really been buying them as much as no that really not really and they are bigger cars, dude
They feel like they're bigger than my here my little z here
Yeah, um, it just feels so much smaller this month even some of the older ones like some of the 280s 240s
They just seem like bigger. Well, some of the 240s are smaller, but I think some of the 280s seem longer
I don't know me. It's just my perspective, but like I just know they have a two plus two of the 280s
I think too. Yeah, they kind of stretched out a little look at look at my like front tire house
It's almost to the very front of the car versus like some of the other ones
They sit back a little more if you notice that kind of thing
I do yeah, like you could be you can even tell like what some of the 240s here like they got a a lot more of the overhang
Then then the the 370 does and I actually never really noticed that until just now
Well, that's why I think the engine on my car sits back further than the front tire
A little bit more majority of the weight sits behind the axle towards the center of the car
If you give it the best kind of like 50-50 weight ratio, yeah
For some of these cars like the little 240s probably not so much
But they probably did a lot of work on the suspension and modifications and like the roll cages and like
Drop bars and all that kind of stuff
I wonder in comparison because I know like the s2000 is one of those cars where they say like the engines even though
It was in the front it sits so far back
It's actually behind the front axle that you can technically consider it a mid-engine car because of right
That's what they say with mine too. Yeah, I think so
It's it's the mid-front engine what they call it. So but the z did fine handing over here, you know, there's some traffic and
Whoever modified the suspension on this car. I'm sitting to notice that it's it's pretty harsh
Every single bump in the road and it's a jarring boom boom boom boom
And I guess I don't know if they did coilovers or they just
Lowered it with lowering springs with I don't know what they do looks good
It does look good. It's not stay it doesn't have that what do you call where it's uh,
It doesn't camber. Yeah. Yeah, it doesn't camber. Yeah, it doesn't quite do that
Now that's crazy. We start cambering like that and then it's like you really
I mean it looks like it's just riding on like a little little sliver of a tire really with my old z
Because I was on I was on coilovers
But I only adjusted them once and it was such a hassle to do it that I just never adjusted them ever again
But oh really I I went through tires like crazy because I had I had a bit of camber
And you know like people don't tell you how much even just a little bit
Hurts like your tire for your tire longevity and I would think so
Yeah, I mean anything like that where the tires are flowers on the ground
I mean you do the tires be flat like a little surface of the tire be you know on the plants on the ground
But the tire the car did fine. You know, I mean the brakes were great. Everything was great on the car
You know, it does feel like an older car. You know, it's got some miles on it, but
You know, well once you get a spot where it's like open on the freeway
It's it's pretty good along the freeway smooth because some of the roads are out here. My gosh
They were just like pothole city on the freeway. Yeah
You know like I just wish you had a little bit softer ride in moments like that
I know the car is not supposed to be like a road trip car
This is the furthest the car will ever go in its life probably, you know, so I thought this was a track for you for sure
Oh, definitely, you know, and I think that like a lot of guys are pulling you cars on trailers
I didn't even thought about bringing the z on a trailer out here and use my truck to bring it out here
Just like a lot of guys did but those are more like the race cars and things like that
So but uh, what's been your what's been your favorite car out here that you've seen that you uh, I think this 280 over here
It's modified looks pretty good. I'm kind of a z guy to lots of z's
There's so many z's here classic sees the racing z over there
Jeff see I was looking at that
Z club of america shout out. They're here. They're hosting the whole event
Uh, we're at the all japan showdown here at willow springs and surprisingly being that's an all japan showdown
There are a lot of like non-japanese cars here. Yeah, like corvettes
Uh, I did I thought I saw some Mustang. There was a shelby a drill there was a yeah
They had a 350 and a gt 300 gt 500 over in the corner over there even and I think really got a driver over there too
Dude, I'm telling I mean that if you were to ask me what my favorite has been here
I mean just see all the gt 4 the original gt 4 original g now that are
Is that a replica or is that originally thing? I think it's original
I it will be great to get some perspective
But it looks it looks original like you know from that era and everything like probably restored
But you know it looks original for sure and here in that scream down the track as well as the viper
It is just it's something to behold when you hear that in person. It's not so smooth
This weekend just not so smooth, you know, especially like the deeper ones like like a v10 and like the v8
So they're really smooth the v10s are really smooth on the on the on the race track the vipers
I remember I'm seeing them years years ago when they came out on a track
I think it was in a corn auto. They had a track out of corn auto on the island
But maybe yeah, and they had them running around there
Then viper's running around there and then you recognize how smooth that you know eight as it
It's a v10 eight liter engine. They're just really smooth sounding, you know
Versed like the smaller cars like the four cylinders don't like the v6s. They're just like screamers, you know
I can hear right now. Some of these are screamer engines, you know, even like straight six straight six
A lot of straight sixes that are out there running around that's uh, it's pretty nuts, man
Yeah, but uh, it's cool to see those the alpha line
We're kind of facing over here too with the all the alpha julia's the little like little small
They almost look like sedans, but they're but they're two doors. They're two door coupes
And here in those days because those are our four cylinders and and they do when you hear them full
What size engine on those, you know, it's just I'm not sure I don't look that up
But I think it's under two leaders like here's your friend. You're accurate rolling by right now
The the integral you like the integral. Oh, is it the oh that is the the base spec?
But still I do like the integras. I I really would love a type if you're gonna switch up for your car
Are you go to tegra? I if I if it was in the same class of car. I probably would go in tegra
Yeah, now even over the type R type R regular base. Oh, it would have to be the type is the the type is a type
That's yeah, yeah
I just love the look of that car and they just they could have a little bit of people kind of said because it wasn't a
Sportscoupe like a original integral was it like a sedan? You know people are like, what are you doing?
I think it could be worse. It could be like the mitzvc be clips where it went to like a suv or some nonsense
Crossover at the crossover suv, whatever, you know, I mean what they could have did what they did with the new prelude
Everybody's talking about that the whole hybrid prelude sat out. Yeah, I don't know. I mean
I mean the first payload was fine because it was like Honda's like only sports car
When you were back in like the 80s 90s
It was like all they really had before they had the s2000. Yeah, but
Which is like a proper sports car because we're a little drive. Yeah, and for an engine we'll drive, you know
Yeah, but every guy's corvette coming. Oh, you got a corvette come by. Oh, and
Nice 300 zx turbo the the z31 300 z31. So you got z's everyone coming around to get to see I haven't seen a z32 yet
I know that's funny. You say that I have not seen one either. I'm looking around for I'm gonna see him
Maybe maybe they just missed the boat or that was there anything defective issues with z31 that probably like a lot of them
Are just dying off now. You don't see too many of them. I mean the 31s. Yeah, I mean see the 32 32
Yeah, I would I mean there's so much, you know after market forum that you can keep them
Speaking of the devil there it is right there. There we go. There it is z32. Okay, well right there
There it goes. Oh man, look at that. Oh, and that was the same color as mine. Oh, was it really that red that red color?
Yep, yep, I love it. Look at that. Yeah, speaking of the devil
You see roll on you have to say it a couple times. I know the rolls on by so man
This has been great here, you know cars running around and I think z-club America had people filling up for them
So like you take your car on the track. I was in check see if mine was on the track or not
I thought I was a part of the group to go out there. I wasn't sure yet. Yeah, but um, are you doing kind of like a parade lap?
I think it's what they're doing. I don't know if I'm willing to do that. I don't know
I'm just saying here do this instead, but
Um, but how does it sound for you with the with the podcast, you know having headphones in oh, man
This is this is what it needed to be. Yeah, I didn't think about all the noises of it
It didn't put cure to me
But here's those cars you're talking about this little dots and well four to one
There's two door five 10s. Yeah another one come by a little parade of them
Those five 10s are really good like track track car like people really do a little bit like solid track builds with those five 10s
Oh, really? They're like, you know, they you know, that's already if you'll do race those things
They do it. What motor on those those four bangers it'd be either four some or it's not just three sixes. No
You can swat. What about GTR? Can you put like an old um, what is it the old uh
What are you thinking like the r32 like yeah rb you could you could rb? I'm sure somebody's rb swat
I'm sure they have it looks it fits. I think I seem like like like v6 and v8
Now there's a white one a white z32 rolling by right now. This is what we had to do
This is the parade lap or oh, and I didn't even see the uh the uh infinity
Was it the m35 that just drove in too?
That's pretty cool to see too
The and those are those are so weird to me because they look like coupes
They look like two-door coupes
But they do have back doors and it was back when they were able to kind of figure out how to make like a four-door car
Kind of coopy and then they decided to just go full sedan with the rest of the generations
But that's cool to see I wonder if we'll see some more of that like you know, I love infinity. So
They're they're still in the class. I don't know if you would agree. No, they're fine
I mean they got the g37 g35, you know, I like those cars too, you know, they they are basically like the
you know
Sedan plush version like road trip version of the z if the z was gonna road trip car it'd be a g37
Yeah, well, they do have coupes though. They do it. Remember they do have the two-door that's what i'm talking about
That's all yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah, you're right. Yeah more of the luxury of five version
Yeah, yeah, sir
If I wonder if I can take the suspension off of that put it on this and get a little more plush suspension on
On my z if you took the suspension off of the g37 put it on a z
I don't know. I mean, I mean
They are technically on the same chassis, right? They are. Yeah, they they have a lot of shared components
I wonder what's different like suspension wise versus the z versus g37. Yeah, I'm sure the g37 is just really like
Just sedan
Suspension is just sedan shocks and just just very plush damping you you probably have better dampening and and you know
Just overall like you got more things that can do some maybe just still like sporty driving
But not like you know, it's super super heavy
Yeah, right
But I think like we were talking about it would be good to know if you're if the person before you had either lowering springs
I said he did I think the mcannock said that he did that he put the uh that it was been lowered
Uh, that's why it's so low to the ground by the bottom books is trashed underneath
It's so low to the ground doesn't like even even though you don't have a lot of wheel gap like it doesn't look that low
There's like no wheel gap we're talking about, you know
But my other car the same issue too my other car had the same like setup was very much similar to this
But my other car had the 19 inch wheels versus this actually has the 18 inch wheels
But I think it has a little thicker tire
Than mine
But it could just be the fact that it's lower
Because it's lower it may feel like it's bigger the tires fit and fit and they fit in the wheel wheel well better
Yeah, I don't know, you know, um
That looks good regardless
It does look good and this wheel combo looks fine too like I wasn't sure I'd be be set on it
But these are stock wheels in a field they feel like
You know they feel fine. I mean they look great
They don't look like because other ones were kind of like a you know chromium kind of color to them
Yeah, much I dug the other wheels a lot
But it's funny the other guy at work was telling me that with this wheel combo
He said uh my car looks like a Porsche
This because like some Porsches you see how this kind of wheel combo setup like this with the red calipers and the
The darker color wheels on them. Yeah
So some folks that don't really like that aren't in the cars like they could they
Where's the parade coming here is the Z the Z the 240 280
That's the 280 some of the times the old 280s. Oh, here's another was that a 350 coming by behind you
Yeah, I haven't actually yeah
I haven't seen a lot of 350s like just here for the car show itself like
There's one that and there's a couple folks here
That we definitely are they're going to get get on get on the pod to talk about their bills
But uh, there's one guy came him and his wife. Um, he has a pretty bill
I mean when I say pretty bill, it's like a complete money with a thing. Yeah, he puts the money in the thing
A 240 Baja truck, so I won't give away too much other than that. It's a 240
It's a 240 body and like but he's yeah, I saw that I don't know what that was
Yeah, he literally is like reinforced everything and done like a tubular frame on the inside
But the front clip and some other parts and pieces are 240 sx
It's it's insane another here's another 240 or 280. I can't tell it's because uh, it's probably brought their bmw over here
What's going on here?
Yes, 40i
There's another one
So it's there here comes another here. This is 37 another 370 coming through here right now
I think in this model 370 coming through here right now on your other side. You got a better view
I know I know another another z's coming through here right now
Oh, so we got a good good roller. We've got two 370s coming through here right now
This one's like all decked out with the paint job and everything. It looks great
It's cool. We're gonna it's on shot as they come through in the parade here. Yeah, everything on shot here
It's pretty cool. This was good placement for sure
It was kind of interesting because we've been here that's the other way. It's like two more 370s. Oh my gosh
It's like 370. Oh wait
At the third one fourth one fifth one
Man, it's 370 group coming through here right now. We got rolled in with these guys
I know I know kind of yeah, this tires are pretty wide on theirs
Wow, look at the GTI coming in with them back here
Yeah, I don't feel too out of place with my end here now
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll do it. They had my stings here too and stuff so
another two another 370
and all these 370s
Oh, you gotta tell me
Oh
What do you think about uh, like the the blue like, you know, lame tips like that where they have this for sale
They had the monthly shop. I was that I could have got that as an option. Well, I mean, I just kept what I had on there
But yeah, I guess they're okay. You know, I mean, I think it doesn't do anything for the performance
It's like it's like a sticker on your car. It's an aesthetic
It's like I'll put a sticker on my car adds five horsepower. I gotta think you know, yeah or whatever
Um, could be such a common mod on especially on z's that I might I know about it
I see on all kinds of cars really yeah, you know, definitely all around but I feel like it's kind of a go to
You know for z's especially because they because z's always, you know
The newer ones always had the pronounced exhaust
Like they have where like even with yours like it really stands out. Well, that's if you modify stock
It's like a tiny little oval little thing on the back of it. They usually get much of nothing
Yeah, so but this has been great, man
So, uh, hopefully get more people on the pod and uh, we'll go from there and we'll see you when we get back
About this episode
Chris and Courage broadcast live from Willow Springs for the All Japan Showdown, soaking up the desert-track chaos from 6:00 a.m. onward. They talk getting lost on the way, the mix of Japanese cars with plenty of non-JDM muscle (Vipers, GT40, Corvettes), and what it’s like hearing straight-pipe V8/V10s at full revs. The Z-club presence dominates—240/280/300ZX/370Zs and even a parade lap—plus right-hand-drive shifting quirks, tire wear from camber, and Fast & Furious movie debates.
We took Cool Cars with Chris on the road—and this time, we went LIVE from Willow Springs Raceway for one of the wildest track day experiences we’ve ever had.
From pulling up at 6AM in the middle of nowhere to being surrounded by roaring engines, insane builds, and a full-on Nissan Z takeover… this event did NOT disappoint.
This episode was recorded LIVE at the All Japan Showdown, where we saw everything from classic 240Zs and 280Zs to brand-new Nissan Zs, plus Vipers, GT40s, Corvettes, and more tearing up the track.
If you love JDM cars, track days, car meets, or just raw car culture, this is one you don’t want to miss.
🚗 In This Episode:
What it’s like arriving at Willow Springs Raceway at sunrise
INSANE cars from every generation of Nissan Z
The loudest track environment we’ve ever recorded in
Driving a modified Z to the track (and the reality of it)
00:00 🚗 Welcome to Cool Cars with Chris 00:23 🏁 Why We’re at Willow Springs Raceway 01:10 🌄 Early Morning Arrival (6AM Vibes) 02:00 🇯🇵 All Japan Showdown + Z Cars Everywhere 02:35 🎙️ Recording LIVE at the Track 03:10 👀 First Impressions of Willow Springs 03:50 🚘 Driving the Z to the Track (Road Trip Reality) 04:50 🗺️ Getting Lost on the Way 😅 05:20 🔊 First Sounds of the Track (It’s LOUD) 06:20 🔥 Best Cars So Far: Viper, GT40 & More 07:05 🏎️ Crazy Low Cars & Track Builds 08:10 🇯🇵 JDM Imports & Right-Hand Drive Talk 09:35 🤔 Is Driving RHD Actually Hard? 10:45 💥 Classic Z Cars (240Z, 280Z Highlights) 11:45 🎥 Fast & Furious Talk Begins 12:30 😂 When Fast & Furious Went Off the Rails 13:25 🎬 Can the Franchise Go Back to Cars? 14:35 🏎️ Favorite Fast & Furious Cars 15:45 🎧 Podcasting in a Loud Racetrack Environment 16:25 🔥 New Nissan Z vs Older Generations 17:20 ⚖️ Weight Balance & Performance Talk 18:05 🛣️ Suspension & Harsh Ride Reality 19:40 🏁 Track Cars vs Street Cars 20:25 🚗 Unexpected Cars at a “Japan” Event 21:05 🔊 Engine Sounds: V10 vs 4-Cylinder 22:10 🚘 Acura Integra & Modern Design Debate 23:10 🧠 Coupe vs Sedan Discussion 24:05 🏎️ Z Parade Rolls Through! 25:20 🔧 Engine Swaps & Build Ideas 26:00 🚗 Infiniti vs Z Platform Talk 27:10 ⚙️ Suspension Mods & Ride Quality 28:40 🔥 Wild Custom Builds (Baja 240SX) 29:25 🚗 Endless Line of 370Zs 30:25 🎨 Mods That Don’t Add Power 😆 31:00 👋 Final Thoughts from Willow Springs
