I agree that the handling is spot on. And, as you say, the feel really helps you take advantage of what the car can deliver. I contrast it to the WRX, for instance, which I found all loose and floppy when driven hard. It was fun, but you could go a lot faster than the car let you feel like you could, if that makes sense. The Z does a much better job of letting you know where the limits are.
I was concerned that the ride would be too aggressive for everyday use and trip use, but with the long wheelbase it's not much of an issue for me. Yes, there's a lot of tire roar, and more wind noise than I think there should be. At some speeds there's some exhaust drone on the highway. But the ride/handling balance is near perfect, so comfort is pretty good, and I don't arrive at my destination feeling beat-up.
I'm comparing it to my two Audi's. It has less jolt when hitting expansion strips than my Audi S4 does. You can hear/feel the hit, but it doesn't deliver a punch to the kidneys like the S4 does ('01 model Avant). And it's a LOT less busy than the '06 Audi TT. Although smaller, the Audi TT has more interior storage space/back seat! and useable places to put things than the Z does, but the cockpit is much narrower in the TT. I did compare the new '08 Audi TT to the Z before I bought, and the 370Z walks all over the Audi. Much more fun to drive, and a lot more balanced when driving hard. The TT understeers like a pig, much worse than the previous TT did. And there's no comparison for the way it makes power either. The power lets you rotate the car under power and you are moving much faster on turn exit than in the TT.
Glad you like yours too. I'm a happy camper!
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