nismo Vs base/sport

280z/300zx · 01-03-2011, 08:02 PM

Owned a touring sport 6-speed up until it was totaled. Would have got another one but couldn't find one in the right configuration and couldn't wait 3mo for a special order to come in so I went with a Nismo. At the end of the day, in a perfect world, I would rather have a touring sport over the Nismo. Mainly because I actually like the regular 370z look vs. the Nismo (although it's still nice). Also I enjoyed all the bells and whistles that my touring had. Now taking out the bias I have towards each car I will give my quick overall review

Touring sport: A lot more comfortable and easier to live with as a DD. Doesn't feel as quick as the Nismo or have the snap that the Nismo has. Also, while it sits overall higher than the Nismo I had more problems scrapping the front spoiler compared to my Nismo. Going to work in my touring sport there were certain driveways that no mater what angle or how slow it would still barely scrap; in my Nismo these same driveways aren't a problem at all.

Nismo: Really rough ride compared to the regular 370z, to the point it's almost annoying. Now I'm not a wuss, I've owned a 280z with upgraded suspension, no sound deading material, bare bones for the last 10 years. I used to drive this car as a DD in the past for several years. I don't think I would mind the roughness of the Nismo if it wasn't for the added rattles that came with it. Car is perfectly quiet but hit some rough road and the trunk goes a rattling. The car is also noticeable quicker on the butt dyno. I honestly didn't think it would based off everything I read but after I test drove it I was really surprised. It's not a big enough difference to make you go wow but it's noticeable. I'll also add that after adding exhaust the Nismo is even more noticeably faster. On my touring sport I had the FI 18" CBE w/ CF mufflers. Made a huge difference. Luckily I was able to salvage the exhaust and transfer it to my Nismo. Man did the car wake up. On a performance level I would take my Nismo with exhaust over my touring sport any day. In a perfect world I'd like a touring sport with the performance of the Nismo from the factory.

I have to agree, you can get a regular 370z and add equivalent mods to the Nismo and come out cheaper as well as better. But for someone like me who doesn't like to go crazy on mods anymore and would rather have something out of the box, the Nismo is great. Saves you the hassle of having to add a body kit, find a reputable body shop, hope the pait matches, hope the panels line up, etc. Saves you the hassle of finding a tuner and hoping he knows what he is doing. Saves you the hassle of worrying about warranty, etc. Also, if you were like me, you didn't really pay too much more for the Nismo. A touring sport would have cost me 35k (basically invoice), I got my Nismo for 37k. Not bad considering. Both are great cars in their own respect, I honestly think it comes down to what the owner is looking for.

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01-03-2011, 08:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
280z/300zx Track Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nevada Posts: 689 Drives: 280z, 300zx, Vette Rep Power: 274	Owned a touring sport 6-speed up until it was totaled. Would have got another one but couldn't find one in the right configuration and couldn't wait 3mo for a special order to come in so I went with a Nismo. At the end of the day, in a perfect world, I would rather have a touring sport over the Nismo. Mainly because I actually like the regular 370z look vs. the Nismo (although it's still nice). Also I enjoyed all the bells and whistles that my touring had. Now taking out the bias I have towards each car I will give my quick overall review Touring sport: A lot more comfortable and easier to live with as a DD. Doesn't feel as quick as the Nismo or have the snap that the Nismo has. Also, while it sits overall higher than the Nismo I had more problems scrapping the front spoiler compared to my Nismo. Going to work in my touring sport there were certain driveways that no mater what angle or how slow it would still barely scrap; in my Nismo these same driveways aren't a problem at all. Nismo: Really rough ride compared to the regular 370z, to the point it's almost annoying. Now I'm not a wuss, I've owned a 280z with upgraded suspension, no sound deading material, bare bones for the last 10 years. I used to drive this car as a DD in the past for several years. I don't think I would mind the roughness of the Nismo if it wasn't for the added rattles that came with it. Car is perfectly quiet but hit some rough road and the trunk goes a rattling. The car is also noticeable quicker on the butt dyno. I honestly didn't think it would based off everything I read but after I test drove it I was really surprised. It's not a big enough difference to make you go wow but it's noticeable. I'll also add that after adding exhaust the Nismo is even more noticeably faster. On my touring sport I had the FI 18" CBE w/ CF mufflers. Made a huge difference. Luckily I was able to salvage the exhaust and transfer it to my Nismo. Man did the car wake up. On a performance level I would take my Nismo with exhaust over my touring sport any day. In a perfect world I'd like a touring sport with the performance of the Nismo from the factory. I have to agree, you can get a regular 370z and add equivalent mods to the Nismo and come out cheaper as well as better. But for someone like me who doesn't like to go crazy on mods anymore and would rather have something out of the box, the Nismo is great. Saves you the hassle of having to add a body kit, find a reputable body shop, hope the pait matches, hope the panels line up, etc. Saves you the hassle of finding a tuner and hoping he knows what he is doing. Saves you the hassle of worrying about warranty, etc. Also, if you were like me, you didn't really pay too much more for the Nismo. A touring sport would have cost me 35k (basically invoice), I got my Nismo for 37k. Not bad considering. Both are great cars in their own respect, I honestly think it comes down to what the owner is looking for.