Sport Package?
 

Forgive me if this is a fairly obvious question, but I'm not sure how to evaluate this. Is the sport package (on an auto or manual) create a noticeable driving difference in normal every day driving, relative to a base model? I mean, it -seems- like a good value, but I've driven several cars with "sport" packages that really haven't mad much of a difference, and I'm wondering if its worth the money if I'm never going to track the car.

Thanks!

An optional Sport Package, priced at just $3,000, has 19-inch RAYS forged wheels, BridgestonePotenza tires, aerodynamic front and rear spoilers, larger Nissan Sport Brakes, SynchroRev Match, and a Viscous Limited Slip Differential. this can be in either the 7A or Manual....
if your going to push the car once in a great while the sport pkg is well worth it, but if your buying it for a point a to point b car then don't..
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The sport package on the Z is quite a bit more legit than sport packages on some other cars (the Corolla 'S' model comes to mind) :rofl2:

Most significant upgrades are the wheels/tires, which on a car known for its handling make a significant improvement. The 18" base Einkei's are light enough but narrow compared to the 19" Rays in the sport package, which are also light for OEM wheels. With the wider wheels in the Sport package your tire width goes up 20mm front, 30mm rear, a significant difference. Brakes also improve, the BBK on the sport package is a big upgrade. Finally, aerodynamic improvement comes from a front chin spoiler and a rear hatch spoiler. The rear hatch spoiler is the main reason I opted against the sport package on my car, but I've been working on some bits and pieces upgrades to my base. One thing I can't upgrade to is the SRM, if you're going manual you should test drive the sport with the SRM feature before making up your mind. I didn't, and that one feature alone may have changed my mind. Oh yeah, LSD too.

In short, if you're even the least inclined to get the sport, the Z will not disappoint. You get a lot for the $3k price of admission.

Edit: Triple's beat me too it. :iagree:

It is not an upgrade like the M's for BMW or AMG for Mercededs. The car will drive almost the same (for daily use) and has the same power, engine mapping and suspension.

If you are going to track it a lot, save the money and do your own mods. I bought it for the LSD (I hate open diffs), the wider tires, and the fixed caliper brakes (I prefer the feel of fixed calipers). Just my 2 cents.

:iagree:

I think everyone here has already outlined the difference in the sports package. for me the extra 3k for the sports pkg was a no brainer.

If you drive aggressively you notice the difference in the tires, LSD and even brakes, but when driving conservatively you'd never know the difference.

I disagree with most of the above posts. The sports package can serve you just as well from a safety point as it does from the high performance. You get bigger brakes and wider tires which will help you stop faster in an emergency or get around objects quicker without loosing control of the car.

Aside from safety asthetically I like the 19" Rays better (and performance wise they are very very light for a dealer option 19" wheel) as well as the look of the fatter tires. The price of the sport package alone is worth the $3000.

Take the car to the track ONCE and you'll be happy you had the extra performance. Typically people focus on acceleration as performance but that is only one aspect - being able to go around the corner faster and come into the turn quicker are vital components as well. Going around the corner with more speed automatically gives you more coming out.

Lastly its a SPORTS CAR - the sports package is a no brainer (since this is actually a sports package and not fluff performance by increasing the size of your tail pipe or adding speed decals).....

:iagree:

I once new a guy who bought a 240Z because he liked the sports car image, but the ride was too harsh. So, he sold the 240Z and bought a cadilac and he loved it.

Personnally, I think the Sports package is worth having, but in "day to day driving" while commuting to/from work you may not know the difference. It really depends how you drive and what you want from the car.

If, like my friend above, you just want the sports car "look" then save the money. If you are an enthusiest then buy it!

If it were my money, I'd ask myself these two questions:

1) Am I going to be daily driving the car with some fun (canyons, HPDE's) thrown in a couple of times per year?

2) Will I be keeping it mostly stock?

If I answer yes to both, I'd buy the Sport package. It will be what I would need most of the time for the way I drive.

If I intend to push the car a bit harder and/or do some modifications or customizing, I would rather spend the $3k on aftermarket improvements as I'm likely to throw off many of the Sport package items anyway.

:iagree: So many people buy for image these days. If that's the case than skip the sport package. If you enjoy the hardware and the additional performance that comes with it, then by all means check that box on the order form...

This is more of an "image" thing, but the Sport PKG changes the look of the car alone enough to justify the up-charge, in my opinion. So then, it's like all the performance enhancements are a bonus.

Get it. Not being able to afford it is the only reason to skip it, in my opinion.

i bought it because i liked the wheels/tires/bigger brakes and the rear spoiler.

so that's enough for me.

When I bought my Z this past fall, I was more concerned about style and image than performance. Therefore, I bought the base model, got the ride and the feel I preferred and saved some money, as well. I'm perfectly happy. Plenty of power and performance there for me. Just depends on why you're buying the car and that's why Nissan provides these alternatives and purchase options to the customer.

The Sport package is a good deal for all the reasons listed in this thread, but I would avoid the infamous "SPORK" package.

:icon18:Member Davidyan won't be able to live that down..... ;)

Now whenever I read "Sport package" in a thread title I read it again just to make sure :rofl2:

Yea we have on occasion have had members tiltle their threads like an Epic Movie, only for it to turn into a turkey, aka Epic Failure...

yes it's totally worth it - the LSD, synchro rev match, and wheels alone are an incredible value for $3K

if you don't think it's worth it, you bought the wrong car and should be in something more luxurious anyways.

I'm really regretting not going for the sport package since I wanted the leather seats. But I fell inlove with the only car they had on the lot (base). I thought "Screw it... I don't need the 19" wheels..so I'll just buy the seats from Nissan some other time..." Come to find out that those seats are almost $7,000! GOT PLAYED! haha

+1

A similar package on a BMW would probably cost $8 - $10K
How a person justifies the price of an unpractical, 2 seat sports car and not justify the cost of this sports package is beyond me.

I think everyone can agree the value for the sports pack really is there.

I'll argue that if you plan to get an MT and you will daily the car... sport pack can be more comfortable because of Synchro RevMatch.

Comparing the sport pkg over the base, how many more g's does it pull? How much quicker does it stop from 60? How much quicker is it in the 1/4 mile? How effective is the rear spoiler below 80 mph? Is it worth the extra $$$? IMHO, if you aren't going to track your car then the extra cost is not justified. For the $3K ($4K in Canada) savings plus the money from the sale of the OEM wheels/tires, I can choose the wheel/tire combo I prefer, increase HP/handling with bolt-ons, add a spoiler for looks and outperform stock Z's on the street with the sports pkg. Frankly, I like the look without the spoiler. Up here in the GWN (great white north), your base pkg is our touring model which comes with the LSD. The SRM is a nice feature but not necessary for the street or adept heel-toer's and won't make your Z quicker. I know most in here have the sport pkg and you have your reasons for spending the extra cash. But from a cost/benefit approach, I don't think it's worth the money unless you track your car (because you'll need the bigger discs/brakes). The base Z is still a very nimble car and should get you out of tricky situations where lesser cars woould't. Anyway, they are my reasons for not opting for the sport pkg and hope it helps for prospective buyers who may be on the fence as to whether or not to opt for the sport pkg.

I believe only the LSD comes with the sports package, can anyone confirm this?
Also, getting a BBK, wheels/tires for less than 3k (4k in Canada) is not going to happen. Maybe selling the stock items will help reduce the price, but no guarantee.

Edit: Just checked, you do get LSD standard.

There are a lot of other wheels/tires out there that are far cheaper than BBK.

But getting both a BBK and wheels/tires to match those of the sport package is going to cost more than 3k (4k Canada). You guys getting a LSD standard is a major plus though, makes the difference in packages a bit tougher.

Just to add my .02, I regularly track my car, as stated in a few threads i've posted recently, and my Advan Sport tires are plenty sticky/wide for track use. The VLSD the SP comes with is garbage, so if you bought the SP to track it, you'll be replacing it with a gear type anyways once you figure out that a viscous LSD overheats and converts itself to an open diff after a hot lap. If you get the SP, the only option I think thats worth a shyt is the SRM, everything else is aesthetic. And just to add, the SP rims are nice yes, but also create more rotational mass and add weight. I'd like to see a base 7AT against a SP 7AT at the drag strip with the same driver and conditions, i'd bet the base has a faster 0-60 and 1/4 mile time.

How heavy are the 18" wheels?
Also, the brakes are a lot better on the sport package, throw in better pads/fluids and you are set for anything. The LSD is not the best for heavy track goers, but for the light track guys it is fine. The bold statement is pretty extreme is very false.

6 lbs lighter per, i believe a thread was made comparing the two and im not taking the time to look for it. The spoiler's advantage in drag coefficient adds zero to the handling/downforce due to the design being based more on looks rather than performance. I'll give the brakes credit, however, the Akebono design has proven to be inefficient and suffer from fade after a hot lap or two. The VLSD, well, its a VLSD. Leaving only SRM to prove its worth, and it does, however, an experienced heel toe-er like myself can execute the same function. I never once argued that for 3k, the SP is a great deal, however, some of the points brought up about how the SP will outperform the base in every respect are false. I have a feeling this thread is quickly going to turn into yet another pissing match, so I'll respectfully bow out before it does, i've spoken my piece.

Not bad, so the 18" weight around 18-19 pounds each?
Spoiler is worthless, pure style. It is not the Akebono design, but the pads themselves, they are not track pads. I would not track the base brakes with stop pads either. Drop the money in pads/fluids and you will have very little issue. All the upgrades for the sport package will outperform the base counter-part.

I previously owned a 350Z touring and I am now looking at the 370Z's. I personally like the looks of the sport package over the Base or Touring but I would like to know if there is any difference in ride quality between the 2. I know the is a difference in tire size but is there a diference in the aspect ratio of the rubber? The thinner the size rubber the rougher the ride.

The lower profile tires will create a harsher/nosier ride, but coming from a 350z you may not notice that much of a difference.
Best bet is to find a dealer with both options and test drive them back to back.

Having the synchro did it for me. The nicer rims and better brakes were a bonus. it's made driving in stop and go traffic a bit more comfortable. The car isn't jerking when I need to down shift like it would without the rev match system. Call me a bad driver but I think letting a computer handle that aspect of it will be more accurate than a human could ever be. I'm surprised this type of system hasn't popped up on other vehicles.

You may be right. I test drove a 370Z touring when they first came out last year and I did notice an improvement in the rideand interior quality over my 350Z.

You can not add SRM to the car w/out the sp pkg... i mean you can - it will be a royal pita. Just get it and forget it man :)

After driving this car quite a few times, I can say this much... if I had to choose between the sport or touring package. Id forget about the touring in a heartbeat. This sport package is awesome.

You make some good points in there. Its all about what you want. Some people cant shift well and need the SRM to make life bearable. Some people love the look of the rays. The base z is great, the sports package just upgrades it. Make the decision yourself if you think it is worth the money or not.

Is it worth the price? Absolutely
Is it a must? No way

Sport Pkg, Best bang for the buck!

Better brakes.

Better traction, due to LSD.

Wider tires.

Lower CD, due to spoiler.

Synro rev match on downshift if MT (I believe this is always a feaure of the AT)

Definitely better! :tup: