inside line mustang GT vs 370z 03.11.09

rednek01 · 03-11-2009, 08:23 AM

I have seen this same review time and time again just different mags and different wording. I understand the fact that these are both roughly 30k cars, however that is where the similarities stop and I feel that we we are comparing apples to oranges. I am slightly biased towards the stang because I have been raised with stangs and had one of my own. I dated a girl that drove a 350z for about a year and fell in love with it as well so maybe I am not so biased...lets see!

I will start with the Z, the Z is truly an all out sports car 2 seats, small and light, and great track manners. If I was getting a SPORTS car I would definitely get a Z hands down because it is designed for that one purpose of being a sports car and hasn't been diluted to meet more markets other than the sports car market.

The mustang, one thing that people don't get about the mustang is that it isn't really a sports car, it isn't really a muscle car, it isnt really a cruising car. It is all of these combined which means it comes short in all areas but is able to reach a broad appeal in several markets. While I dream of the days where mustangs where more honed for muscle/sports car duties I have to realize this would be the fall of the mustang case in point the camaro. This is the reason for the mustangs success and why they will continue to produce it as such because it appeals to so many people whether you want a fun top down cruiser or an all out track car you can have it! Granted stock it isnt the best but take a gander at the aftermarket world and you will soon see how versatile these can be.

I guess the point I am trying to make is the mustang is not a really sports car it is a base platform that you can turn into anything where as the Z is a sports car so yea I would be pretty disappointed if the z lost to the mustang in the twisties

sorry for any run on sentences or grammar mistakes I am writing this as quick as possible before work!

rednek01 · 03-11-2009, 08:26 AM

and as far as the solid axle comments give me a break!!!

Granted a IRS set up will always out perform given the engineering behind it, but look at some track cars in say the American Iron league and other racing areas and tell me the solid rear axle is still terrible, I guarantee you will be surprised just how well a solid axle can perform given the right mods

370sed · 03-12-2009, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rednek01

and as far as the solid axle comments give me a break!!!

Granted a IRS set up will always out perform given the engineering behind it, but look at some track cars in say the American Iron league and other racing areas and tell me the solid rear axle is still terrible, I guarantee you will be surprised just how well a solid axle can perform given the right mods

American Iron League??? steel workers or huh?? No I'm not surprised a solid rear axle isn't terrible...... but the point is this is a comparo and here are two cars, and for similar money (base+some option), one is far more compromised in it's design, producing far less capable on road behavior.

Who knows if the goal was to stay 'retro' or because Ford just cheaped out the car, but the bottom line is it's a compromised design no matter how fast it goes 0-60 or 0-100mph, when it comes to actually having to drive the car on other than a straight road (dragway), the difference is readily apparent, or so the story says.

Obviously the 'tang is what it is, with big discounts, a fairly decent wallet-friendly performance everyman's car.....and all optioned up or modded 3 ways from Sunday by a race shop, an original muscle car. Nevertheless it can't escape it's designers builtin DNA, which limits it's ultimate potential at birth....and the story readily shows that in so many ways.

rednek01 · 03-12-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 370sed

American Iron League??? steel workers or huh?? No I'm not surprised a solid rear axle isn't terrible...... but the point is this is a comparo and here are two cars, and for similar money (base+some option), one is far more compromised in it's design, producing far less capable on road behavior.

Who knows if the goal was to stay 'retro' or because Ford just cheaped out the car, but the bottom line is it's a compromised design no matter how fast it goes 0-60 or 0-100mph, when it comes to actually having to drive the car on other than a straight road (dragway), the difference is readily apparent, or so the story says.

Obviously the 'tang is what it is, with big discounts, a fairly decent wallet-friendly performance everyman's car.....and all optioned up or modded 3 ways from Sunday by a race shop, an original muscle car. Nevertheless it can't escape it's designers builtin DNA, which limits it's ultimate potential at birth....and the story readily shows that in so many ways.

Pardon me American Iron racing NASA's American Iron Racing - Home

I guess again the point I was trying to make is the way I see it the Z is made to be a sports car plain and simple and the mustang is made to be basically an any car meaning it can be used in many areas so it lacks in ever area as well. and as far as escaping its designers built in DNA is pretty far off considering what all you can do and change. The aftermarket for the mustang is incredible and you are only limited by budget and your imagination. You cant tell me that a stang that has been made into a full fledged drag car that runs 6's all day long is limited by its original DNA, or that a full out modified for racing (agent 47 http://www.agentfortyseven.com/home.htmland or griggs racing http://www.griggsracing.com/) that i wouldn't be surprised if it could out handle any Z car that was bought from a dealer then modified for the track is limited by its "original DNA"

Robert_Nash · 03-12-2009, 11:27 AM

Having owed a 1973 Formula 400 Firebird, a 1976 50^th Anniversary Edition (black/gold) TransAm, a 1979 Black/Gold Edition TransAm and a 2000 Camaro Z/28 (all purchased new); I’ve had a bit of experience with pony cars.

As such, I’ve always found it a bit odd that magazines insist on comparing cars like the Z to Mustangs and Camaros and such…despite their similarities, they are really very different animals and comparing them just seems like more of an excuse to write a magazine article that it is to do any serious look at the vehicles in question.

The new Camaro coming out, assuming it really does come out, should be a hell of a car…I may even buy one, but I just don’t see it as a vehicle that the Z should be compared to.

At least that’s my $0.02

rednek01 · 03-12-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert_Nash

Having owed a 1973 Formula 400 Firebird, a 1976 50^th Anniversary Edition (black/gold) TransAm, a 1979 Black/Gold Edition TransAm and a 2000 Camaro Z/28 (all purchased new); I’ve had a bit of experience with pony cars.

As such, I’ve always found it a bit odd that magazines insist on comparing cars like the Z to Mustangs and Camaros and such…despite their similarities, they are really very different animals and comparing them just seems like more of an excuse to write a magazine article that it is to do any serious look at the vehicles in question.

The new Camaro coming out, assuming it really does come out, should be a hell of a car…I may even buy one, but I just don’t see it as a vehicle that the Z should be compared to.

At least that’s my $0.02

THANK YOU!!! I agree totally and this was part of my argument.

jakoye · 03-13-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rednek01

Pardon me American Iron racing NASA's American Iron Racing - Home

I guess again the point I was trying to make is the way I see it the Z is made to be a sports car plain and simple and the mustang is made to be basically an any car meaning it can be used in many areas so it lacks in ever area as well. and as far as escaping its designers built in DNA is pretty far off considering what all you can do and change. The aftermarket for the mustang is incredible and you are only limited by budget and your imagination. You cant tell me that a stang that has been made into a full fledged drag car that runs 6's all day long is limited by its original DNA, or that a full out modified for racing (agent 47 Agent 47 HOMEand or griggs racing Griggs Racing Products) that i wouldn't be surprised if it could out handle any Z car that was bought from a dealer then modified for the track is limited by its "original DNA"

Let's just stick to comparing the base cars. Once you get into modding, all bets are off.

Asheth · 03-11-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rednek01

I have seen this same review time and time again just different mags and different wording. I understand the fact that these are both roughly 30k cars, however that is where the similarities stop and I feel that we we are comparing apples to oranges. I am slightly biased towards the stang because I have been raised with stangs and had one of my own. I dated a girl that drove a 350z for about a year and fell in love with it as well so maybe I am not so biased...lets see!

I will start with the Z, the Z is truly an all out sports car 2 seats, small and light, and great track manners. If I was getting a SPORTS car I would definitely get a Z hands down because it is designed for that one purpose of being a sports car and hasn't been diluted to meet more markets other than the sports car market.

The mustang, one thing that people don't get about the mustang is that it isn't really a sports car, it isn't really a muscle car, it isnt really a cruising car. It is all of these combined which means it comes short in all areas but is able to reach a broad appeal in several markets. While I dream of the days where mustangs where more honed for muscle/sports car duties I have to realize this would be the fall of the mustang case in point the camaro. This is the reason for the mustangs success and why they will continue to produce it as such because it appeals to so many people whether you want a fun top down cruiser or an all out track car you can have it! Granted stock it isnt the best but take a gander at the aftermarket world and you will soon see how versatile these can be.

I guess the point I am trying to make is the mustang is not a really sports car it is a base platform that you can turn into anything where as the Z is a sports car so yea I would be pretty disappointed if the z lost to the mustang in the twisties

sorry for any run on sentences or grammar mistakes I am writing this as quick as possible before work!

It gets compared because people like to look at these numbers HP 0-60 1/4 mile all comparable so people will make the comparison and wonder. So a battle ends the argument and you can't throw in there aftermarket parts as a caveat. The Z responds great to aftermarket parts so far. The stang is massed produced so it has a good following causing aftermarket parts to be cheaper because of more competition (my opinion) but at the end of the day your adding power to the Z and the stang still has to do something about its suspension just to match the stock suspension of the Z. This is all my opinion and based not great amounts of experience just some research.

rednek01 · 03-11-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asheth

It gets compared because people like to look at these numbers HP 0-60 1/4 mile all comparable so people will make the comparison and wonder. So a battle ends the argument and you can't throw in there aftermarket parts as a caveat. The Z responds great to aftermarket parts so far. The stang is massed produced so it has a good following causing aftermarket parts to be cheaper because of more competition (my opinion) but at the end of the day your adding power to the Z and the stang still has to do something about its suspension just to match the stock suspension of the Z. This is all my opinion and based not great amounts of experience just some research.

I understand why they are being compared, I realize it is because of the numbers but what I am focusing on is the design and goals of each car are completely different. Yes the numbers are similar but no they are not both full fledged sports cars. This is where my aftermarket argument comes in, if you take a car that is having to appeal to so many different people and wants then the parts that come stock on the car are going to be fairly watered down to be able to handle more than just being a drag car or a sports car. So basically the mustang is a platform car meaning after you buy it you make it what you want whether it be a drag car, track car, or just a good looking cruiser. The Z from the factory is a sports car with the track in mind

Asheth · 03-11-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rednek01

I understand why they are being compared, I realize it is because of the numbers but what I am focusing on is the design and goals of each car are completely different. Yes the numbers are similar but no they are not both full fledged sports cars. This is where my aftermarket argument comes in, if you take a car that is having to appeal to so many different people and wants then the parts that come stock on the car are going to be fairly watered down to be able to handle more than just being a drag car or a sports car. So basically the mustang is a platform car meaning after you buy it you make it what you want whether it be a drag car, track car, or just a good looking cruiser. The Z from the factory is a sports car with the track in mind

Well I would consider the Z to be a full fledged sports car. 2 seats good amount of HP, great suspension. Designed with speed and handling in mind. Are there faster sports cars out there? Yes! At any rate the Z is a sports car and just because the Mustang has a back seat doesn't exclude it from being a sports car GT-R has back seats Spec-V GT-R doesn't both are sports cars Porsche 911 GT has backseats and is a sports car. The backseats aren't roomy like in a sedan but there backseats nonetheless and in a sports car. I think when Ford makes a new edition to the Mustang they don't say lets make a great cruiser they are making a muscle car/sports car that has back seats priced around $30k which is what they accomplish.

03-11-2009, 08:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
rednek01 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Houston Posts: 352 Drives: Mustang GT Rep Power: 238	this is going to be a novel I have seen this same review time and time again just different mags and different wording. I understand the fact that these are both roughly 30k cars, however that is where the similarities stop and I feel that we we are comparing apples to oranges. I am slightly biased towards the stang because I have been raised with stangs and had one of my own. I dated a girl that drove a 350z for about a year and fell in love with it as well so maybe I am not so biased...lets see! I will start with the Z, the Z is truly an all out sports car 2 seats, small and light, and great track manners. If I was getting a SPORTS car I would definitely get a Z hands down because it is designed for that one purpose of being a sports car and hasn't been diluted to meet more markets other than the sports car market. The mustang, one thing that people don't get about the mustang is that it isn't really a sports car, it isn't really a muscle car, it isnt really a cruising car. It is all of these combined which means it comes short in all areas but is able to reach a broad appeal in several markets. While I dream of the days where mustangs where more honed for muscle/sports car duties I have to realize this would be the fall of the mustang case in point the camaro. This is the reason for the mustangs success and why they will continue to produce it as such because it appeals to so many people whether you want a fun top down cruiser or an all out track car you can have it! Granted stock it isnt the best but take a gander at the aftermarket world and you will soon see how versatile these can be. I guess the point I am trying to make is the mustang is not a really sports car it is a base platform that you can turn into anything where as the Z is a sports car so yea I would be pretty disappointed if the z lost to the mustang in the twisties sorry for any run on sentences or grammar mistakes I am writing this as quick as possible before work!

03-11-2009, 08:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
rednek01 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Houston Posts: 352 Drives: Mustang GT Rep Power: 238	solid axle and as far as the solid axle comments give me a break!!! Granted a IRS set up will always out perform given the engineering behind it, but look at some track cars in say the American Iron league and other racing areas and tell me the solid rear axle is still terrible, I guarantee you will be surprised just how well a solid axle can perform given the right mods

03-12-2009, 11:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
Robert_Nash Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Middle TN/Savannah GA Posts: 762 Drives: '14 Q60IPL/'14Armada Rep Power: 18	Having owed a 1973 Formula 400 Firebird, a 1976 50^th Anniversary Edition (black/gold) TransAm, a 1979 Black/Gold Edition TransAm and a 2000 Camaro Z/28 (all purchased new); I’ve had a bit of experience with pony cars. As such, I’ve always found it a bit odd that magazines insist on comparing cars like the Z to Mustangs and Camaros and such…despite their similarities, they are really very different animals and comparing them just seems like more of an excuse to write a magazine article that it is to do any serious look at the vehicles in question. The new Camaro coming out, assuming it really does come out, should be a hell of a car…I may even buy one, but I just don’t see it as a vehicle that the Z should be compared to. At least that’s my $0.02 __________________ Robert -My Basset Hound Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student and Barack Obama - Last edited by Robert_Nash; 03-12-2009 at 11:29 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Motortrend Drag Race - 370Z, Genesis Coupe, Mustang GT 03.16.09	AK370Z	Nissan 370Z Photos / Spyshots / Video / Media Gallery	32	11-05-2009 04:39 PM
MotorTrend: Genesis vs. Mustang GT vs. 370z	FairmanZ	Nissan 370Z General Discussions	15	03-31-2009 07:49 AM
Motor Trend: Mustang vs. Genesis vs. 370Z	LiquidZ	Other Vehicles	7	03-14-2009 10:28 PM
Edmunds.com: 2009 Nissan 370Z Inside Line Party and Video 11.16.08	AK370Z	Nissan 370Z Photos / Spyshots / Video / Media Gallery	9	11-19-2008 11:19 AM
2009 Edmunds' Inside Line Editors' Most Wanted Awards	AK370Z	Other Vehicles	1	11-12-2008 11:25 AM