Posters selling their Z for a GT

m4a1mustang

I bet you've never driven a Cayman S.

__________________
- Steve

Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!)
LIKE us on Facebook!

ImportConvert

Have not. I agree with the next thing you are probably wanting to say, too, it's not all about power. Yes, yes, and yes. The Cayman S is an awesome car, but if the person I quoted is ONLY onsidering it because he is tired of the VQ, I think they would be sad at the lack of acceleration/possible loss of acceleration realized after their trade. The VQ (supposedly) sounds "harsh" at high rpm, but that's about it imo.

Also, the price-range they are looking in is mid 20's, which means one of the older Cayman's. Not the new one.

jeffreyfranz

Thanks for your longer, comprehensive reply, above. I didn't feel it was "ricer math." I should have emphasized in my original post what my priorities are: agility, handling, supple and planted ride, country/mountain road type driving. All your points were good ones and sounded carefully thought out. Due in part to finances and in part to tastes, if I ever left the Z, it would probably be a downsize to something like an Elise, an MX-5 or an older Boxster. My priorities are definitely on the side of agility and not on drag strip type power. I am an older guy who grew up driving MGs and Austin-Healeys (old British sports cars). Thanks again for your post. Now, if I could have the performance of my Z with the sound of an A-H 100/6 or 3000 Mk. III, that would be just fine...

Jeffrey

__________________
SLO Car Club

ImportConvert

If your tastes allow it...

My experiences with the S2000 were good one's, and you won't find a car in that price bracket/segment with more attention to detail regarding the interior. I would get an S2000 before I got an Elise. Service/maintenance, comfort, quality, etc.

*Took one out on a test-drive and knew I wouldn't push the car as all I had driven at that point was my crown-vic and my '95 Trans Am. I was 19. So, had the dealership supply me with a good driver who knew the car (At this point, I worked for Ford. It was late 2004 and our new Mustang had just hit the floor. There was some competition between the dealerships with the S2000 AP2 and the new mustang. Typical testosterone fueled "ours is faster" stuff). He got the back end loose on many occasions and tempted the corners. VERY! agile little car. They are pretty quick, too. Faster than the other cars you mentioned other than the Elise. Raced one in my 5.0 (247whp) and it was about dead-even. They are decently quick little cars, and the interior is just awesome. Typical Honda craftsmanship regarding materials/driving lay-out/quality.

Just my take, but the best little roadster for the money is an S2000. However, I would prefer a 370Z Sport/Touring to that any day, but you seem to want the open-air "roadster" experience, and the S2K delivers that very well, much better than anything you mentioned except the Elise, which is a total 1-trick pony and looks like a toy in person.

With the S2K the clutch and then the rear-end is a weak-point in the factory car, but I know a guy who put down 700+whp on stock internals. The engine is bomb-proof. With stock power the only thing you possibly need to think about doing is upgrading the clutch if you want to drive it aggressively. Honda improved the rear end year-to-year, I belive. Maybe the same with the clutch. WIth any car, buy the newest one possible. I think they stopped making them in 2009 as a 2010YM, or some similar.

jeffreyfranz

Another really nice, detailed and helpful reply. Thanks, Import Convert, I appreciate hearing your thoughts.

__________________
SLO Car Club

kenchan

he drives a G20 with max 117mph but can go faster with a SR20DETT and drift backwards like dorifuto-king.

ImportConvert

Yep Good DD if it hadn't been breaking all the time.