just say you are about to buy it today... they will beg you to go for a ride... just go in ... be like im about to get a 1 series... i wanted to try the competition first... BOOM testdrive

Yep, the WORST thing you could say is "I'm not ready to buy for a few more months". Many salesman are too stupid to realize you'd come back to them in a few months and will deny you a test drive. They'll just tell you to come back when you're serious about buying.

Why waste time on a test drive when you could be negotiating a price?!?!?!

I was thinking about getting the auto, but I love a stick but ... I drive a stick all day long at work, so it's kind of nice to no have to worry about it on my commute, and the paddle shifters looked like the best of both worlds. The Z I test drove was an auto, and quite frankly I hated it. I guess I just didn't get it, it didn't seem to downshift when I pushed the paddle, then suddenly dropped three gears... I'm glad I got to take that test drive ! I now know for a fact that I will be getting a stick !!!! : )

Or just do what I did. Long passionately for a new Z car for 20 years. Wait till you can afford one. Find one in another city and buy it sight unseen and never have test driven one. Buy a manual even though you haven't driven one for eight years. Anxiously pull out of the lot wondering how many miles/days its going to take you to get use to a stick again. Get half way around the block and realize driving a stick is like riding a bike....