I participated in an auto focus group that compared the 370Z, BRZ, Cayman, and etc.

shadoquad

FWD, seats 7 is really what I consider a sports car. If you can't beat a Mustang with a Honda Odyssey, then imo, you have no business on a race track.

Red__Zed

I think of that as more of a sporty GT, unless you get the convertible.

binary0x01

You're missing the point, but about an infinitely long mile.

He was supposed to give his honest opinion, and he has.

That's what he was paid to do. And that's why he wasn't selected for the driving session.

The Z is out of the league of every car in that sample, I'm sure they expected his opinion being what it was.

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Tune (by Seb@SpecialtyZ) -- Upgraded Parts List : When in doubt, use brute force; if it doesn't work, you aren't using enough.

UNKNOWN_370

Why would they want opinions before test driving? My understanding is he gave a pre-opinion on sports cars. And his pre-opinion knocked him out?
I thought the object was to test and review each car then give your opinion. Well i guess it worked out either way. If he really thinks like that about sports then it's best? lol. I just think that was a silly answer.

Telephone

I agree. Sounds like he shot his mouth off and overstayed his welcome.
The Z can speak for itself...no need to take subjective cheap shots. Quite immature really.

Kenny

Nice try.. but I'm not going to bite..

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UNKNOWN_370

No need to bite, you posted exactly what you did and how you expressed yourself. Take the criticism like a man. I didn't put you on blast. You did.

All I'm saying is I would have been honest on why the Z is the better and truer sports car @ the end of the full on set of test drives & reviews to have a documented intellectual speaker on behalf of the Z, while still objectively reviewing the other cars.
But if you'd rather knock yourself out in the beginning with INCREDIBLY subjective and bias chatter... So be it.

shadoquad

Sounds like a lot of fun, Kenny!

FairladyZ

Lamborghini aventador awd

shadoquad

Nissan GTR AWD and 4 seats

bigdog1250

The only sports cars I saw in that comparison were the Z, Porsche, and BRZ.

Like you all have said, the others are just "sporty" cars (aside from the TC).
Seats/Drivetrain/etc. don't warrant a sports car - I define it as built with intention for driving, not for being a people mover.

However I do feel RWD, 2 seater coupes are generally the purest defintion. And 911 backseats aren't real, children have a hard time fitting in there. I think they only do it for insurance purposes which is brilliant, as a 4 seater generally insures for less - thank you Porsche!

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350z / 40th 370z / C6 Z06 / BMW M4 / V10 R8 / C7 Grand Spot / 997.1 GT3 / S2K / Camaro ZL1 / 718 GTS / 991.2 GT3

370Z Purist

Same logic as the GTR! Except that fits actual people in the backseats a bit easier than a 911 might.

Since high horsepower engines became the norm, having a heavier car isn't the biggest issue anymore. Not all that long ago, super high displacement V8s had trouble making 400 horsepower. Sure, a lot (like, a LOT) for the time, but times have also changed... having an extra 200 pounds can be sort of made up for now, a bit easier than in the past.

Sitting in the backseat of a G35 coupe = impossible.

Mustangs are more so pony cars unless you get the 5.0 V8. Sure, fast, but is it really a sports car? Wikipedia's definition of a pony car makes perfect sense:

Pony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.

I don't see the American revival of the muscle car so much a muscle car as it is a sporty car with a MASSIVE engine. But isn't that basically a muscle car? I suppose so.

Then we have grand tourers, or GT cars. Again, Wikipedia (yes, yes, not reliable, whatever):

A grand tourer (Italian: gran turismo) (GT) is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement.

e.g. G35, G37. Pretty much exactly a GT car.

By that logic, I suppose the Z is a perfect definition of a sports car, such as people hail the Miata for being the ideal sports car: lightweight, two seats, 50/50 weight distribution.

At the same time I don't think anyone really cares about the "technical" terms for cars anymore. Now it's just minivan, sports car/coupe, sedan/saloon, truck, etc. Well, no one cares except for fools like me who try to classify EVERYTHING.

Well. If it drives well.

For that reason, read above. The ultimatum, however, still stands... a car is better if it is a bit lighter, so having fewer seats and less weight makes for a faster, more responsive car. If your Dodge Caravan (one of the heaviest passenger vehicles in the world) still weighs 6500 pounds but makes 1000 horsepower, does it really matter since you can barely turn the thing? Even as a drag racer, less weight = more power (sort of).

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-Phil

"Since one of my brake light bulbs just went out, the forum told me that my piston rings are about to blow."

Red__Zed

Nobody said anything about mustangs.

370Z Purist

We're considering what defines a sports car, are we not? Mustang still doesn't handle all that well. Might change since they're apparently going to finally kill off the live rear axle.

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-Phil

"Since one of my brake light bulbs just went out, the forum told me that my piston rings are about to blow."

Red__Zed

Good lord.