^u'll feel more than just bad if you crash a miata without investing is proper safety gear.

If you drive any of the performance cars and aggressively shift it a lot in a racing style you are prone to damaging them specially on the newer hi tech transmissions, they really don't stand up well to aggressive or track conditions for a long time.

If you buy any sports car make sure you get the best waranty you can buy , if you intend on driving it aggressively.

One car that is easy to work on and get parts cheap for would be an old c4 corvette with a 6 speed manual , you can pick them up cheap and most are as quick as the 370z and you could use it as a learning platform for buying the Z. Or even an older mustang gt, mildly set up for performance or a track car.

Before you buy any sports car you should really look at the BMW line up of sports sedans and coupes around.

Once you buy a 2 seat sports cars it ends up being just like a motorcycle or a boat and sits around unused a lot.

If you have a lot of money and you want to buy a ultimate toy, than get what ever you want.

But the reality is that unless the sports car is your only vehicle to drive every day, than it will sit around a lot.

I'm in the position that I could buy any car I want and own 3 cars and 4 motorcycles and my every day beater is Nissan Sentra and when me and the wife go out or take long trips we take a 2012 CRV.

Gotcha. Then yes get a beater first like Miata or maybe even an old c4 corvette like gsxr750 mentioned. In any event, I wouldn't invest money on a 370z for that matter. Good luck and have fun on the track!:tup:

Like a couple others have said for a first manual I would recommend something like a Miata, at least for a little while. These are cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and are still a blast to drive.

Knowing how to drive stick and knowing how to drive stick well are two different animals. The clutch in the Z is not exactly what I would call user friendly for beginners and without much daily experience you WILL make mistakes and put quite a bit of undue wear on the car. On a Z this can be a pretty expensive proposition for a car you don't even plan on keeping long term, not to mention a dangerous one....I taught my wife how to drive stick years ago and while she is competent, without regular practice there is no way in hell I would let her get behind the wheel of my car...I don't want to receive that phone call from the hospital (or worse). A stock Z may not be a track monster but any 300hp RWD sports car can get out of hand pretty quickly and put you in a world of hurt if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

After driving stick daily for a couple months/year then go get the sports car of your dreams. In the long run you'll appreciate it more and save yourself a ton of headache and expenses.

Just my two cents.

I can't believe this is 4 pages already. IMO, you're wasting your money getting anything but the car you plan to get in a years time. If it were 5 years down the road that would be different. But 1 year!? C'mon man. Going from a Miata to a Z06 is going to be like learning to drive all over again. Every car is different in how it feels, turns, shifts, accelerates, brakes, etc. Learning in the car you plan to own is the best thing you can do to better your skills and be truly comfortable in your car come track day. You looked at Ron Fellows class. Good. Take it. Especially if you're getting a Corvette. I took that class for a weekend and it was hands down the best driving experience I've had. Amazing instructors that will make you a million times better the driver. You will learn how to heel/toe, brake, and flat out drive better than you could imagine through that class. It will be faster and better than taking a year to learn on your own in a crappy car. They also provide the cars. So buy your own Z06 and use theirs on the track to learn in. No wear and tear on your car through your growing pains.

And for the Corvette haters in the forums. I love my Z, but that class gave me a ton of respect for the Vette. That car is amazingly easy to drive, has gobs of power, brakes great, handles great, and takes a ton of abuse on the track in 110 degree weather. Not a single issue. The instructors also spoke very highly of them and their durability. Maintenance is quite low on them. My friend has 2 Z06s. C5 and a C6. Also reports they are very reliable. Only thing I would replace day one is the seats. The seats suck for track or spirited driving.

I drove for 2-3 days in a borrowed RSX learning stick. A couple years later my first manual was an Evo 9MR. Depending how quick of a learner you are I think you will be fine :) I wouldn't worry about it.