but not having read the posts? That's not what we are talking about.
As a side note, just because a Corvette can blow the doors off the 370Z (and you can modify both, if you like), does not make it a more fun car to drive. And that is what I was talking about: street use, unmodified driving experience that hopefully won't land you in jail.

Without regard for the actual "whose balls are bigger" question, which comes down to drivers, equipment, track condition, temperature, humidity luck, bluh bluh bluh. I don't have to tell you about that...

Not everyone who enjoys cars and knows how to double clutch takes their cars to the track. Very small percentage of cars are actually modified, even fewer make it to the track. And not just because the owners are broke or scared of loud noises.

If you do, good for you, I am envious.

But love your racing attitude, must be fun to tustle with you, street tires or not.

Damm.... I need to trade my Ferrari Enzo for a Mazda 3. Its really fun and head turning, have you seen those Commercial Ads of the zoom zoom Mazda 3? yeah, I need one of those.
Go zoom zoom!
---
All I've to say is that its your opinion and congrats that you've found your dream performance car ever. Now go, send an application to EdMunds, Car and Driver, Road and Track, Import Tuner or whatever other magazine you think that is better for you to work as a reporter.

:)

this'd be a good story for the onion... man (boy-teen-whatever) trades in enzo via clunkers for cash to get shiny new mazda 3!

well i driven the ms3 is fun to drive my friend has it modded...so its feels fast..but i think after i get my nismo the proper break in i will unleash its real power i havent taken it over 4.500 RPMS so there is that 7.400 rpm redline waiting for me so ill let you guys know how it all goes.. and looks and interior the Z is the way to go.

I'm surprised you found the Z as a disappointment. I found it to be awesome. The Mazda 3 is pretty quick too but I don't like hatch backs. S2000's are nice little convertibles, I would own one. The RX8 is a pretty fun car to drive but it just doesn't have enough "go" for me. I hate the Porsche Caymen, I think it is way overpriced. It is a boxter with a hard top and it's really not that fast for 50 grand.

I would honestly choose the 370. It corners great, the acceleration is a thrill, and for 30 grand, you can have Porsche Caymen like performance. No, it may not be quite as fast but it's not far off, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper. With the 20 grand I save on the Z, I'll mod it to make it destroy Caymens and even faster cars all day long. But that's just my opinion.

mook the gook attacks@!!!!

Why do people keep on calling the MS3 GT a sports car? Its a compact car pure and simple. Same for the MS6... Hell, ill even go as far as agreeing that it could be called a sports compact car but it sure as hell isnt a sports car. The S-2000 could be called a sports car. The RX-7 could be called a sports car i think but never the MS3 or the MS3 GT.

Anyone who tries to call them a sports car is out of their mind. They are boy-racer econoboxes... just like STis and EVOs and SRT-4s. Yeah, they are fast... but they are still nothing more than tuned econoboxes. Not knocking on them, that's just the way it is.

Porsche and its parts are definitely outrageously overpriced, wouldn't even think of buying it new or out of warranty.

Problem is, I don't race others much and when you are not racing against the clock or another person, it's all about the feel and the tossability, the entertainment value basically. Not much of a drag strip guy.
So the weight is one of the biggest issues here. When I choose my motorcycles I bitch and moan about every extra 10lb, cars - 100lb. Makes a huge difference as far as entertainment goes.

Those extra 20k you are talking about (more like 30k after options) won't make the car much lighter and that's a problem off the track and off the highway (I am not about to start tossing seats out of it for weight reduction, of course)

If Z had the weight of an MS3, it would be the best street sports car around no question about it, engine rough or not. The Porsche wouldn't stand a chance.
If it had the weight of a Cayman, it would be the greatest car for any amount of money and people like me would line up in front of the dealerships at 6am.
And if had the weight of an as S2000, it would become a classic, even if it was the ugliest car around.

Of course, this would narrow the appeal and Nissan would probably not make any money and shut down the party, just like Honda did.

I am gonna go back to the dealership and give it another spin. I think part of the problem is the low end oomph of the turbo made me a bit lazy, so when I drove it, I expected the same kick in the gut too far from the red line. Maybe if I was coming off the S2000 directly, I would be much more impressed. Because of the heft, I may need to rev much higher to launch and ignore the salesman whimpering while shifting closer to the redline.
And if I have to squeal the tires a bit in the corners... well it just has to be done.
I guess the numbers and the reviews set my expectations way too high. I thought it was because it had no low end torque, so I looked it up and there is actually plenty. So I am still puzzled. You know, you should not need a dyno to tell you the car is powerful, a test drive should be enough. Most likely it's the weight.

I was kind of hoping to have a car that is fun to toss around the streets at low speeds (kind of like an S2000 on steroids). I am not much of a drag strip guy.

You want low end torque without the turbo feel then you should be looking at a Mustang.
The Z is going to be smooth through the entire RPM range, I just got my car dynoed last night, fully stock, and the HP curve is so smooth; you will not get that jump feel you get with a turbo.

You will not get a 370z sports car in the sub 3,000 range without tearing it apart. Forged just tore a 370z apart and got it down to 2515 without any seats or sound dampening, add back in some weight for seats and other parts and they will be under 3,000 but not in a street legal car.

LOL - are you serious? This is just outright trolling. You came over to a 370Z enthusist web page to say their car sucks and the M3 GT is better (I'm talking Mazda not Bimmer)? You mention all these other cars that are actually slower and praise them then say the fastest car of the bunch was disapointing because it "felt" slower. Wow. Please bring your smack down to the track - the slow 370Z vs your uber machine. Then you can feel fast in your car while the slow Z tail lights disapear around the next bend.... don't worry you can check out the head lights when you get put down a lap.... but all at the same time feeling faster in your car. You know like the Star Wars ride at Disney Land where it "feels" like you are flying in a space ship when your seat is only moving a few inches.

Feelings.... nothing more than feelings....

The only car that is even in the same league is the Porsche...anyone who would purcahse a RX8,Mazda speed 3, or S2000 over the 370Z isnt looking for a sports car.

Mook, you should test drive a VW GTI, you appear like a GTI kind of person, tossing, German etc.
My neighbor’s son owns one and claims the Turbo has a great low end kick and Little Turbo lag.

Hum ! :confused: The Porsche Cayman S is an amazing vehicle. If I could afford one, which I can't without being streched, would be my first car of choice. Anyone who slams this Porsche has no real merit to thier conversation. I had to get that out of the way.

That said, I did alot of research in 08 as I was planning on another purchase, all I knew is I wanted a 2 seater sport car again...........there was not one, and I mean not one, that was better than the Z for the price. I had never owned a Japanese car before, so it was a plung.

NOTE to self - I do miss Turbo charged engines. ;)

My wife use to own a 2007 Solstice GXP (Auto), in stock form the power was ok. After I had it tuned to 290hp 325lbft at the crank it was a little rocket. Well unfortunately I totaled the car one day coming home from work. :shakes head:

I needed another car to replace the Solstice and still wanted the fun factor as you described the Mazda Speed 3 has. I looked at a lot of cars, but came down to buying the 370z. Coming from a tuned turbo charged car like the Solstice it was hard to tell if the 370z was faster. It’s the extra torque that made the Solstice feel like a rocket; the 370z is faster the ¼ mile times don’t lie. The best I could get with the Solstice 13.6, based on others confirming the 370z 7AT 13.3 ¼ mile time is faster.

Mazda make great cars, I know cause I have a folding hardtop MX5, but I am saving up to buy a 370z to join the MX5.
Mook, the 370Z has been praised by journalists the world over. I think you are biased and have another agenda. There seem to be growing number of people who are joining this forum to can the Z, is it because they bought more expensive cars that they now have realized are not as good as the Z and join to vent?

you forget that the STi and Evo are RALLY "RACE" cars that are also sold to the public.. they were built FIRST to race and are built around the rules for rally. Also they are currently the fastest cars in TIME attack. now the SRT-4 has no such haritage so i'll agree with you there. Why you hatten?

This thread is pretty funny when you sit down and read it for a while. My only conclusion is that the op has a small Prick that only engorges at the expenses ruffling other peoples feathers with statements that are complete nonsense.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D60xnL33mv...s320/troll.gif

Anyway I won't bother you anymore OP. I'm sure you and your Kia Sephia have a nice afternoon of high speed thrill rides through the rocky mountains.

Im surprised you guys gave mook 3 pages. Only one reason someone makes an account on a forum about a car he doesnt own or want and proceeds to pan it against obviously inferior cars [RX-8, MS3, S2K]. Why not just buy your Cayman S or MS3 and have fun. Whats the point of coming here?

Why not go to Cayman S/MS3/RX-8 boards and say this as they would love it. Coming here to say this is really pointless as we have guys that have owned or still own these cars. So your imput wasnt needed at all though from what you wrote you seem to think we needed to hear your perspective hence your signing up to impart your knowledge. No hard feelings but please stop hiding behind your fake altruistic reason for posting this. :tiphat:

wow haha now i see why live chat would have sucked.. this would have destroyed it. its awesome he has an opinion about a car, and its even more amazing that u guys have an opinion over his opinion, in the end no one wins. its like having fights about who has the better game console, or bigger house, or whitest white tee's. in the end its all still opinion, and last time i checked opinions are "NOT" facts. ima type it one more time in case someone didnt catch it the first time "NOT" facts. i cant believe i sat down and read all these posts one by one haha.

now lets the man drive his mazda, let the other guy drive his s2k, the other guy drive his porsche, and u guys can continue to drive ur 370zs.. wooooow

I wouldnt waste my money on a Porsche Cayman. I owned a 2004 Viper SRT-10 before my current ride and I can tell you I would eat just about any car for lunch... and Caymans werent even worth wasting my gas on. You can get a Gen III Viper now from the mid 30's and up depending on the year, mods, and miles. To spend $40,000 on anything else would be a waste of money. You would be getting half the car, it would depreciate quickly (were a Viper wont), and you wouldnt even come close to a Viper on the track or on the street. Not to mention they only HAND BUILD 1200-1600 of them a year. Hell my Jeep SRT-8 will spank just about anything Mook listed... and it weighs 5,000 pounds!

So how do you get a $100K car that doesn't depreciate for $40K???????

Exactyl - RALLY race.... totally different set up than an on-road race...

Nissan USA - Nissan Cars, Hybrid, Trucks, Crossovers, SUVs - take a look at the J.D. Power And Associates quote under the Z.
lol
Sorry could not resist, I know it's an attempt keep the insurance costs down

bolt-ons
 

This may be off topic for this thread anymore, but does anyone know what type of bolt-ons could I use (without canceling the warranty) to bring the torque up to 300+lb on the Z? Also how much would it be including the install?

Obviously he hasn't driven my Z.

After reading through these 5 long pages, I feel like I need to submit my own opinion to tamper some of the dissention going on here. I currently drive a Mazdaspeed 3 (not a Mazda 3, like some have posted, that is a completely different car) and I carpool with a friend who drives an 06 Porsche Cayman S. I have also test driven and been looking at the 370Z.

I have driven all three of these cars. I am considering buying a 370Z which is why I am on this forum, and I am not "TROLLING" like Mook has been accused of. I do have to agree with Mook on the point that the Mazdaspeed3 (with minor bolt-ons makes close to 300 bhp) "feels" a bit faster than the 370Z and Cayman S because of the extra torque and more linear power delivery. However, the Cayman S is the better car (and faster car, though it did run a slower lap time than my MS3 at the autocross :). I've enjoyed driving the Porsche because of the RWD, and for that reason I test drove the Z recently, and have been considering trading in my Mazdaspeed3 for that car. It is mainly a function of having the rear wheel drive. As far as motor is concerned, I still prefer the MS3 motor (keeping in mind that I do have the bolt-on intake and midpipe which makes some extra power) because of the sheer wave of torque that it produces. But I like the RWD of the Z, and the shorter wheel base and handling characteristics. So overall I'm torn, and am having a difficult time choosing.

There seems to be a pretty biased feeling of superiority among Z owners against other manufacturers like Mazda, Honda, etc. The Mazdaspeed3 IS a great sports car; if you don't agree, check out the reviews on Automobile and Car and Driver. "This is a sports car folks, hang on and enjoy it," are the words from one article that I remember best. I know Z owners feel like they are in a different league, but you're still talking about cars that fall into the 25K to 30K price range and offer similar power to weight numbers. The Z is not a Ferrari and it is still a logical competitor against cars like the MS3 and WRX, STI, G37, Evo, etc. 30K will buy you any one of these cars.

I had dismissed the Z previously because the 350 was a slower car than the MS3 as far as power to weight and track times are concerned. But I love that the new 370Z is lighter AND stronger. So I am back in the market. But I just want to shed some light on this argument, and remember, never underestimate the competition!

Not doubting the power you can get out of a MS3, but it is not a sports car by definition. Also, the Z is not a 25-30k car, it is a 30-40k car, and you cannot get a G37 or EVO (not sure on STi) for 30k.

The bias is because you are on a Z board, but at the same time you are trying to compare a Turbo style car to a NA car, which is going to feel different and drive differently.

The truth is the MazdaSpeed3 is really in the same league as the VW GTi, Honda Civic Si, Dodge Caliber STR-4, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec etc.
Why are people comparing a 370Z to these sport compacts? FWD vs RWD
If Mazda placed the 2.3L DOHC DISI Turbo w/263hp in the MX-5, then “Trolls” might something to BS about!

+1

I think I'm going to go post on the GT-R forums and debate how a 370z "feels" faster, handles better, and is overall a better car.

Because we all know they are in the same class and are basically the same car...amirite?

Lets not let the fact that they are totally different get in the way.

Still, I think many people, including me, would prefer 370Z over GT-R for the street and not just because of the price difference.

:tiphat: Exactly. Why get so defensive about the car you think is great just because someone does not agree with you, unless you got a reason for it, which apparently you don't.
Wonder how much weight could be stripped out of the car easily without screwing up a good thing (CF hood, replacing seats with something lighter, etc). Would be awesome to lighten up the front end to get closer to 50/50.

I prefer the Z because of the $$ and the looks. Performance wise I'd rather have the GT-R but as others have explained they are a totally different class of car.... the GT-R is in super car territory with the Z06...

The Mazadaspeed 3 has big problems controling that enourmous torque to it's front wheels. Matter of fact the VW GTI does a much better job, albeit the MAZADASPEED 3 is probably faster.

The Z and the Mazadaspeed 3 are total two different types of cars that operate and handle totally different, so you can't compare.

PORSCHE CAYMAN S - I would still take this over a VIPER. It's not about how big you are, it's how you despense with the goods. Well :confused: better yet, seeing we are in this territory, I might as well move up to a 911 GT3....

I love my Z ? After 2nd gear it's all good. :yum:

What a surprise; a guy who loves the S2000 doesn't like the 370Z...color me stunned. :shakes head:

And why is that???? That's the same thing as saying you'd perfer a Porsche Cayman over a Porsche 911 Turbo for the street :shakes head:

Actually, I would prefer the 09' Cayman S over all three.
Firstly, there is more involvement with the car at lower speeds. Test drive a fast Corvette on the back streets, if you can't get a hold of a 911 Turbo. You only 3/4 way through the 1st gear and you already have to hit the breaks. Might as well get an automatic. Same problem with litter bikes.

Try to slide one of those things on the street, too. Pretty tough with all that rubber at low speeds, isn't it.

You are also attracting just a bit too much attention. Don't know about you, but I don't like that for many reasons. Sometimes, it's just not practical when all you want to do is have fun.

GT-R is also a bit on the big side for the street.

And the biggest problem - AWD vs RWD. Of course, I'd rather stick to RWD on the street, even if I live somewhere where it rains or snows all the time. Hmmm, especially if I live there =).

Of course, there is a limit to this reasoning a car like Miata or S2000 makes you want more power.