It doesnt make sense to me how a heavy sedan with the exact same motor as a smaller, lighter Z car can be faster.

I love my Z, but if I would have to do it again, I would seriously consider paying a little extra for used a Z4M coupe. The biggest reason I would do that is because those cars hold value really well, and you could drive it a couple of years and sell it for a minimal loss....who knows, they may even appreciate over time.

it's gotta be the AT...

The benchmark for performance is the (last gen) Porsche 911, so for the money, in a new or new-ish car, nothing really.

Less torque (and as specs will reveal less actual braking and cornering performance) but similar good looks and style: FR-S and MX-5.

EDIT #1: And, to be sure, some serious fun factor for those two ^^^ :tup:

Likely competitor, but less refinement and worse performance: Genesis coupe

Rally car version of sports car (4-doors... bleah): WRX and Evo.

After that, we're into muscle car striving to be sports car territory, where if you invest some bank, you can have a real beast of a car that can even turn and brake (e.g., mid to top grade new Mustang et al), but for a more conventional "true" sports car, there really isn't anything else on the market at this price point.

And frankly, the 370Z spanks the 350Z in every performance metric and in refinement, so I wouldn't even put it's predecessor on the list as a real rival (Edit #1a: and the newest MY iteration is now at least 7 years old... by "new or new-ish" I mean "less than 5 years old".)

http://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/n...ssan_370z.html

Edit #2: I am a huge fan of the Z4, one of the only Bimmers I have any real affection for... but it's a lot more money... :(

fr-s might be even more fun to drive than a 350z..gotta put appearance and fun to drive factor in your metrics for street cars.

Shipping after Turkey day... :rolleyes:

Whiteline customer support really is wonderful. :eek:

:ugh2: wow... never buying anything from then again. :ugh:

Dear Trips,

I have been naughty this year but I still want a present from Santa.

Regards,
rooftop

Gearing in the tranny and rear end

Dont think i'd use the term "spanks" it BARELY beats the 350z by only 1-2 seconds. I imagine a properly modded 350z HR will be neck and neck with a stock 370z in a straight line and on the track.

wont be neck and neck with the AT though. the 370z will do circles around your 350z.

Stock for stock I can see the 370 pulling away by a car or 2 length, but add some mods to an HR 350 and I think it would be even, but I think the cost of the HR+Mods would be about even or a lil less than the cost of a used 09-10 370z, then I guess you could just add mods to the 370 and start pulling away again lol.

I would feel weird driving an automatic sports car. It wont feel right. Even thought I know the AT 370z is faster than the 6speed.

yah, it's an inside joke...


im sure there are plenty of 350Z that can smoke a 370Z's arse.

I wish I could find a used HR with decent miles on it for cheap. I found an 07 model with 45k miles but they are asking $20k for it! And that just seems way to high to me.

I did -- I listed that and the MX-5 as slower but very attractive. Fun kinda goes without saying, but to clarify my commentary, those are both very fun cars, for sure!

And, I can say with pretty much 100% certainty, if the 370Z had never been made, I would have gotten a FR-S and slapped a roots blower on it (my original plan before going for the 370Z).

1-2 seconds is a pretty defensible "spanking" in terms of automotive performance metrics... and no offense intended here.

A few 10ths isn't much, by comparison, but consider how much hoopla usually resuls when someone pulls that small advantage out of their hat.

Accordingly, think how much extra power, tire, suspension, etc needs to go into shaving a full second, whether in a straight line or in a turn.

The 350Z is no slouch, but the 370Z is just a much better designed car. Nissan aimed to 1-up themselves on their Z car, and they succeeded.

Modded, as always, speed is just a question of money...

EDIT: Regarding the C&D LL's, that 350Z was the track edition. Not sure if it had better suspension than the "regular" 350, but it did have more power -- allegedly 300 bhp. The newer Nismo 370Z is rated for 50 more ponies, so a .5 sec lead sounds about right. To be fair, that's only a minor paddling, if not a spanking, in that particular shoot out.

The only time I'd buy a car that's about 10 years old is if:
I was a mechanic who fixed cars for a living
I liked that particular generation (like I do FD3S and Z32s)
And I could get it for a song and dance; say the engine was blown or it had a problem the owner didn't want to deal with anymore and wanted to get rid of the car ($40K for a formerly $150K car that's almost a decade old is risky if you ask me)

Other than that, I'd pass on a 10 y.o. supercar, especially FI'd.

agreed, $40k for the car and another $40k in repairs, the only 911 to buy in my opinion is the 997 06+

There is no other car close to the 370Z in any way, if you can afford to buy a Porsche 911 S 06+ and get a good warranty, I would say go that route

I just gathered 15 hit babes, and they thought the 370z had the best looks, the cutest butt and, unlike the muscle cars, were fewer and more exclusive!!!! Thus, I opted for the 370z, now I am getting the babes lined up....

I'd so buy a 370 again if Hinson made V8 swap kits for it...especially a C6 motor ;) I'm not an FI guy obviously. I can see it coming soon...I hope.

Couldve sworn you said two before :rolleyes:

Nissan made motorcycles?

They custom make transportation utilities for Jpkirk :icon18:

I saved up for a third tire

I don't have a clue what you just said, but I wish I had my Z when I was single and not married...the possibilities would be endless. My SE-R spec-v did well enough, I can just imagine....:koolaidwall:

The 370Z was not my dream car, but pricing and all around bang for the buck swayed me. 0-60 matched it bettered any in their price range. Owned a 99 Maxima GLE upgraded heavily. I know the potential for performance upgrades and reliability is a plus.
Actually, walked into a Ford dealership to buy the new GT or a used Boss. or Shelby. I found my Z in the used car lot. 14 Touring and all options with dealer tags in the glove box of 43k and 1,350 miles. Walked away twice and even drove home. In the end, I drove out with a 28k tag, new car warranty and more than I asked for my '03 Silverado. Reduced the price even more.
Very pleased. Mustang will have to wait.

The 997 is a different animal all together and probably not comparable to the 370z. Nice 06+ 997C2S' cost more than the Z new....

However, the cost of maint for the 997 is scary being 8 yrs old especially with the potential IMS & RMS issues. The 997.2 (09+) is the one to get. It has a new engine design, but they are around $60k+.

i still stand by my opinion and say that the new 5.0 is better in every way

It's definitely not better at being a two seat Nissan.

FYI, the older the Porsche and the higher the mileage, warranty would be shocking. For reference, a 2007 Porsche 997 would run you about $2,000.00/year. IIRC, I was quoted over $6,000.00 for 3 years/36K miles, whichever comes first. :eek::eek:

:icon18: Are you serious?

I've been trying so hard to find a used S2000 for under $15,000 with under 60k miles, its impossible.

Almost all of them have 90k+ miles and the ones that are under 50k miles are going for around $20,000+

There are only 488 of them for sale in the entire USA on car guru....

And you are definitely still wrong :wtf2:

the 5.0 is faster, that we all know. To say it is better in every way is debateable

The new mustang looks sweet, but not as nice as the 370z

http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-cont...NT-626x382.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/6f86e1.jpg

i may have been over exaggerating a little, but for the most part on the objective numbers at least, it's true. subjective matters such as looks are always a toss up. I loved the Z when it first came out, but I'm just being real and able to admit when a newer, better performance car comes out.

touche lol

Point mouse to the right side of the screen, proceed to logout, enter mustang forum.:inoutroflpuke:

The new mustang kind of favors the Z some what. Way to go Ford!

I do really like the recent changes, buuuuut....

1. The GT version needs a V8 to best the Z, and it's by up to .5 sec -- no small feat, but it takes two more cylinders (and a LOT more torque) to accomplish it, so, well, it should be a little quicker... it would really suck if it wasn't.

2. The base price for the 5.0 is pretty close to the Z, and a nicely equipped one is in the low to mid 40K range... that's not really a bang-for-buck bargain (except in theory; i.e., if you feel strongly that V8 > V6), although it is a reasonable car to consider for cross shopping if you aren't a bit leery of Fords... and why would you be...? They do make fine trucks :p

Anyway, I certainly wouldn't turn one down, but I still prefer the Z. We'll have to see what the Z35 can do to impress.