Aseras

the z handles just as well as the 8 .. it just doesn't feel like it. it feels heavy, almost like it is going to slide or it's going to rollover. It never does though. The decision when I grabbed my 8 was down to a g35 coupe ( the z's luxury brother ) The z felt too clunky and cheap. The g35 is a much better feeling car. It was close. the thing that made me go rx8 was the price and the other things the 8 has, the rear seats, ultra low insurance cost ( actually i think the quote of $800 /yr was what sealed the deal ) and that I got the 8 out the door taxes and all for 22k, off of a sticker of 34k.

RX-Hachi

People say this because on the race track and in auto x, the RX-8 has proven itself. But most on the internet just think about 1/4 mi. or stop light runs.

Take a look at the national results for the B Stock class where the RX-8 and 350Z both compete. The RX-8 fills the top 9 places, the best Z driver placed 10th.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-racing-25/rx8-winner-nationals-75112/

BlueEyes

We would have the same stupid stories here if it weren't against the forum rules to post kill stories.

BlueEyes

He was talking about race tracks, not parking lots.

Papapump51

I could have gotten either, I went with the 8 based on lower insurance because it is a 4 door to state farm and has the back seats, I do not want a sport car that I have to sell because of kids in a couple years... 350's are nice but, for all I got on my 8 at the price and what a z would have cost us it was a no brainer

playdoh43

I realize that but correct me if im wrong, thats not around real tracks. this is around cones on a parking lot. acceleration plays a very small part in SOLO I. Real trakcs have techinical sections like in SOLO I and straights and curves and is much longer.
IMO a rx8 owner bragging about the RX8's ability in SOLO is not much different than a 350Z owner bragging about his 1/4 mile times... Real tracks are designed for cars to not only compete in handling, but in acceleration as well.
and please keep in mind im not saying theres anything wrong with SOLO I or drag strip. both require skills that I dont posess and I have a lot of respect for people that race in both.

captain mercury

days after i got my rx-8, i swapped cars with my friend (350Z) for a little afterwork test driving. immediately, i was shocked by the interior. ugly, cheap looking, uncomfortable. the shifter was cheap molded plastic and not smooth. the engine sounded more like a mustang or something, like someone else already mentioned. the nav was ugly and harder to follow while driving. still a sweet car i think, but he paid more for a car with MUCH LESS comfort and fun (my opinion). it made me happy because i was reassured that i had made the right decision in getting the 8.

RX-Hachi

I said "race tracks" as well as auto x. As your memory seems short, the RX-8 won the Grand Am championship 2 years in a row. It's also done very well in a UK endurance series.

To most, "track" basically means non-street racing. And btw, the old US F1 GP held in Las Vegas in the '80s was basically built out of the big parking lots next to Ceasar's Palace. Imagine that, F1 considered to be the ultimate in motor racing, held on a "parking lot".

RX-Hachi

For the average joe, Auto X is a good clean way to test one's driving skill. As the cars are more or less stock in BSTOCK, it's also one data point to look at how a car performs as well. With race tracks, the pool of average joe drivers goes down, and we're talking professional drivers in many cases. The cars are heavily modified, so it's no longer an apples to apples comparison.

I'm not saying Auto X gives any better bragging rights than the 1/4 mil. But to say the Z is the hands down better peformer is a flawed statement as well. Just depends on one's view of what kind of performance is a priority.

playdoh43

not really... I dont consider autox course real race tracks, Like i said before, real race tracks like Fuji, Laguna seca and Tsukuba are designed with straights, curves, and technical sections to test all facets of a car's performance, not just handling and acceleration. SOLO I tracks are designed to focus on handling. I dont see why being on a parking lot matters that much if the parking lot is big enough to be a real race track.

IMO both autox and dragstrip is 1 dimensional in terms of gauging car performance, a real race track tests everything. A good performance car should strife for handling and acceleration not 1 or the other. nor does prioritizing on a single facet give a good picture of overall performance.

and good for the RX8 wining the Grand Am championship, was it stock RX8?
I mean... if you think the rx8 is faster than the 350z on a real race track in general then I think you are delusional. I give the RX8 credit where its due, thats in better handling, but im just keeping it real. Every time I see stock rx8 go up vs stock 350z on BMI its never been close.

playdoh43

I mean im sure the rx8 can beat the 350z stock for stock on a race track here or there given equal drivers, but odds are heavily against it.

BlueEyes

Yup, it won in the slow class of GrandAm, ST. The class where the 350z can't run because it's too fast.

toca

well i drove both a lot i own a rx8 and my bro owns a 350 z the z is faster but handles r no where close to the 8. the 8 feels like it was bult good the z feels cheep. the reason i went with the 8 was it was a more complete car

Papapump51

good lord...must be the new year for nice threads... I like my choice, thats it, everyone has an opinion..if I want crazy speed and handling I pull out one of my bikes..

RX-Hachi

I'm not saying that either. In many cases the Z will win, but not always. And BMI is just one data point too, there are other reference points like Top Gear. But the Z vs. 8 has been beaten to death, let's not rehash all the old debates again. I was simply explaining why most people say take the 8 to the track, it's because it performs well there.

Your G35 is a nice car, enjoy it. And if you want to improve your driver skills, auto x would be a good place to start. Then take it to a real race track and see how it does against the 8. If you win, then you'll have real bragging rights.

playdoh43

lol i have on intention of going to the race track, Or id be driving a EVO or sti. Nor do i feel the need to improve my driving skills, I drive plenty well on public roads and very careful too!

Im just keeping it real about the overall performance between the two cars. rx8 is not gods gift to man, nor is 350z, theres things that rx8 does better and theres things that 350z does better. and Im convinced that the 350z is the overall better performer while the 8 is the better daily driver. which is the overall better car depends on the preference of the buyers

Sephiroth

Those BMI guys are professional drivers. Most of us won't be able to extract that kind of performance from our cars anyway, hell, what percentage of Z and RX8 owners actually buy their cars for racing, any racing?

Papapump51

which is right....any car is about what you can afford and like... I am sure there is some guy some where yapping on a forum about his Saleen s7 that is better than some Lamborghini or such.... it is what it is...we all have opions

playdoh43

oh yeah and I do like to have fun once in a while by going to the twisties and let it rip, but i dont feel the need to push my car to the limit either. so ill leave the track driving to the people that are more passionate about performance than me. Ill stick to my Granturismo.

but back on topic, Im not sure how many rx8 owners change car to 350z, but I being on My350Z.com all the time, I've never seen a single person swtich to RX8. Ive seen instances of Z owners swtich to Evo or Sti, or S2000 or Corvette or G35. Im not sure about this site, but i dont think ive seen any rx8 owner swtich to 350Z either??

RX-Hachi

Exactly. That's why I'm talking about the average joe like us, because we're the ones buying the cars. For pro racers, stock for stock, in most cases the Z is faster. But for the average joe owner, the 8's chassis helps keep it competitive against cars with more hp. The chassis balance is what also gives it its "fun to drive" feeling. Much in the same way that the Miata is such a hoot to drive, despite being slow in a straight line. I consider "fun to drive" perhaps a more important factor than absolute speed, as I'm no pro racer and drive 98% of the time on the street. (And I'm not saying the Z isn't fun to drive either, I just enjoyed the 8 more - but that's me.)

Papapump51

when someone gets a passion for there car no matter what it is...it is just that they love the car and thats that, if the Z had 4 seats I might have considered it more, and the G35 I do not know about other states but here in Florida they are hella expensive, the used ones are crazy! still in the 31 to 32 range and used!! so it is what it is

arghx7

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/powerlaps/page_2.shtml

BMW M3 - 1.31.8

Nissan 350Z - 1.31.8

Mazda RX8 - 1.31.8


All these cars turned the same lap time on Top Gear's track. While it's not definitive, these two cars perform at the same level when you balance all the factors.

BlueEyes

Uh, you mean when you don't balance all the factors. Infact, you might say they preform the same when you balance a single factor, the layout of the track.

arghx7

Z's greater horsepower is balanced by 8's better chassis, etc.

You know what I mean.

playdoh43

I agree, and i think rx8 is more fun to drive than the Z too, though i havnt driven the Z much while I have driven the rx8 a lot. I just think its funny how some people feel the need to bash the Z by saying things like it handles like crap among other things.
I think thats a sign of insecurity, or buyers remorse... needing to justify their own purchase by falsely bashing another car. It just seems they are real bitter to me.

On the other hand I can tell guys like Hachi who respect other cars truly loves the rx8 for what it is. Hes got oppinions, and we might disagree on some things, but I really respect that.