DefBringer

Did anybody else think that that "much faster" car didn't really feel faster? Maybe it was the fact I drove the 350Z right after I drove the Evolution, but when people knock the RX-8 for being slow (which it kinda is), I don't think the 350Z feels much faster at all.

TomsterRX8

I thought it was......the torque pull is unmistakable.

DisneyDestroyer

I'm wondering if anybody else thought that the 350Z interior was butt-ugly? Looks to me like somebody took inspiration from their four-year-old's Mr. Potato Head. Everything looks like they simply drilled a hole and bolted on whatever piece looks good, rather than coming up with a unified scheme...

Wing

I didn't find the 350z any faster than the RX8, both "feel" slow IMO.

RX-8 2004

I almost bought a 350Z ... after driving it. I was not too impressed ... more disappointed than anything.

Seen Nissan's Recall yet?

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...threadid=13613

Astor

didn't like the interior, and the more I think about it I don't like the exterior, at least not as much as the 8, but much better than the Evo, the torque feel was more powerful, but I didn't like the way the Z handled.

RX-GR8

the 8 seems even slower than it really is because of that lack of torque but when you look at the speedometer its going faster than you really think. not as fast as a Z maybe but then again it's all relative a Z will get smoked by a vette and so on.

mikeb

I never drove the z
I think it looks sharp but I dont like the high doors and door handles

of course I think the 8 looks better

RX-GR8

i think the Z is great looking but only 2 seats ruled it out for me.

Dugless

I test drove the Z twice and the G35 twice. Yes it feels a little faster, but as evereyone else seems to think, the interior is terrible, as are most Nissans.

In my opinion, the 8 is more fun and exciting to drive. Lets not forget, the 8 will pretty much always out-brake the Z. 60-0 in 111 feet is freakin awesome.

shift_zoom8

I agree with most of you.


I test drove the Z in automatic and manual. The Z is definitely going a little faster but the 274 lb-ft torque doesn't really kick you in the back, and I found that surprising. So I guess both cars are going faster than they "feel," with the Z going a little faster than the 8.


Also, the Z's cornering limits are easier to reach. I went fast and sharp into a right turn and the front tires skipped a little. To give the Z credit, you can feel when it's reaching the limit, but its limit is definitely below the 8's, what with the Z's much heavier front end.


Finally, the Z's interior is definitely built to fall apart....and fast. I've seen many used and demo Z's on dealership lots. Just about every single one of them is falling apart on the inside. The black rubber like material on the doors were worn and faded, if you can believe that. And that nasty swiging compartment door on the center console tends to break (that's why they modified it on the 2004 Z).


My 8 is simply a better car with better technology. I almost bought the Z too, but now I'm more and more convinced that I made the right decision.

Brian Goodwin

Today I closed a deal on my new base package Winning Blue Rx8, tomorrow I pick it up. But, it was a long hard fight for me between going RX8 and buying a 350Z. In the end, the 350Z was just too much of a pig for me (too heavy!). It has a lovely engine and lots of great grunt but like the old cliche, you can teach a pig to dance but in the end you're still dancing with a pig. Well, I think you could make it handle, strip out a good 300 pounds and you would have something, but the RX8 has the reflexes and a light-on-its-feet feeling that a 350Z will never have and in the end it was that balance and poise that sold me over the lovely torque of the 350z's engine.

The 350Z initially impressed me MORE because my initial test drive was straight line, down straight streets and relatively straight freeway sections. But last month friends at Mazda loaned an Rx8 press car to me for a week and after 1000 miles of back country thrashing I was hooked. I went back and drove another 350Z and took the poor salesman to a local curving section of road that I had driven the RX8 through the day before and the contrast was night and day...at the edge of adhesion in hard back-and-forth transitions over undulating pavement the 350Z was all thumbs where the RX8 had been sharp and precise.

In sum, for pure street drivers I think the 350Z is a hot ticket...inexpensive torquey straight line BIG fun. For track and autocross use I will take the Rx8 for its far more precise handling.

mikeb

congrats and welcome

Genom

I test drove the 350 twice. I wasnt REALLY considering it since it was out of my price range, but wanted to make sure I wasnt mising anything and maybe just waiting another 6 months and saving up. I hated the interior as much as the Mazda6. At least the 6 is a cheaper car, but I really thought the 350 could have had a better interior than that.

I enjoyed the 350's feel with straight line running, but really felt as if the car was fighting me in thr sharper turns. I also didnt find a very comfy driving position. It's just too low for my taste and the doors make it even harder for me to get in and out. I did enjoy the car but the stuff that bothered me as well as the price make it a no in my book.

Of course I know some guys who have done a lot of work to their cars and they are looking pretty nice, but the low ride and overall steering still leave me put off. Just aint the car for me.

Now the 8, on the other hand....

revhappy

I test drove the Z and was relatively uimpressed. As others have said, the car felt heavy. I think its a good car, but not incredibly exciting.

I wrote a more thorough review last May.

m477

The 350z falls far short of what it could have been, especially when you look at cars like the 99-02 Nissan Silvia. Compared to the S15, the 350z has the about same acceleration, worse handling, less interior/storage room, worse visibility and costs more.

Come on, Nissan, 4 years of "progress" and your newest sports car is worse in almost every category??

Gord96BRG

Many congratulations, Brian! I didn't think you'd be able to resist for long! :D

Regards,
Gordon

bobclevenger

I also test drove the 350Z. It had a very nice engine, but the car itself felt very harsh to me, the seating was not comfortable enough for my injured back, and the rear visibility just plain sucked.

klegg

Drove the Z, and the G35. The G is a much better car then the Z, which really did not make a lot of sense to me..It feels a lot faster then the 8, but the needle does not move that much faster!

The Z is starting to wear on me, style wise and inside is a disgrace at that price point. It is a very cheap copy of the TT to my eyes.

scorp76

I thought I was the only one that noticed the difference wasnt that huge. I drove a Track Z right after a MT 8 and loved the latter, but hated the former.

The Z was used so the salesguy let me drive it hard and I left thinking, " THIS is 287 hp??" whereas in the 8 I felt like, "THIS is ONLY 247 hp??"

Maybe it's the smoothness of the rotary vs. that overrated and played out VQ. Who knows.

Brian Goodwin

Hi Gordon,

Yep, I have joined the ranks of Miata/Rx8 owners. Jim Langer at Racing Beat was predicting my fall weeks ago. When Mazda then loaned that press car Rx8 to me for a week...and after seven days said I actually had to give it back, I found it tough to give back and I knew I was going down...I kept asking for "just one more day with it." Then a Miata buddy who works at a nearby Mazda dealer calls me and tells me about a guy failing to pick up his ordered base package Winning Blue and I decided there was no purpose to be served in further resisting fate....

Naturally, my modification focused mind is already thinking about all the ways to get this baby even lighter than it is.....hmmm. Poor thing is barely in the driveway and I am contemplating a dozen mods to improve performance....and the SEMA show is next week! This is going to be fun!

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com

Pam

Congratulations Brian!!!

I tested the 350Z and G35 twice...the G35 came somewhat close to the RX-8, like Neptune and the Sun...the Z seemed fast but....

you did good Brian...Happy Mods..please let us know how it goes

Pam

santino

Brian

when are you going to take your new 8 to Laguna Seca? and it is safe to say that people who know your history with the miata are excited to see what you are going to have as mods.

santino

Brian Goodwin

Thanks for the good words Santino! Looking forward to getting this baby to Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, Button Willow, etc.

But first it is going to take a while to get the setup sorted out and find the right mods and settings. Once we get it set up right, I think it will eat Zs for breakfast....just as our 99 Miata does now. The RX8 certainly has the right DNA for the job. IMHO, it's all a question of the right modifications and maximizing the weight and balance advantage over the Z. I drove a few Zs while working as an instructor at the Streets of Willows a month back and they feel really heavy in the tight sections....that is where the RX8 can take advantage and with the right suspension and enough tire the RX8 should achieve much higher corner speeds.

Now if I can just resist tempation long enough to get through the break in period! Then we will start with basic suspension mods, rims and tires, lighter brake rotors and forged calipers, etc. As an initial goal, I would like to get it down to a fighting weight UNDER 2800 pounds while adding substantially more grip and with significant savings in unsprung weight. And so the adventure begins...

Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing

viggen

I know the 350Z is faster -- it should be, given its hp/torque advantage. However, I don't like the looks -- the droopy tail, the cheap interior, etc... As an overall package, it doesn't come close to the RX-8. Even the G35 is much more desireable to me than the 350Z. And don't even get me started on the sad-looking 350Z convertible -- with the top up, it looks like a bad aftermarket hack job!