My final choices came down to the RX8, the Infiniti G35, 350Z Convertible Touring, & S2000. I will say I was absolutely enamoured with the 350Z until I sat in it, and test drove it. When I sat in the car the interior was terrible. The plastic parts were incredibly cheap looking/feeling. The Nav area/compartment plastic panel didn't actually come up when I pushed it, you had to lift it with your finger. The switches felt flimsy. The power seat controls being off to the right of the seat didn't feel normal. Every car I have ever had had the controls either at the front of the seat or off to the left side of the car seat. I said alright, but it's got power and that will make up for it...not really. Whe I took it for a test drive, you could tell it was fast, but you could not feel it. The engine doesn't rev very high, and the steering & especially the shifting is floppy. Just a throughly disaapointing experience. I thought the Infiniti might solve some of the shortcomings of the 350Z (& the back seat is a nice bonus) but it didn't. I also began to notice how many of them around that I see a day. I began to notice that I probably see 5-6 Infinitis a day, & probably 10 350Z's, and I don't drive very far. I get many compliments on my RX8, and people still turn their heads when I drive by. That might change in the future, but right now there are just way too many Z's/G35's around where I live. I wanted something a little more distinctive.

If you truly think that the Z looks better...I would tell you to drive it first. If you have a Miata you are used to one of the best trannies ever made.. The 350Z will be a big surprise to you in feel & interior. The whole time I was in the car I kept thinking this is like a Japanese Mustang.

 

Just drive 'em both; you might be surprised. I was down to the 8 and G35c, and pretty sure I was going with the Infiniti. Better resale, reliability, service, mileage, horsepower and my wife, dad, friends liked it better. It was a kissing cousin of the cars I designed in college. The Infiniti guy even took me 10 miles out into the country for his favorite curvy 2 lane (sweet road). One fast run up an S-curve onramp in the RX-8 - contest over. Pure lust.

 

It's very simple, just test drive both cars and buy the one you like better.

But you do need to test drive. There are many stories of folks not expecting to like the RX-8, until the test drive.

BTW, there's a Motorweek video as well where they compared the RX-8 vs. the 350z. The nod went to the RX-8, and Motorweek felt the RX-8 was the better track car in terms of handling. The Z is going to be quicker on many tracks because it does have a power advantage.

 

Rx-Hachi is right. Test drive is the best way to tell. If you have freinds with the cars who will really let you hang it out in the cars, thats even better!

 

The Z costs $10K more that an RX. 'nuff said! Well, one more thing...there are way more Zs on the road - buy one and become part of the ever-growing pack.

 

umm ... yeah ... if you're not concern about ride comfort, great handling (RX8 beat the Z on slalom), cheap plastic interior of the Z does not **** you off, and you don't think you need an emergency 2 seats at the back, and you only need speed .. go with the Z. I'm happy when people buy the Z and i'm seeing a few RX8 around ... great to have a unique car .. :D

 

Was an easy decision for me as well. RX-8 Rules in this decision. No need to compare.

 

A direct answer to your question: NO there are no minor modifications that can bump the hp by 20 or so!

So, if you really prefer the Z because of the horsepower, by all means go for it.

That being said, I must say that I am surprised that someone who has owned a Miata wouldn't realize that there is more to having a "fun to drive" car than just horsepower.

Be sure to test drive both of them thoroughly before making a final decision. I did!

 

I will test drive them and see, but the RX-8 just didnt feel as nice as the RX-7 or my Miata in terms of feel. To me feel inside the car is as important as the driving experience. Since I will be logging 25K miles per year, I will need something comfortable.

 

omg i raise the BS card on this one................If u drove an rx8 and u still think that the miata or rx7 is more comfortable then u probably havn't even drove any of them...

 

Well, if that's the way you feel about the interior then that's your choice.

However, the general consensus from owners and industry experts alike is when it comes to comfort and interior design, that's one of the key areas where the RX-8 is rated better than the Z. I've owned a 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen RX-7, and for me the RX-8 clearly has the best interior in terms of both design and quality. The handling is about equal to the 3rd gen RX-7, but the ride comfort is far better.

If you like the look of the Z and want brute sports car performance, the Z is for you. But if you truly are concerned about comfort, I believe you will find the Z's harsher suspension a bit harder to live with.

 

I agree... the 350 is a great lookin car... I went for the RX8 for one reason:



fits perfectly in the trunk!!!!

 

Buy the Z. I insist.

 

Comfortable as in a nice fund riving position with switches around my hand. I could careless if the car rides harsh, it cant be worse than my Miata on Koni's or the RX-7 on KYBs

I went to the dealer to look at them some more. Ira Mazda's sales were ignoring me, the Nissan dealer wont let me test drive the car unless I am going to buy it. I am going to test drive it back in CT, the dealer in Boston are crazy.

 

I drove the RX-8 today with the Z schedule for tomorrow. The RX-8 is a very nice car, it handle and rides like a modern sports car. I am amazed at how little lean the car has. The steering and the brakes are great, the whole car is very business like. The engine is good too, but it can certainly use more horsepower. It never lacks power, but I think it can use another 20-30hp. I definitely like the car, but I dont know if it is worth selling my Miata for it. I will try the Z and see what happens

 

If you drive manual, why not wait for 05 G35 coupe 6sp? It has 298hp and 260lb-ft of torque with the extra two rear seats. In my opinion it looks better than the Z.

 

This is true. I like the G35C, my friend has one loaded and it's sweet. I'm not going to rave about the 8. There is a reason why I drive that instead; see the entire forum. I can't imagine the need to bump up the hp in the G, but the interior did need work though; and it has been out 3 years already. It feels heavy and doesn't drive as nice as the 8 though, but the hp and torque are definately there.

And Nissan was being naive thinking there wasn't going to be some brand cannabalism between the z and the g35c. But for the 05, you'll have to wait till Dec at least and pay big $.

 

I had to drive both to decide. The 8 is simply a much more involving drive when driving hard, and it's just as good for cruising. (Or in fact, better, because it does have a better cabin.)

Comparing peak power figures is totally meaningless - take a look at the difference in drivetrain setup in the two cars, and you'll see what I mean.

The 8 is lighter, has better brake feel, and it's more communicative through corners - so it'll beat a 350 on a twisty track. On an oval the Z will win hands down. I didn't try drifting the Z on my test drive :D but I am pretty sure the 8 is more progressive at the limit. (Er, yes, I have tried drifting that...)

The 8 is also a rev-hungry cog-swapper - a proper sports car, if you will - whereas the Z is more of a torquey lazy GT machine. Yes, both cars can be driven in the style of the other one, but really, that's the difference between them.

The 8 is way better around town too.

 

Only thing to watch with the Z and G35...is the #5 and #6 rods. Lots of bolt on kits for those cars, turbo's, superchargers, you name it...and if you hit the forums, you'll see pages and pages and pages of blown engines.

The actual engine of the Z is not very strong at all, and can not take alot of additional power without a buildup. Something to keep in mind if your among the mindset of "oh I'll slap a greedy twin turbo on it! It'll be awesome!!"

There's also a great topgear review on the 350Z and Rx8...i suggest watching it.

 

when the z first came out, my gf and i literally wet our pants. the exterior of it was beautiful, nice looking front but a so-so porsche like rear (the slope). we knew that thing was crazy fast but the cost (car itself/insurance) was a lot. then i saw the new 8 coming out, at first i didnt like it at all, but once i came onto this forum, i saw a mazdaspeed kit on a 8. i fell in love. i was torn between which to get but in the end i chose the 8. power wasn't always an issue as long as it was decent, plus i need the backseats to haul some buddies along.

 

how many damn times can a thread like this be started...rethread rethread rethread! the king of reposts is shelley's man, who is the king/queen of rethreads? hey don't look at me I'm too lazy to do it

to reiterate...the Z is the testosterone car...no Rotary, not unique, most who drive it look like a tool (if they are guys)...girls will look hot in a Z but in an 8 too...the Z is for chromed spinners and cheezy cologne

 

Wow, I couldn't have said it better! There is a big difference in the "tool" factor between people who drive the 350Z and people who drive the G35......and then there are the people who want to be a bit diffeent and drive an 8.

 

I drove both cars finally. I would have to say the RX-8 wins the close battle. The Z is a much more powerful car, it has torque all the butt but it doesnt rev high at all. The 8 on the other hand revs forever, but doesnt have enough power to make you crap your pants. It reminds me of the 1.6L to 1.8L Miata comparison.

As far as handling, I think they are fairly equal. The Z leans a bit more, but I feel like the tire gives it more grip. The RX-8 leans very little and it drives like the RX-7/Miata. I could also feel the weight difference between the two, lastly the RX-8 just feels lower compare to the Z.

As for the inside, the RX-8 wins too. I like some of the features on the Z, but the RX-8 is better in terms of build quality and overall feel.

I think they are both nice cars, but I just dont see myself spending $27K on them. They just dont convience me enough to make me spend $400 on car payment. The only way for me to get the RX-8 is if my car gets totalled or if I cant fix the rattle and oil leak on my car.

 

Hmmm why do the Z guys hate the RX-8 guys so much?

 

...so your saying this WHOLE THREAD is pointless?