Verdict: Each car has its own personality and the pro’s and con’s between each car are so balanced that personality may end up being the deal breaker. Inside ergonomics cannot be compared as the Bullit does not even come close to the 2010, but based on the pics, the Stang probably has the more mature ergonomics. There were two glaring differences, the exhaust note in the Bullitt was sweet, sweet, sweet, and the Z’s did not compare in any way in the satisfaction level. The other difference is that Savannah’s roads can be a little bumpy in places, taking a sweeping turn off the Harry Truman Parkway, in the Mustang, on less than perfect pavement scared the willies off me. Don’t like that live axle. The Z was planted and took the corner with confidence and at a much faster speed.

I have made no decision yet, waiting for the 2010 Stang to come out, but if it were a Bullitt vs Z choice, the Z would take the edge, only just though.

R&T has it at 0.97.

IT HAS NO TORQUE!!!

Um K. *Walks away slowly*

If you still don’t ME get Itmeans I rather by a $16,000 car than a $30,000 car that doesn’t really do anything just make loud noise. The LOUD noise coming from the muffler..

IT HAS NO TORQUE!!!

As for a Lumbergh 21. I know what I am talking about because 3 of friends drive their Nissan on Time Attack. Experienced counts not just on pen and paper explanations.

Read Hwanug’s he explained quite humble.

I don’t know. I should be jumping up and down. On paper, the 370Z is a mean, corner-eating bastard. But something’s amiss

The Z is an exceptional track car, at least for my skill level. As JL rightly pointed out, it has tons of grip; however, when rotation does occur, it is predictable and manageable.
(An aside, I was driving like a maniac, too, and got both wheels off; fortunately, it happened near the pit entrance and I sneaked off the track, no flag ;-) ).

As far as it feeling too sedan-like, I will say that sometimes softer setups work better. The Z’s suspension is, indeed, compliant on the road, but as JL neglected to mention, body lean is virtually non-existent under high g’s.

Check out the R&T review, in which it compares very nicely with the Cayman S (still my favorite car, BTW, but priced beyond consideration).

One final point: forget 0-60 times. They are meaningless. Although I do agree with hwanung – I’d love to drive this car with shorter gearing.

gimmeamanual :
December 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

Why has Nissan’s power continued to go up, but torque does not? My SE-R is something like 260/252 hp/tq. Are they hitting the dreaded “diminishing returns”?

You can only create so much magic with so much displacement, as you’ll need more cubes or more boost.

As far as complaints on the acceleration of the Z, I’m pretty a lot can be attributed to the gearing. I’ve driven a ‘06, and I’ve noticed that although the engine IS torquey, the gearing still feels too long IMHO. I don’t think this new Z would be any different. The long gearing felt very American, but Z is not making American torque (320 lbft from a stang vs 260-274 lb in a Z).

This lack of low end grunt (relative to the gearing) is being sacrificed for for better top end (more rpm, more HP), as the numbers will show that the Z has lost torque over the years. In ‘03, it started with 274 lb ft @ 4800 rpm, relative to 260 lb ft in ‘06.

And please don’t get your butt hurt, this is just for sake of conversation. I’m sure this RELATIVE lack of torque (’96 – 283 lb ft @ 3600 rpm from Edmunds) is also why this car isn’t a whole lot faster than the last 300zx (as pointed out by dolo54).

I think the car would be a lot more fun with a shorter rear end gear. But that eats the gas mileage…

Whoever is responsible for the tail lights on the 350Z and 370Z needs to fired. Immediately. You have taken something beautiful and ruined it. TWICE now. I hereby dub your style “Wartus Touch”.

May Santa have mercy on you soul for what you’ve done.

I’m pretty sure that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

I think you’re right. A few months ago I got in an argument with him when he said his stock Lancer could outrace a Mazdaspeed3 on a road course, and that he had done as much a few weeks earlier.

Do I think a 350Z is a great car? No, the interior is just too bad to forgive, but I’m not about to say 0-60 in 5 seconds is slow.

first of all my CAR will be faster than this car soon and You can test drive the Lancer Ralliart or VW GTi.

Um, I own a 350Z. I know what 1st and 2nd gear feel like and what you said makes no sense.

Also, Neither of those of those cars are faster than the 350Z. They’re both 0-60 in 6 second cars and mid 14’s in 1/4 mile. The 350Z with the VQ HR engine does it in the mid 13’s.

I’m pretty sure that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

“The Ralliart outweighs these rivals by a couple hundred pounds, though, so you expect it to feel slower. Yet it doesn’t, and there’s astonishingly little turbo lag besides. Mitsu product planners expect it to match the WRX and MS3 in the acceleration department, meaning 0-60 mph in 6 seconds and a quarter-mile time in the mid-14-second range. “

If this nissan is a sport car it should be faster doing 0-60 in 5 seconds
Compared to my $16,750 Econobox Lancer.

This Nissan should do better for a price tag of 30 grand.

What car is faster than 30 grand?

first of all my CAR will be faster than this car soon and You can test drive the Lancer Ralliart or VW GTi.

By this standard, the 370Z and even the Mustang are relatively lightweight for their classes. By no means are they pigs.

Its sad to hear so many people talk about “modern sports cars”. Seems nobody here remembers real sports cars anymore, ones that weighed about 300-700 lbs less and actually drove well. These fat pigs they sell now are just junk compromise mobiles. Actual sports cars are about the feel and soul of the car, very few modern cars have any soul left to them. Im still waiting for a beautiful, luxurious, powerful, turbocharged, 2800lb, FR, coupe to hit the market. Havent been able to buy one for 13 years now. Hoped the 370z wouldnt be a pig, guess I hoped for too much.

All cars weighed that much back then. You’re longing for a car that can’t be built these days due to safety changes.

That’s a good point. I’m not against driving a Mustang, though. But I don’t like the idea owning one.

I’m just saying that rejecting something whether it be a car or some “weird” foriegn food dish out of hand without trying it can result in a person missing out.

But not if you want the low throaty growl that the V8 Mustang produces. For that kind of goodness, you also need to get the exhaust headers just right.

I believe that it’s easier to add HP to an existing engine than torque. There are definitely better folks here to get that answer from though.

I walked away from the first generation, and I have to say that the noise was a big factor. It was loud without being melodious at all.

I’ll never purchase a Mustang. Even if someone gives me one, I may not keep it. I’m just not a fan of the Mustang, despite all of its merits (and I concede, there are many with this new one).

Likewise (and, of course, I’ve never driven either, and likely never will) I’m not a fan of the 270 mph (estimated) updated SSC Ultimate Aero, however, I’m a humongous fan of the Bugatti Veyron, despite its lower top speed.

It’s a middle management woman’s car.

You’re thinking of the G35/G37.

I just don’t see how it’s a middle management woman’s car. Why would they car if it can pull 1g’s on the skidpad or rev match automatically?