Getting Z itch!!!!

[qship96]

I am getting a small itch that wont go away to purchase a new 370Z - my original goal from day 1 was to keep the Q til 250-300K miles { now at 226K} ...but the z seems to be calling loud and clear!!!!

Having owned a 280ZX and a 300ZXturbo, I guess it is in my blood!!! I was never a big fan of the exterior of the 350Z{or the G coupe}, but the redesigned look of the 370Z is captivating- Can I hold out til the Q hits 250K? Time will tell, but the Z is on my radar screen.

[Raxephon]

Find a good friend that already has one and find out what they think about it, as well as, whether or not they'll let you drive it to see for yourself.

A new car is always enticing, (I've been considering getting a F50), but always bare in mind the price that comes with it, and not just the dollar amount.

If you do decide to get one, you should definitely write a review of what you think of it, especially since I know you won't sugar coat it.

[Jesda]

DO IT DO IT DO IT! Its a huge step up from the 350, technologically, stylistically, and mechanically. I dig the new interior. After a few years in the hole, Nissan is starting to make a comeback.

Give us photos when you bring it home.http://www.nicoclub.com/articl...shtml

[konatown]

He's so right. Plus the body work is gorgeous. Interior is leaps and bounds over the 350Z. Having ridden in brand new 350Z's and a new 370Z I can tell you this, the fit and finish is top notch and you'll hear nary a rattle.

[qship96]

My biggest concern is if the new 3.7 V6 will have the same oil burning issues as the 3.5 and 4.5 liter motors- common sense tells me to try and wait til the 2010 model comes out to see how trouble-free the 09 models are. Cant decide if I like the 6 speed manual vs the 7 speed auto- a test drive is in my future!

[maxnix]

Noisy and harsh riding. I would at least look at the G37 as it is somewhat more refined.

[Q451990]

Why not keep the Q and get the Z... it's not like the Q is worth much for resale...

Heath

[Jesda]

Noisy and harsh riding.

LOL...

[Kiven422]

Sounds more like an electric car than a muscle car

[MinisterofDOOM]

Noisy and harsh riding. I would at least look at the G37 as it is somewhat more refined.

I never understood the point of the G37. Longer heavier Z plus 2 seats and a few thousand dollars on the sticker. No, thanks. I'll take the Z.Oh, and the G coupe is ugly.

Sounds more like an electric car than a muscle car

It's...NOT a musclecar. That's probably why.

[jimbyjimb]

I think the 420hp Camaro will be had for a similar price right? GM has come a very long way, always ahead of Mopar and Ford. That and the new Nissan V6 isn't as appealing as the LS series. The aftermarket for the LS is incredible also.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Camaro SS will be priced right on par with the Z. Actually, though, the comparable camaro to the Z is the LLT-powered V6 LT, which starts at $8k less than the Z. The LLT is very nearly as good as the Z's VQ, and in some ways superior.

[qship96]

To mention a camaro in the same sentence with a Z is a joke- always has been......different missions, different demographics of owners. I will never purchase another car manufactured by the big 3 American companies, ever.

They lost my business way back in 1979.

[maxnix]

Damn it, go drive them and report back.

Unless you are waiting for the convertibles for stylin' in B'more so the homies can get a better head shot.

[jimbyjimb]

How? Are they not direct competitors in the exact same 2-door sports car market? Not saying you shouldn't want what you want, but the Z, Mustang, Challenger and Camaro are tested against each other since they are competitors in the same class.

[jimbyjimb]

What has happened to you. I'm lost.

[qship96]

They are not in the same class...camaro,challenger,mustang,etc are muscle cars whereas the Z is a sports car. Always been that way- different missions.

[maxnix]

Traditionally, muscle cars have been midsize bodies with big cast iron OHV engines, 3 speed autos or 4 speed manuals, under sized brakes with disc front, drum rear, solid cast iron axles, and pretty bad suspensions and tires.

Mustangs, Camaros, Javalins and Barracudas were pony cars. Challengers and Cougars were stretched versions of their corporate brethren.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Traditionally, muscle cars have been midsize bodies with big cast iron OHV engines, 3 speed autos or 4 speed manuals, under sized brakes with disc front, drum rear, solid cast iron axles, and pretty bad suspensions and tires.

Mustangs, Camaros, Javalins and Barracudas were pony cars. Challengers and Cougars were stretched versions of their corporate brethren.

Exactly. A muscle car is just a basic family car stripped of the unnecessary with a huge engine. Very different from smaller, more agile purpose-built pony cars.

I agree that they are not in the same "class" per-se, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be cross-compared. Especially the new Camaro, which is a fairly strong departure from ponycar tradition. A V6 worth having, advanced suspension, nice interior...it's really a great competitor for the Z. The Mustang is an entirely different story with it's crude 30-year-old gutless V6 and it's snow-plow understeer. But the Camaro, at least, is worth holding up next to the Z.

Still, if you want a Z, you want a Z. And this is definitely one of the best Z-cars in the model's history.

[qship96]

Even if the new camaro tests out well, I seriously doubt it will be a departure from GM business as usual......falling apart by 60-80K miles, feeling like an old loose woman who has spent too much time working on her back, legs spread at the bordello. dont let the pretty sheet metal and on paper specs fool you, plus it is a humongous heavy blob of a car for what is essentially a car comfortable to transport 2 people. Every time a new Camaro has been introduced, it looks state of the art, gets great press....and quickly fades into the mediocrity it truly is once the sheer buzz of the newness wears off- seen it over and over and over.

[maxnix]

That is the problem with having been there when this whole muscle car era started. When your shorts got soiled when you tried to brake for a corner and nothing happened of much consequence except for some smoke and burning smells, when the tires rolled over and you were in danger of scraping the chrome off the door handles, and the car would crash on its bump stops and flex like a licorice stick on any bump taken at 30 mph and over, sports cars seemed a lot more competent. The BMW 2002 was a revelation about how good a four passenger car could be.

The new DOHC all alloy V6 Camaro is in my book the most interesting version with IRS, 4 wheel disc brakes, and 6 speed transmissions. But remember all the 1995 Cadillacs and Lincolns and how few of them you see still on the road compared to the much lower volume Infiniti and Lexus, even MB BMW and Acura. Us old guys have been burned too many times.

I love the Mecum Auto Auctions where you see a bunch of old guys paying large bucks for the wet dreams of their youth. Even restored, the best of those cars still drive like the Detroit trash they are and will ever be.

[qship96]

Yep- my sister bought a brand new V8 Camaro in 1975, got suckered by the then new body style.....traded it in with 21,000 miles on a 1978 Toyota Celica{ the difference in fit/finish was astounding}

Brother got suckered much later by the brand new bodystyle 1994 Z28....magazines loved em at the time, ownership wasnt quite as pretty. Interior looked and felt like trash.

I made the same mistake with a 1979 Monza Spyder V8 {5.0 liter}, car fell apart by 45,000 miles and needed a engine rebuild, bad valve seals. My 1979 280zx experience has kept me exclusivly in the Nissan camp ever since.

[jimbyjimb]

The 70's Celica is a gorgeous machine. Begs for a 22rte. Oooooo.

My Grnadpa bought a 1989 Crown Vic brand new in 90, it held up as well as my Q, which was owned by another old man. The interior still looked good, the seats were still fine, ran perfect, had no squeaks or rattles. Both had similar treatment I'm sure, and both held up similarly well. The only bad car experience I've ever had was my 70 Chevelle, which was partly due to it's age and partly to having been a late 60's car. My 64 Studebaker, however, was a truly impressive piece of machine, save the crappy door latch mechanism (what were they thinking), and the rediculous notion that felt made an adequate front oil seal. The engine was actually a 1961 259 and not the better designed full-flow version that was original to the car. Studebaker may have been somewhat of an exception since, in many ways, they were ahead of most American companies with such things as twin piston fixed front disc brakes, decent fuel economy while still providing decent power and interior fabric that was worth a crap. Not to mention the incredible thickness of the body steel and wonderful lacquer paint. Easy change bulbs too. Was rediculous, it was designed by a european. Explains that.
Modified by jimbyjimb at 7:21 AM 4/9/2009

[BadQ45t]

GM needs a long time to prove their V6 will be anywhere near as reliable as the Nissan V6. If you wanted a V8 power with 400+ horse that is a possible reason to do a Camaro but these cars do not compete.

The new Z is NOT rattle trap by any stretch, Manix, I suggest you drive one, the improvement is great, but I drove my buddy's 350Z and it was rock solid so not sure where your getting that data.

I suggest you keep your Q, I still have my 1984 300ZX, not all that fast anymore, but handles great and with the T-Tops nothing like it on a sunny day, with the Q parked right next to it...keeps the miles down on both cars and totally different purposes.

The new Z is what the 350 should have been to begin with...........great job

[qship96]

The itch for a new 370Z must be a mid life thing for me, for today I actually purchased and listened to......AC/DC "Back In Black" LP record and was instantly transported back to 1980 at Towson University...oh the good old days!

[maxnix]

The new Z is NOT rattle trap by any stretch, Manix, I suggest you drive one,

Just said there is a lot of road noise, which is tiresome on a long trip.

Need to drive the new G37 to see if the V6 is any smoother at high rpm.