2014 Nissan 370Z

[NissanGuy]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

I'm gonna cut straight to the chase here. 100% of the reason the 370Z is overweight has nothing to do with it's cabin materials. It's because of it's crappy compromised chassis. No it's not a great chassis, as 1-2 people have mentioned. It's a severely compromised chassis that shares it's hard points with every RWD product that Infiniti sells, including their big ass FX SUVs.

(okay maybe 75%, with the other 25% b/c of the beefier powertrain).

Huh. That would explain why the 370Z drives exactly like a luxury sedan. I never thought of it that way. For comparison, BRZ feels to me like a chintzy sports car.

[Atropine]

I have owned a BRZ and a Nismo 350Z and 2 AW-11 MR2s (one was S/C) and Boxster S and currently my sportscar is my Grandfather's BRG 91 Miata.

I loved all of them!

let me name the car and what I thought about it....

Nismo 350Z...was fun and had power and the aero was noticable at 100+mph...super stable at high speeds (regular 350Z or 370Z is a great bang for the buck...Nismo...over priced)

BRZ...was fun, slightly underpowered...great fun to hoon around in...amazing balance...the twins SHOULD cost more for what you get as far as feedback

AW-11 MR2...mine were track toys...dialed in...razor sharp handling...hard to keep on road (reliability due to being too high strung...)

Boxster S...great convertible...Google "Boxster IMS failure" and you will understand why I feared really pushing the car

N/A Miata...cheap...and a blast to drive

All of these cars were great for different reasons...hell, I even had an SRT8 Challenger...was a pig was a really fast pig...and drove like a luxery car (not sure if that is good or not)

[vh_supra26]

Originally Posted by Boxer486

It would be interesting if you could scale them properly or do an overlay like this. Note whether the 370z is closer to the Hyundai or Mustang compared to the 86.

Actually, they are about the same size.

Nissan 370Z
Length: 167.2 in
Wheelbase: 100.4 in
Width: 72.8 in
Height: 52.0 in

Toyota 86
Length: 166.9 in
Wheelbase: 101.2 in
Width: 69.9 in
Height: 50.6 in

Originally Posted by jebuwh

Is that right? It seems like the z should be way bigger...

Yes it is.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by totopo

Why do people hate on the chassis so much? It's a great idea. To make the best cheap sports cars, to leverage economies of scale with what you have to make the best available for cheap. It's probably a lot more cost effective in terms of obtaining good track times than spending your money retooling for a one-off ground up crap super flexible chassis.

The 370z chassis is pretty great, and it performs pretty great for its goal of track times. All chassis have to compromise (except like the porsche 918), like other sports cars which save money for by using macphearson strut on fronts.

I sort of agree with this. If your ultimate goal as a manufacturer is fastest lap times for the cheapest price, your best option is to start with your corporate sedan chassis, trim down its dimensions to make it a coupe, and throw your largest corporate engine that will fit into it. It's the same formula that Ford/Chevy/Dodge have been using with their muscle cars.

I can understand the appeal for people specifically wanting the fastest laptimes for the cheapest price, but then my question is why get the Z when the 5.0 Mustang track pack does the same trick but better. Faster laptimes, cheaper, better track reliability, torsen LSD, and a V8. There was a time when I was considering replacing my 350z with a 370z. I liked the 370z, but couldn't come up with a good reason to pick the 370z over the Mustang GT track pack.

Originally Posted by jebuwh

Yeah I've driven one quite a few times. It just feels bigger I guess. Weird!

It's a combination of the weight, high beltline, and lack of rear visibility. All those things contribute to the feeling of heft. But in terms of actual dimensions, very similar to the Twins.

Originally Posted by Atropine

I have owned a BRZ and a Nismo 350Z and 2 AW-11 MR2s (one was S/C) and Boxster S and currently my sportscar is my Grandfather's BRG 91 Miata.

I loved all of them!

let me name the car and what I thought about it....

Nismo 350Z...was fun and had power and the aero was noticable at 100+mph...super stable at high speeds (regular 350Z or 370Z is a great bang for the buck...Nismo...over priced)

BRZ...was fun, slightly underpowered...great fun to hoon around in...amazing balance...the twins SHOULD cost more for what you get as far as feedback

AW-11 MR2...mine were track toys...dialed in...razor sharp handling...hard to keep on road (reliability due to being too high strung...)

Boxster S...great convertible...Google "Boxster IMS failure" and you will understand why I feared really pushing the car

N/A Miata...cheap...and a blast to drive

All of these cars were great for different reasons...hell, I even had an SRT8 Challenger...was a pig was a really fast pig...and drove like a luxery car (not sure if that is good or not)

You and I must have similar taste in cars. I've got lots of seat time in NA and NC Miatas and loved them (good friend owned two). I've also owned a 350z 35th, FR-S, and 987.2 Boxster S. Agree with your view on them.

350z 35th -- good as a GT car (smooth, torquey, planted), but not so great for the track. Heavy, prone to understeer, and I didn't like the brembos much.

FR-S -- completely agree. Slightly underpowered, but great balance and should be more expensive given the driving dynamics and feedback. Other than power, it's the closest car I've driven that compares in feel with my 987.2 Boxster S.

987.2 Boxster -- I went with the 2009+ model because of the IMS failure issues and better oil circulation. In terms of how it felt to drive, it was the FR-S with much more power, better sounding engine, firmer brake feel, and smoother shifter. Maybe a tad heavier/less responsive in corners. But really, I would think this would be the logical upgrade for most FR-S/BRZ owners. (Or the FR-S would be the logical downgrade for Boxster/Cayman owners trying to cut down on costs).

[tennisfreak]

Its a tug of war for me.

I wish my FR-S had the power of a Z.

I wish the Z had the FR-S's back seats.

Ultimately I needed the seats more than the power which is why I own an FR-S.

[blackhawkdown]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

Its a tug of war for me.

I wish my FR-S had the power of a Z.

I wish the Z had the FR-S's back seats.

Ultimately I needed the seats more than the power which is why I own an FR-S.

wrx solves your problem like a boss. has more power then a frs, has 4 seats plus 2 extra doors and AWD. Not to mention it has a turbo for the price of a brz. 265hp 244-lb of torque

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

Its a tug of war for me.

I wish my FR-S had the power of a Z.

I wish the Z had the FR-S's back seats.

Ultimately I needed the seats more than the power which is why I own an FR-S.

Infiniti G35 or G37 would have possibly scratched your itch as well.

[vh_supra26]

I like the G35 coupe. But a lot of the ones around here have like 100k-150k and sellers are asking $10k-$15k.

[tennisfreak]

Originally Posted by Atropine

Infiniti G35 or G37 would have possibly scratched your itch as well.

Even bigger and heavier than a Z which takes even more away from the sports coupe feeling, not to mention expensive as shizzle since everything under the sun is an option.

Originally Posted by blackhawkdown

wrx solves your problem like a boss. has more power then a frs, has 4 seats plus 2 extra doors and AWD. Not to mention it has a turbo for the price of a brz. 265hp 244-lb of torque

I might go test drive one of the new 2015's and see how they feel.

[Chad11491]

Originally Posted by blackhawkdown

wrx solves your problem like a boss. has more power then a frs, has 4 seats plus 2 extra doors and AWD. Not to mention it has a turbo for the price of a brz. 265hp 244-lb of torque

I know its ridiculous, but I could never own a 4 door car and feel like it was a sports car. I know its dumb and completely unbased in the reality of how bada$$ the wrx and some other 4 doors are. But i , and probably some others can't get past the 4 doors.

That said, one of my dream cars is a 22b

[blackhawkdown]

Originally Posted by Chad11491

I know its ridiculous, but I could never own a 4 door car and feel like it was a sports car. I know its dumb and completely unbased in the reality of how bada$$ the wrx and some other 4 doors are. But i , and probably some others can't get past the 4 doors.

That said, one of my dream cars is a 22b

you say that now but when you have to constantly have to move your seat forward to let people into the back see like my 2.5rs coupe, its not fun. 4 doors ftw. A WRX is a practical car and that is what I DD because it has all the options I like. I understand where you are coming from; I use to be the same until I found out how practical 4 doors sedans were.


great looks for a coupe but not practical with a family


now that is practical

I just need a BRZ now

[chrisl]

Originally Posted by Chad11491

That said, one of my dream cars is a 22b

[jflogerzi]

Originally Posted by chrisl

[Boxer486]

Originally Posted by blackhawkdown

you say that now but when you have to constantly have to move your seat forward to let people into the back see like my 2.5rs coupe, its not fun. 4 doors ftw.

I just need a BRZ now

You know what's worse? Driving around with 4 doors and finding you almost never use the rear doors.