borrowed a 350Z for the afternoon

[ervv173]

Well my new stepdad is selling his almost new 350Z because he just bought a 3.2 type S to have a rear seat. He desperately wants me to like/accept him, and I think thats the only reason he let me take it. Am i taking slight advantage of the situation? eh maybe...but can you blame me?

so heres my review:

RWD is fun! I hadnt driven a rear wheel drive car in a while, except for my cadillac which is hardly fun to throw into turns. The Z is auto, so its not as much fun as it could have been but i wasnt complaining.

Very torquey. Its ready to go anytime, which is nice. Handling is awesome, much better than my wrx. The engine/exhaust note is very pleasing. The brakes were a dream. I dont even think he had the Brembo package, but they were awesome. Such a nice grippy feel...totally different than the mushiness in my car. Acceleration was not impressive. Not shabby at all, just less than I was hoping for. The torque makes it feel quicker around town, but when you get on it my car is more exilirating. However, from a roll Im sure it could take my Cobb Stage 1. The manual shift mode on the auto is clumsy and I didnt use it much.

The car sucks to get in and out of being that its so low to the ground. The rear visibility is a joke. Im paranoid and am always looking to see who's behind me. In that car, you'd better know how to identify headlights to tell if thats a copper tailing you. The interior has some cool features, but overall is too plastic-e for my liking. Being 6'1" I felt a little confined in the cockpit, but I could adapt to it. The stereo with the sub is garbage.

I did a few mild drifts, and quickly remembered how much more driver input RWD needs compared to AWD. I couldnt get it to do a burnout. With the traction control off, it still seems as if the computer limits you from doing one. It was strange. Maybe someone out there could comment on this? I got some light smoke but not what I was looking for.

Overall its a really cool car, and even though I wouldnt buy one I can easily see why a lot of people would. Shoot, I had to roll the windows up to keep girls from throwin me their numbers at stoplighs.

I finally took it back and bs'd with the stepdad for a while about it. He says, "You know, theres a way to turn the traction control off." "No kidding" I replied. "Yeah, I bet you could punch it from a stop with it off and it'd spin the tires some" he says. "Yeah, probably" I respond, keeping my grin contained. Then I took him for a ride in my car and scared the **** out of him.

[Sosa]

The top end of the Z is there, but once you mod it a tiny bit, it opens up and turns into a new machine. It's a fun car-- i'm not sure about the auto, but the 6spd is easy as hell to light the tires up and f* around. It's definitely a different beast than your wrxers, but it also takes a bit more getting used to than awd, imo.

[Integra96]

Good review. I definitely have to agree with you about the interior/stereo.

Oh, and ervv, remind me to never let you borrow my car.

[PKer]

I didn't like them at first but they've grown on me. I'll take the "track pack" version please.

[ervv173]

the burnout problem was prob just the auto and me bein extra cautious...cuz obviously the power is there. i got some cool loss of traction footage ill try to post sometime.

[wrx_freak]

i love 350z, specially these car, but not the color..http://driversimage.com/p10.shtml

[Trailboss]

I'm friends with the head of Smithtown Nissan's Motorsports department, and he let me drive the company's modded Z for a little bit. The only power mods were intake/exhaust, and it was lowered, had a carbon fiber bodykit on it, and a few other interior goodies. CF spoiler, too..I believe.

Anyway, I really like it. Its a fun car to play around it. I know its heavy and the view out of the back sorta sucks, but the shifter has a beautiful feel to it. I love the driving experience from it, the view out of the car, how the door panel comes basically up to your neck, and just zipping around cars in this fun little car.

The guy let me dump it at a stoplight and I was impressed with it. The engine/exhaust note sounds REALLY good. I could listen to that throaty hum all day.

Cool car, but I wanted something more practical.

[DTR rex]

its definatly an awesome car. I havnt been in an auto, but i am very firmiliar with nissans and having it in manual is a competely different car. with intake and full exhaust it really opens up the top end of the car. although i think if i had a car like that, i would probably leave the engine stock, just to preserve the smooth rid. although i dont think some suspension mods would hurt

[RyceRacing]

350z's are nice

[Spud_R1]

My friends mom has one (6spd)...we took it out one night, it was fun...need I say more?

[GTP_Gator]

Why wouldn't he get a G35 coupe of the Type-S? If he bought an auto Type-S tell him to be very weary, they have had Major problems with the Tranny. Other than that the Type S is a really nice car I almost bought one over the GTP but the S just came out and they wouldn't give me one for MSRP.

[4cyturbowrx]

My g/f has the G35 coupe and yes it auto too. But i will tell you it still is a really fun car that still has so gonadds. Its not as fast as my almost stage 2 but its just one of them cars that you can enjoy. But they car is far from being slow, it has power at every RPM rang. The only thing i cant stand about it is bad weather (that is where i am an AWD fan) the car just sucks. Snow tires dont do crape in car that has no weight in the back at all. Its bascially a second car that you only take it out when its nice out.

P.s The exhust note is thebest, kinda sounds like them exotics cars outheir.

[ervv173]

GTP_Gator: the G35 would have been the logical choice to me too...sacrifice a little added weight over the Z but keep the power and get a rear seat. They found a sick deal on the Type S though....$15,000 and its a 2001. Id never been in one before and I was impressed. The interior is pretty damn nice, and the ride is quiet. It pulls a lot harder than I expected, but its no sports car, especially with the front wheel drive. Its a more practical car for the folks though...that poor Z hadnt ever even been floored til I got my hands on it so a cruiser is more up their alley.

In related news...I raced an auto Z last night from a roll. By some miracle, he couldnt pull me. We were turning onto a 4 lane road from a stop...I made the turn quicker and was waiting in 2nd at 3.5k. I hear him punch it from about a car behind, so I hit it riight as his nose was at my tail. Im thinkin his auto must have been in 3rd and had to downshift when he floored it cuz I shouldnt have kept up. At the top of second he had just a bumper's lead. He gave up before 3rd or he would have surely walked me. I stopped by him at the next light and tried to compliment his car but he rolled his windows up...guess he was expecting me to talk trash.

[Spud_R1]

Can someone translate 4cyturbowrx's post for me...?

[zapman]

I was in the local nissan dealership today cause i was getting some work done on my car, there isn't a subaru dealership for 80 miles, and i was sitting in the 350z when a sales rep comes up to me asking if i need any help. Well i started talking with him and when i asked if they allow test driving of there 350z's he said no cause they only have one but they are getting one in a week and he will call me up for a test drive then.