iris

ditto on the nav door - i keep spare napkins in there (god forbid if somebody spills something in the Z). other than that i'm happy.

also i'm 5'3" and 105 and it fits me like a glove too.

collinsc

Since when was the RX-8 competition to the Z?

Seriously. When? the 8 has 4 seats and a fair trunk. It also has a high revving rotary with 250hp and much less torque. Its a fair amount lighter too.

Its not going after the Z, its not going after the S2k either. Basically, the 8 is a reborn rotary project designed with wide market appeal to foster public trust in the rotary design (much maligned after the old rx7s) before they re-do the RX-7.

If the word on the street is right, the RX-7 will be a real monster. Theyre saying that the new renesis is more suitable to FI applications than the old versions, which will obviously bring up the torque that so many like to ***** about.

Wait for the RX-7, then do your dumbass "OMG THIS IS A TRUE SPORTS CAR" comparisons.

oh, ps. i ****ing hate that "this is a TRUE sports car" BS. If what you mean to say is that the Z was built with no compromises, then that is accurate. Once you have said that, you would be an idiot to compare the Z to the 8, a vehicle built on compromises)

hockeygabor

The interior is a matter of taste.Remember when all the car mags were lauding the "pizza" panel look of the Ford Taurus instrument panel
The RX-8 is in reality a Ford -they forced Mazda to do the 4 doors...Hey there like those old cars from the 1930s!

azjimbo

More than one review has said great things about the Z interior.I love the fact that it is clean,simple and modern with a touch of retro.The aluminum accents are just right.I own a Z so I could care less about a RX-8.

Inova

compromises.

it's funny how they hype up the car to be so great, claiming that it is a sports car. then they throw in back seats, use an underpowered engine and then compare it to cars like the z and g35c. so if it is not a comparison to the z or s2k, then what is it comparable to? please enlighten me with which cars that it WOULD be able to compare to..

reneedalady

Don't get me wrong, I love this car and think the asthetics of the interior are quite pleasing. But I do find the quality of materials to be a bit lacking. That and after only three months mine has become QUITE the rattle trap.

collinsc

How the hell should I know? The whole point of my post was that there are no reasonable comparisons. I dont know where all these comparisons are coming from.
The RX-8 is a bizarre vehicle and cant be placed head to head with the Z in the way that say the G35C can be run against the 330Ci.

Who are the "they" that you refer to? Also be careful about exculding backseats, youre cutting out some fairly esteemed company doing that.

Comparing the RX-8 to the G35C is closer I guess, seeing how the cars can seat 4. Is the G35C a "sports car"? Probably not.
People that buy the RX-8 will be people who want a sports car but need to make some compromises. Very much the same way that people some people will choose the G35C over the Z

Rotorhead

Keep in mind this is a not the 2 seat RX-7 that Mazda is planning to bring back in 2005 with a larger engine producing 300+ HP. It will be lighter and more powerful than the RX-8. This will be the true comparison to the Z. Also, the current Sport Compact Car Magazine put the RX-8 on the dyno and found that it was 40 HP off the 250 HP that Mazda claims. Mazda states that the vehicles delivered were pre-production and not yet fully tuned. That explained about 15 HP, the other 25 was attributed to a problem in the pre-production variable length intake runner system. I think you will see the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times improve on production cars without the 7500 RPM drop. How much - who knows. Still a bit slower than the Z I would imagine, but then this car is not designed to be a Z beater, that will be the job of the next RX-7.

As far as handeling goes all the magazines I have seen give the RX-8 high marks. I do not think anyone can make the claim right now that the Z handles better than the RX-8. We will need to see more info once the RX-8 hits the streets.

Jason Bourne

I disagree with you on this. What defines "no compromise" is highly subjective. To you, the 350z may seem like it was built without compromises, to me it is a rolling example of compromise design.

To be "no compromise" for me the Z would need to:
- Not have ANY power equipment (no power windows, mirrors, etc...)
- No radio, no AC
- No soundproofing (anywhere)
- Simple functional dash with tach, speedo, oil pressure and temp gauges
- Real racing seats
- Factory roll cage and harnesses
- Lexan side glass (removable)
- Lighter, wider wheels but probably only 17X9 with 255/40-17 tires all around - meaning smaller OD and therefore smaller wheel arches and revised gearing
- Brembo brakes standard
- No traction control or VDC
- Adjustable suspension (roll bars and ride height)
- Adjustable brake bias
- Weigh about 2700lbs
- Etc...

This is what I would define as "no compromise" and what I will work on my Z to approach (when I get it). I just wish Nissan would offer a REAL "Track" package so I could buy it as I've described it and not have to spend an additional $8-12K to get it how I want it.

So, my point is "no compromise" means different things to you and me and there are some people for whom something like an RX8 may appear as a no compromise car. At the other end of the spectrum, I know plenty of people who believe that anything remotely street-legal is rife with compromises - for them it's either an open-wheel racer or a conveyance to get you to the track and back (doesn't matter if it is a pickup truck or a 911 GT2).

Jason