Mazda RX8 vs. Nissan 350Z

Power:

Automatic RX8: 4AT, 197HP - 6AT, 212HP
Automatic 350Z: 5AT, 287HP VQ35 - 306HP w/VQ35HR
Manual RX8: 6MT 235HP
Manual 350Z: 6MT 300HP - 306HP w/VQ35HR

Wheelbase:

RX8: 106.4
350Z: 104.3

Weight:

RX8: 2900-3050lbs
350Z: 3100-3350lbs

Interior:

RX8:

Front headroom (inches): 38.2
Rear headroom (inches): 36.8
Front hip room (inches): 53.4
Rear hip room (inches): 48.1
Front leg room (inches): 42.7
Rear leg room (inches): 32.2
Front shoulder room (inches): 54.9
Rear shoulder room (inches): 54.9

350Z:

Front headroom (inches): 38.2
Front hip room (inches): 53.2
Front leg room (inches): 42.6
Front shoulder room (inches): 53.6
Interior volume (cu ft): 50.5

Braking 70-0:

350Z: 164ft.
RX8: 157ft

Will post more when I'm back. Gotta' run.

 

Exterior:
RX-8: 7 colors available
350Z: 8 colors available

Advantage 350Z, but it's really a deceptive landslide win by the Z since Solar Orange is not a choice for the 8.

 

Lows: Cheap interior, engine sounds like a coffee grinder inside the car.


WTF, I love the interior of my car...and it sounds ****ing diesel from the inside...**** you car and driver...you have lost all of my respect.

 

Mike did you include the colors for the Shinka models? If so we might pull off a victory here in the colors race!

 

Performance:

350Z:

0-60 - High 4s w/HR, low 5s w/ VQ35DE
1/4 - mid-13s w/HR, high 13s-low 14's w/VQ35DE

RX8:

0-60 - 7.5 seconds w/4AT, ~6 seconds w/6MT, high 6s w/6AT
1/4 - mid-high 14s w/6MT, mid-15s with 4AT, low 15s w/6AT

Skidpad:

350Z: .89g
RX8: .88g

Impact Resistance:

350Z:

Front driver: 5-stars
Front pass.: 4-stars
Side: 5-star

RX8:

Front driver: 4-stars
Front pass.: 5-stars
Side: 4-star

Economy:

350Z: 20/27
RX8: 18/24

600ft Slalom:

350Z: ~67mph
RX8: ~67mph

 

I stopped reading the article after this. Never been much of a bookworm. What's the prob.?

 

It's a BS article, as always. One of the reasons i don't buy them as much anymore.

 

Radio antenna:
350Z: prone to theft apparently
RX-8: immune to theft, unless thief desires rear windshield as well
Advantage: RX-8

Number of pistons:
350Z: 6
RX-8: 0
Advantage: 350Z

Magnitude of Car Label:
350Z: 350
RX-8: 8
Advantage: 350Z, by a large margin

Man, those Car and Driver dudes forgot a lot of important stuff. It would have made the comparison much more valid.

 

Xenon:

350Z: Standard on Enthusiast, Touring, Grand Touring
RX8: Optional on Sport, standard for Touring & GT

MP3 CD:

350Z: Standard on Touring/GT
RX8: N/A

Heated Seats:

350Z: Standard on Touring, GT
RX8: Only on GT

Auto Seats:

350Z: Standard on Enth., Touring, and GT
RX8: Driver's seat only and only available on GT

Illuminated Steering Controls:

350Z: Standard on Enth., Touring, and GT
RX8: N/A

 

Your cute attempts at mocking my posts and attempting to defend your car is pretty pitiful. Nowhere did I claim advantages of the 350Z over the RX8. I'm merely posting various stats between the two cars that a lot of people take into consideration. My posts don't even feature any commentary. So don't be so quick to defend your cute little car and retort against my posts.

 

^ My apologies, I was not mocking or defending any "cute" or "not so cute" vehicle, just confirming how stupid that article is due to the subjective nature of the comparison. Sorry if you took my failed attempts at sarcasm as directed at you, they were directed at the people who dreamt up that comparison. Your posts merely prompted me to use your style to point out the stupidity of the Car and Driver article. Hopefully, some folks got that. And I'm serious about the orange, I only wish I could have purchased my "cute" car in that color.

 

Oh, then I retract my statements.

 

Here ya go this should give ya somethin to talk about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozvR3UFbkLA

Not sure on numbers but I would think that the rx-8 is more compairable to the S2000, like I said could be wrong....Non-the-less here ya go...

 

I think the RX-8 has better interior, and some stylish little back doors for access to the back seats is a big plus. The car is overall, better than the Z if it wasn't for the power and well, that rotatory engine. But add the 07 Z's engine to the RX-8 (example) and you would have perfection.

The reason why it sucks is because its only problem (the engine) is a BIG thing when it comes to buying sports cars...

 

the RX8 is better to be compared with the G35 not the Z.

Z = true sport car

RX8 = touring car

 

True. Although I would put it this way.

350Z = Sport car.

RX-8 = Touring car.

Lotus Elise = TRUE sport car.

 

No problem. My view is to not get too wrapped up into these material things we call cars. Yeah, they're loads of fun, but not worth popping blood vessels over.

 

I dunno IMO ever since they revised C&D and came out with the new cover I haven't agreed with alot of the things they say. I don't even bother wasting my time reading it anymore.

 

Haha, nice sig.

 

Just for another reference of comparison:

Top Gear - 350Z
Top Gear - RX8

Clarkson wasn't terribly impressed with the Z, but it seems to me that he test drove it as if the Z were a lincoln sedan or something...