My preorder isn't due til December but I went by my dealer to finally see a Z in person. He had three preorders (2 silver, 1 redline) awaiting make ready for pick up by their new owners. Now none had the white film removed and they were in a garage where you couldnt really get a good look at them from a distance, but I was able to get up close and personal for the first time.

But....

...I'm not sure how I feel about them. The first thing that struck me is how much bigger the car is in person than in the photos. Too big in fact. Why is this car so tall and fat looking around the passenger compartmant when all it holds is two people and less luggage than my old 300 twin turbo? In fact it looked huge compared to my old 300 - especially around the middle which gives it a "fat" look that just doesnt really show in the photos. Second, the stock wheels (no offense to folks who have them) just look cheap. And I mean cheap. I felt like I was looking at the wheels of a $15,000 car instead of a sports car. Now don't get me wrong, I think the 7 spokes look bad in photos, but in person they dont just look bad - they look cheap in the worst low cost japanese car sort of way. More like something you'd see on a mid line honda than a true sports car. Unfortunately none of these cars had the touring or track wheels to compare, but I hope I like my Touring's 18 inchers a lot more.

Now I know, the cars weren't unwrapped and cleaned up, but I didn't even feel a small hint of lust or excitement here. The cars shapes just looked odd and out of proportion to me. Finally seeing it 3D made the rear look too narrow and tall, the middle look too fat, the passenger door window sill look too high, and the front look too blunt and thick. Not a pleasing overall impression. Not offensive either - just odd.

I remeber the first time I saw a Z32 in person and I was awestruck. It was literally the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I sold my Porsche in short order and started an 11 year twin turbo love affair that spanned two cars. I used to stand in my garage at night just staring at my freshly waxed super white Twin Turbo. While far from ideal conditions, I'm concerned that my first impression of this new Z in the flesh is one of a fat cheap misproportioned car thats more a near miss than a striking beauty. I'm not so sure I'd go out in my garage at night to look at this.

I've got a Daytona Blue on order - and I think that color witll give it it's best chance to look good. And I know that cars that look unfamiliar at first glance sometimes are simply ahead of the curve and grow to be viewed with a newfound sense of beauty the more you see it. I'm sure hoping that happens here...

joe

 

thats interesting, you may be the first that thinks this car looks better in photos than in person. but you are certainly entitled to you views. i respect that. however, i have been to other forums for s2000, supra, rx-7, rsx..etc,etc,etc. and the overwhelming opinion is that it looks way better in person. some that actually called the Z fugly, have come around 180 degrees and said its beautiful in person. i tend to agree. just my thoughts....

 

Are you saying the 350z is a true sports car?
Its a Sport Coupe.

 

joe,

The daytona blue you ordered is really a thing of beauty especially when you give it a chance to be shown unwrapped with a good deal of ambient light to really show sleek the car really is. Granted, it is a long car, but would you have preferred something along the lines of an Audi TT (ThaT is a small car)?

I almost bought a Blue Touring just because it looked so darned good. But alas 37K is a bit over my limit. Hopefully, when you see/drive your Z, you will agree.

Honestly, the silvers, blues do accentuate the curves (esp. in the wheel wells) of the Z and really offset the 'fatness' that you are mentioning. As for the wheels, well, I think that is probably the best that Nissan could do for a 26-29K car. IMO, the wheels don't fill out the area given and really beg to be replaced.

Hope you enjoy your Z!

 

Drop the semantics. I'm saying the wheels let the car down. A sports coupe? In what sense of the word? Name a few of what you consider sports coupes....

joe

 

Any car which derives its engine and chassis from its former family member the Nissan Altima is not considered a true sports car.

(Sidenote) The weight factor is what is hurting the 350z.

Sanderman: Name a few of what you consider sports coupes....

Z06
E46 M3 coupe
Honda s2000
Acura NSX

Get the drift....

 

Please, not another S2000 supremist! C'mon, it's every bit as much a sports car as the S2000 is. It ain't cool coming to their home to knock their cars.

 

And no the 350z is NOT every bit as much of a sports car as the S2000 is.

I'm not a supremist, but i'll keep my comments/opinions to myself then.

 

I think someone forgot to take their Klonopin.

 

I'm not the most intelligent guy in the world, but a long time ago, I figured out that the general understanding of "sports coupe" was that is had back seats, and the understanding of "sports car" was that it didn't.

Pretty simple, to my mind.

 

Yeah he's right the 350Z is not every bit as much of a sports car as the s2000 is, actually it's way more of a sports car than the s2000. Real sports cars have more than 200 ft-lb. of torque something the s2000 owners couldn't even dream of.

Go back to your honda forums TROLL!!

 

Looking at the car with the shipping tape on it is no way to judge its looks; that completely disguises it. (When car companies want to hide a car from spy photos during testing, they mark up the body like that and it is almost impossible to get an idea of what it really looks like.) It is very hard to imagine what the car looks like under those conditions.

Before getting too carried away with your dislike of the looks, why not wait until you can see one for real? Give it another chance: stand next to a blue one that's all clean and shiny, in the daylight. If you still aren't thrilled with the looks, then OK, better luck with something else. Everyone else I've ever heard who has seen it says it looks better in person than in photos and has a great presence. But of course everyone is different and you might have different tastes. Most people that see my Blue 350Z (strangers included) absolutely FREAK over how cool it looks and can't believe how inexpensive the car is.

 

Klonopin, I don't understand your post. First, you say that the Z is not a true sports car, but is actually a sports coupe. Then, you proceed to list a number of sports coupes as examples. You include the Z06, M3, S2000 and NSX. Finally, you completely undermine yourself by stating that the 350Z is "NOT every bit as much of a sports car as the S2000 is."

So, what are you saying the S2000 is? A sports coupe, or a sports car? Does it fit in with the Vette, BMW and Acura? Or is it a "real" sports car? Did you get confused in what you were saying? I mean, you do say that any car with an ex-Altima engine is not a real sports car, but with the possible exception of the M3 (modified 3 series engine) the other two cars, the Z06 and NSX do not share their engine lines with any sedans.

Anyways, the point of this ridiculous process is that yes, the Z is a sports car/sports coupe. Whatever you want to call it. It directly competes with other sports cars/sport coupes such as the Boxster/TT/330/RX-8 and yes, S2000, not to mention past greats such as the 300ZX, 3000GT, RX-7 and Supra.

There are many fans of the S2000 on this board, including me. Many of us seriously considered buying that instead. Some of us did. It's a great car, most people here wouldn't argue with that. However, it's a 350Z forum.

 

I think the Z looks much better in person than in pictures, plus I thought it looked much smaller in real life than in the photos as well. Kinda funny. The only Z I've seen up close was the Daytona Blue Enthusiast (with the 17" wheels) and I thought it was beautiful. Maybe it will just take you some time to get used to it.

Now, as for Sports Car VS Sports Coupe, either way the Z compares very similarly to the S2000 (extra weight offset by fatter tires and more power), so even though the Z may feel slightly less nimble, the two cars seem too similar in intent and performance to be separated by terminology.

The M3 and NSK are in another league, and the Z06 is in a league above both those, so I can see some differentiation between those 3 and the Z.

What would people call the Miata or MR2?

I guess it doesn't really matter what you call the Z, it will perform the same either way.



-D'oh!

 

Wow can't agree at all with two of the people. There is no other better looking car out right now, scept for exotics, and thats NOT just my opinon. Also, I already have been in stop light race and twistie drive with S2000 around Westwood-Brentwood, EASILY kept up and was MUCH faster off the line, and I didn't push it to the max. S2000 is not overrated, but the losers coming here who have NEVER even driven the 350Z to talk smack is SOO lame. I love their comparisons, the new M3 or Z06. PLEASE. To be honest, if they made a $55K 350Z, and I had the money I would take it over the M3 ANY day knowing it would be as powerful and handle as well/better and still look much better. That being said, my $27K Enthu. model POUND FOR POUND (read: what you get for what you pay) is much more of a car then almost all cars out there. Looks are subjective, power, speed and handeling is not. Sorry but this board has become Troll heavy. and I for one am DONE sticking up for the Z.

 

Not intending to take any sides but I remember reading a while back in Road and Track that the classical definition of a sports car was a nimble rear wheel drive car with the capability of open top motoring. In this sense I would say the s2000 is a sports car and the Z a sports coupe, but these are just words and I don't think that takes away from the awesomeness of the Z. At least 7000 or so others certainly don't think so either. So let's all enjoy our cars and not worry about a divergent opinion now and then, after all it's all subjective.

 

Sanderman is certainly welcome to his opinion. It does not match mine or that of most people on this site. I personally love the car and get a rush every time I see one, as do many others who write in. I recommend that if the car doesn't live up to his expectations, he should let it pass on to someone else who will be thrilled by it. The good news is that I can put Sanderman on my ignore list and not have to worry about what he says. Haven't felt the need to do that for anyone else.

 

Hey z350z!! Who does this clown remind you of anyway?? Remember Saturday???

 

hum......it's a bit awkward then, so u mean all the Z06 vettes, porsche 911, nsx, lambo, and such as not a sport car but a sport coupe? that doesn't make much sense to me.

oh yeah, got a question too, should a roadster be consider as a sport car? it's just a question i'm fuzzy on the classification of car, espeically on the sport car.