You mentioned that headroom was tight for the 6'3" driver--but I believe this has to do with the power seats, which do not have a height adjustment, as you pointed out. The other models without power seats DO have a height adjustment, I've been told. So for tall 350Zer's (like me), that may be a critical reason to stay away from the power seats--which means staying away from the Touring model, I believe. The non-power seats are supposed to offer 38.2" headroom, which should work even for a 6'5" driver, like me. Otherwise---thanks for a great post!

 

hey 6k can u give me the estimate of how wide the strut brace is? and are the pedals really close to each other? and one more question, how far off the ground was the car?

 

Question....I'm not sure I understand the cupholder situation. Are you saying that the cupholders pop out from the wall behind the center console and aren't a part of the console? I had assumed one of the cupholders was under the lid right behind the gear shift and in front of the seat heater buttons. What is under that lid?

Also, did the car you were in have the Nav system?

 

Zmeflyby,

Those are tough questions!

hey 6k can u give me the estimate of how wide the strut brace is?

There are two braces, front and rear. The front, go from shock tower to shock tower the entire width of the engine conpartment, something like 4 feet in length.

The rear brace, is an arch like structure the runs from left to right or transversely above the read axle located just under the rear window. It is proabably 3.5 feet across and about 4 inches thick at the top expanding in thickness as it arches to the floor to about 6 inches thick. It is quite large and displaces a large area in the rear. I think they might want to re think this, it would be much less offensive if it didn't take up so much area!!!

are the pedals really close to each other?

The car was an automatic, the pedals were very far apart. The brake pedal was huge maybe 4 inches wide.

how far off the ground was the car?

I don't know.... The tires filled up the wheel well, looked low, but I couldn't give you the dimension.

 

Question....I'm not sure I understand the cupholder situation. Are you saying that the cupholders pop out from the wall behind the center console and aren't a part of the console?

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The cup holders are located in the console under a little flip up hatch cover. If you were sitting in the driver seat, the holder would be located a couple inches behind your right elbow. So if you wanted a drink, you would have to either reach with your left hand across your body and down behind your right elbow, or contort your body to the left so you could reach down and back with your right hand... The holder are fold out plastic structures the surround the cup, as the cup bottom settles in the bottom of the console.



I had assumed one of the cupholders was under the lid right behind the gear shift and in front of the seat heater buttons.

No they are located behind the seat heater buttons at the very rear of the console. Maybe this location is only for the automatics, but there is no cup holder just behind the shifter on this car.



Also, did the car you were in have the Nav system?

Yes , the Nav system was activated and the Birdseye view was employed. The driver was unfamiliar with the system so we didn't spend much time there. It was however easy to see with a very clear image.

 

Question....I'm not sure I understand the cupholder situation. Are you saying that the cupholders pop out from the wall behind the center console and aren't a part of the console?

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The cup holders are located in the console under a little flip up hatch cover. If you were sitting in the driver seat, the holder would be located a couple inches behind your right elbow. So if you wanted a drink, you would have to either reach with your left hand across your body and down behind your right elbow, or contort your body to the left so you could reach down and back with your right hand... The holder are fold out plastic structures the surround the cup, as the cup bottom settles in the bottom of the console.



I had assumed one of the cupholders was under the lid right behind the gear shift and in front of the seat heater buttons.

No they are located behind the seat heater buttons at the very rear of the console. Maybe this location is only for the automatics, but there is no cup holder just behind the shifter on this car.



Also, did the car you were in have the Nav system?

Yes , the Nav system was activated and the Birdseye view was employed. The driver was unfamiliar with the system so we didn't spend much time there. It was however easy to see with a very clear image.

 

Thanks for the review 6KL.

Couple more questions for you

Have you pre-ordered a Z? If so, what trim, and are you more excited now having rode in one?

As for cupholders, are they under the lid that is at the back of this picture?

Do you know what is under the lid that is in front of the hazard button?

(Can't get pic to load...maybe I have reached my limit)

 

6k, i envy you. argh. but like everyone else, i have a few questions as well. how was the fit and finish of the interior? what was the middle console housing the nav system and radio controls and such, what was that console made out of? like a textured material, cheap-o plastic, real stainless steel? oh yes and how was the frost leather? like bright white? grey? dark grey? like mercedes ash...or...lighter? darker? did the leather look prone to cracking at all? mayan i wish you took some pictures. argh. but you wrote a very good write up. so it's okay.

scafremon...the pics aren't showing up for me. anyone else?

 

Hmmm...I had assumed the large lid at the back of the center console was covering a storage compartment. Is that not the case then?

 

6klaunch...not to pester you with more questions but here it goes;

1. How was the aluminum look plastic? Did it fell like metal? or did it look like a GM plastic?

2. The door panel. Was it the cheap sentra plastic, or the nice soft rubber feel of the maxima.

3. how was the forward view? did the cockpit seem tight because of an incroaching "A" pillar?

the best you can...thanks!

 

So many questions!! Man, are we ever hungry for information on our cars. I read 6kLaunch's first "Lunch"post 5 times and even printed it out to show my wife. Was even more interesting to me because we are getting the exact same car - brickyard touring with AT and Nav system. The more he answers questions, the more we want to know.

Everything he described sounded fantastic - I can live with inconvenient cupholders, and even learn to love that huge back brace with the Z on it..

 

dvlad,

1. How was the aluminum look plastic? Did it fell like metal? or did it look like a GM plastic?

I must say I was impressed with the interior. It had clean feel and look to it, not gawdy GM trim

2. The door panel. Was it the cheap sentra plastic, or the nice soft rubber feel of the maxima.

The door panel was soft, almost leather like. I had to do a double take because first I thought it was leather.

3. how was the forward view? did the cockpit seem tight because of an incroaching "A" pillar?

The forward view was unencumbered, not even close to the a pillar. The dash seemed open and expansive. The felt very roomy and comfortable, unlike the BMW m Coup or Honda S2000 where one feels captured.

 

thanks 6klaunch. You sound almost like your trying to sell us the car

Good work.

 

Couple more questions for you

Have you pre-ordered a Z? If so, what trim, and are you more excited now having rode in one?

I have preordered a a Touring 6MT. I must admit, I was starting to lose some enthusiasm and getting more interested in the Boxster. Now after being one on one with the Z, I do feel energized!

The car would be MUCH BETTER if it didn't have that rear brace, THAT REALLY BUMMED ME OUT. Maybe I can get used to it, but it just eats up so much useful space.

As for cupholders, are they under the lid that is at the back of this picture?

I can't see the picture, but yes, they were under the lid at the very rear of the console.

Do you know what is under the lid that is in front of the hazard button? I don't remember where the hazard button is, sorry ..

 

hey 6k

did u go to the japan stimulate website before, go there and take a look, can u tell me if that's the key u saw or it's another one, cuz i'm kinda confuse with the US and japanese model having a different key.............

 

Here's a link to the pic:

Through Window

 

http://jp.z.com/

wait till the window pop up and put the mouse to the Z navigator bar, then go Z concept----->performance------>concept z virtual stimulation, and after u press the start button there's the key, i just wanna vertify cuz there's kinda non sense for japan to make different key on same model..............

 

knihc2008


what was the middle console housing the nav system and radio controls and such,

Not sure what your questions is here

what was that console made out of?
The console doubled as an arm rest, generally made of textured plastic.

like a textured material, cheap-o plastic, real stainless steel?
The stainless steel buttons and such looked and felt like stainless. I don't know for sure what the material actually was.



oh yes and how was the frost leather? like bright white? grey? dark grey? like mercedes ash...or...lighter? darker?

The frost leather was very light in color, a light grey.

did the leather look prone to cracking at all?

I don't know what that looks like .

 

Yes, I see the picture now. The hatch at the rear is where the cup holders are located. The console was different than your picture, there was not lid behind the shifter. I presume the Automatic version of the console is a little different from the stick shift .