shift

Pretty tame?? Try 5.3 0-60, 13.77 1/4 (Motor Trend/March 2004).

There's only a few "stock" sports cars out there under $30-40k that can hang with those times. In other words, your opinion means absolutely nothing.

Cheever

The Z is very powerful. Compare it to cars available ten years ago and it would smoke all but the exotics.

Ten years ago, corvettes were packing like 245 hp and mustangs had 225 hp under the hood. As for imports, DSM cars had 195 hp.

Z has 287 hp. I think that says it all.


Cheever

cfour33

It sounds like you did pay for part of the Z yourself. There is a big difference between working for something and just having it handed to you.

And I wouldn't really say it is maturity that matters, but experence. I know that I am a better driver now then I thought I was at 17.

Fear Night

Any car with enough power to kick the back end out and cause the driver to possibly lose control is too much for a new driver IMO. And last time I checked the Z was one of the fastest true sports cars in its price range.

dczoner

iTrader: (1)

I think I actually grew in to each car that I owned pretty well...

1st car -> 1991 Ford Aerostar... 5MT!!! Thats right, a stick shift minivan! Given to me by my mom.

2nd car -> Traded my dad the Aerostar for his Nissan NX1600. Car was absolutely gutless, but still fun for high school.

3rd car -> Purchased 100% by myself 1990 300zx N/A.

4th car -> (after the 300 just gave up on life (120k miles)) 1997 Audi A4 2.8L Quattro. Fully loaded. Purchased by me w/ financing.

5th car -> 2003 Nissan 350z Enthus. Purchased by me w/ financing and a "floater loan" from my parents (because the car showed up a month earlier than Nissan said it would)...

Next car -> Add on an FX35 in 2 years when they start coming back from leases...

All things considered I've gotten a good feel for power from each "step" up in the process. the NX1600 was a joke, but it got me ready to be able to understand how a 300zx would drive (ie, low to ground, nissan clutch, etc). . . Then I built up the 300 for a few years, and when I went in to the Audi it was slower but handled better (quattro + sport suspension + Zrated tires). Then when I got the 350 it took me about 2-3 weeks to remember how to drive a sports car again...

I think its important to slowly ramp up your challenge rather than learn it all in one leap. I wouldn't have been safe in my 350 if I'd never had the 300zx (about 1.5 seconds slower 0-60, for instance). And I wouldn't have been safe in my 300 had I not had a little beater ride beforehand to learn safe driving techniques.

I'm absolutely a better driver than I was when I was 16 or 17 but I can completely remember how I felt like I was the best driver in town back then. . .

Brandon@Forged

And I will be a 16 year old that can handle it, my parents realize this. This is aweful k2we. I'm very mature for my age and responsible. (p.s. no one flame me, i've heard it too many times...)

Brandon@Forged

Age and maturity are linked but I would say about 5% of the people are more mature than others their age. And it sounds like you are talking about experience, not maturity, there's a difference, and if you don't have experience but your mature, it seems to me you would be more careful.

(I don't mean to offend, it's just my .02 cents)

Regards, Brandon

Zlips

First off I am not 17, but what makes you think that a young person does not work for their car. My first car was a brand new ford mustang and I made the payments on it myself. That right there is a stereotypical comment.

skylin3R33

I take issue with the guns don't kill people comment; if one were to follow that line of thinking one could also say "rocket launchers don't kill people, people kill people" or "thermonuclear weapons don't kill people, people kill people" while logically correct, they are not rational nor reasonable statements to make considering human nature; following from that just because nuclear weapons rocket launchers and handguns don't kill people, that is not justification for letting a populace possess them and maim and destroy with virtual impunity.

Furthermore,, most bans on handguns fail because the bans fail to remove the guns from the populace for one reason or another; if you want an example of a country that succesfully has eradicated handguns from their society, look at Japan, the murder rate there is 15 times lower than the United States. While it is true people still are killed with swords and on the rare occasion, guns, it seems logical that if you make it easy for people to kill each other on a whim, i.e. handguns, then it'll happen more often then a society would like.

It boggles the mind how the largest military and economic powerhouse in the history of the human race, embraces a culture that gives rise to such places as South Central, Compton, and Columbine. Morever, observe how people on U.S. nightly news are constantly saying things like; "It was so horrible, how could something like this happen?" and "Why, why did it have to happen?", yet the next day and the day after, nothing changes in the U.S.. You guys still let all those deviants run around with handguns, destroying and devastating, otherwise hard working and intelligent people's lives. Real sad when a people can't see what's right in front of them. No responsibility and too much freedom in the U.S.. and you see what you get.

Zcool

So, your answer to this problem of the high rate of murder by guns is to take away the guns from all citizens. You would only wind up taking the guns of responsible, law abiding citizens. The criminals, psychopaths and other miscreants would still have their guns! No, eliminating guns is not the answer. Your example of Japan only shows what I believe to be the problem and that is violence is a cultural trait here in the U.S. that has evolved through our history. Japan is a homogeneous society with a much longer history and their culture has evolved to it's current state. They always weren't so peaceful a society. We can solve our murder rate problem through better education and socialization not by restrictin freedoms of honest citizens.

nvertigo

btw you people who call those parents stupid offended alot of people including me. im 17 with a g35 given to me but im very careful and very grateful. it would be terrible for my parents to lose a son because of a gift they gave.

and watch what you say about my parents

ecnal123

Im 18. Parents got it for me for graduation because they know how much ive been in love with this car ever since i laid eyes on it. Ive shown myself to be very mature and responsible. I would like to see how many 25-40 year olds get in wrecks. I can probably say 80% of those were caused by stupid and immature mistakes. Everyone makes them so just because a select few of dumbazz immature and unresponsible kids mess up doesnt mean the rest of the people in their age group are the same way. I know tons of ppl 25-40 who are very immature but i dont stereotype because i judge ppl individually. Sure you can say youve been there and you know how it is all you want but thats based on your individual experiences...maybe you was one of those dumbazz and irresponsible kids when you was young? You would probably be one of those kids to kill yourself or someone else if anybody gave you the slightest feeling of power. As for me i love my car way too much to risk messing it up. Not to mention it wouldnt only be my life i would be endangering...i would be endangering everyone elses and im mature enough and responsible enough to realize that and thats why i have the car because im one of those kids who understands this.

skylin3R33

The more logical solution would be to impose extremely harsh penalties on those with felony backgrounds that would prohibit ownership of firearms(basic behavior modification theory) as 80% of murders are commited by those in this demographic and continue to allow law abiding citizens the privilige and responsibility of bearing arms.

jeffie7

iTrader: (4)

I wonder if the kids father put a computer system on the car that let him know if the kid went over 65mph....

LoudnHopeless

me being 19 now i wonder how i didnt get a ticket or accident back when i had my first car at the age of 17. It was a 96 3000GT. I admit that i did drive cars before i got my license and i practiced alot with manual since its what ive had since my first car. I guess some teenagers are just less responsible than others, huh...

LoudnHopeless

I agree.

Its stupid how people now'days think. If the car has 300 hp or under and it does a quarter mile in anything 13+ then its a slow underpowered car. People need to realize what the hell they are talking about. Then they end up dead because they lost control in this "tame" car (the Z), ironic isnt it?

zpak

+1

I remember how reckless and fearless I was as a 16 or 17 year old. You could have given me any car (even my parents' beater), and I would have gunned it to its limits. If I had a Z, I would have been even more dangerous.

That being said, there ARE good younger drivers. But this one example above does not seem to illustrate that.

FatBoy1

iTrader: (2)

I hope the kid is ok. I handed my daughter the keys to her new mustang on her 16th B/day. I had no doubt in my mind she could drive the car safely. She was rear ended by another car one day with her friend and a 2 year old in the car, the officer on the scene said my daughter was able to steer the car away from the other lane which is what probably saved their lives. It does fall on the parents to know what their child is capable of. With one victim presumbably OK, I think thats punishment enough for that family. 350Z for a first car? Too many variables for me to say. A car is just that, a car. I have loved every Z I have owned (5) but I love my kid more....

bamyi

iTrader: (2)

You younglings are making me laugh. You sound just like me. Never smoked, drank, drugs, all around good kid but now I look back and I think, wow, I wasn't as smart and mature as I thought I was. I gurantee that 10 years from now you will look back and say the exact same thing, then you will say, "Phuc Dat was right...... Phuc Dat".

juliosuburban

18 here....I can handle my Z...but I have like 10 years experience, I have been around cars my whole life.