Showroom Showdown Audi TT Vs. Nissan 350Z
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From: Smackahoe Blvd
The only difference is the TT blows away the 350Z on build quality and in the fun to drive catagory. Realisticly the 3.2 DSG TT is 10K more than a track model Z, but I am pretty sure I could outlap a stock Z track model in the TT on pretty much any track.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Richmond, VA
Someone needs to post the video of Vic driving them from that british site. She basically loved the Z and was so so on the TT.
As for rain - you're going to be fine if you know what you're doing. I've had my Z for about a year and a half, and have NEVER hydroplaned, or lost traction in the rain. If you take corners at high rpms, you're going to lose traction... it's just a fact when you're driving a RWD car. If you aren't a complete idiot, you'll be fine. The few instances I've read where people have totaled their Z in the rain were because they turned off the TCS or VDC, which (in my opinion) puts you in the complete idiot book.
As for rain - you're going to be fine if you know what you're doing. I've had my Z for about a year and a half, and have NEVER hydroplaned, or lost traction in the rain. If you take corners at high rpms, you're going to lose traction... it's just a fact when you're driving a RWD car. If you aren't a complete idiot, you'll be fine. The few instances I've read where people have totaled their Z in the rain were because they turned off the TCS or VDC, which (in my opinion) puts you in the complete idiot book.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Chicago
Originally posted by OboeMD
Z does not handle well on wet roads. I've had two serious hydroplane scares at moderate speed.
Z does not handle well on wet roads. I've had two serious hydroplane scares at moderate speed.
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From: Birmingham, Al
Originally posted by Santacruzslick
That's not because the road was wet...you hydroplane when you're going too fast through a puddle.
That's not because the road was wet...you hydroplane when you're going too fast through a puddle.
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From: DELAWARE USA
Re: Showroom Showdown Audi TT Vs. Nissan 350Z
Originally posted by oscarmayer00
With critically acclaimed styling and loyal followings, Nissan's 350Z and Audi's TT coupes and convertibles are two of the most popular sports cars on the market.
They play in a competitive category that also includes the BMW Z4, the Honda S2000, the Porsche Boxster and DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class convertibles, as well as General Motors' (nyse: GM - news - people ) Chevrolet Corvette coupe and convertible.
While the 350Z and TT do not have enough horsepower to challenge the most expensive names on that list, the base prices for that group of cars start in the mid-$20,000 range and stretch to $52,000 for the 400-hp 2005 Corvette convertible and up to $61,000 for the 355-hp Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG.
The 350Z and TT fit differently into that lineup of vehicles. The 350Z is the value-conscious choice in this category. Unlike the TT, which has a much nicer interior, the 350Z is not a premium nameplate--but it is a great sports car.
The two cars are close both in terms of price and performance. The TT has the advantage of optional all-wheel drive, which is great in snow, while the 350Z can be hellacious on wet roads if you're not in the mood for sliding around. (However, the Nissan's rear-wheel- drive configuration appeals more to sports car purists than the TT's optional front-wheel-drive layout.)
The 350Z has the trump card in terms of horsepower, with a 300-hp, 35th-anniversary model for 2005, but the TT's flagship 3.2 quattro series offers a high-tech, sequential manual transmission (you change gears with paddles on the steering wheel). This transmission doesn't use a clutch pedal, but it is much faster than similar units thanks to its use of two clutches, and can simulate a racing technique called heel-and-toe downshifting by blipping the gas during downshifts to make them smoother.
In sales performance, this matchup is no contest. In the first ten months of this year, the TT's American sales totaled only 18% of the 350Z's. Audi sold 6% more TTs than Mercedes sold SLKs in the same period, but the TT equaled only 36% of the sales of BMW's Z4. The rejuvenated Corvette outsells the TT in this country by about 7-to-1. Sales of both the TT and the 350Z have declined this year; perhaps now that the cars have been on the market for some time, the public has cooled off from its enthusiastic reception of what at the time had been seen as striking new designs.
However, the lesson of the cars' sales figures is that room exists at both the top and the bottom of this already expansive category of vehicles. Premium automakers enjoy having two-seat roadsters in their lineups. BMW, Porsche, Cadillac and Ford Motor's (nyse: F - news - people ) Jaguar subsidiary have them. In addition to the SLK, Mercedes has its flagship SL-Class, which can cost six figures. Mark Igo, general manager of Nissan's Infiniti subsidiary, said in an interview in January that his brand would love to have such a vehicle.
At the other end of the price spectrum, the success of the 350Z suggests that General Motors is thinking in the right direction with its forthcoming Pontiac Solstice roadster. While the company has not yet announced pricing for that vehicle, expect it to cost closer to $20,000 than $40,000.
In an interview last year, GM Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz said that he championed the Solstice's development because "the world does not need another $40,000 roadster." Maybe he's right. Maybe it needs more $25,000 roadsters--and more $60,000 roadsters. For a more detailed look at the segment, please see the slide show that follows.
Click here for the slide show.
http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2004/..._1117show.html
With critically acclaimed styling and loyal followings, Nissan's 350Z and Audi's TT coupes and convertibles are two of the most popular sports cars on the market.
They play in a competitive category that also includes the BMW Z4, the Honda S2000, the Porsche Boxster and DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class convertibles, as well as General Motors' (nyse: GM - news - people ) Chevrolet Corvette coupe and convertible.
While the 350Z and TT do not have enough horsepower to challenge the most expensive names on that list, the base prices for that group of cars start in the mid-$20,000 range and stretch to $52,000 for the 400-hp 2005 Corvette convertible and up to $61,000 for the 355-hp Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG.
The 350Z and TT fit differently into that lineup of vehicles. The 350Z is the value-conscious choice in this category. Unlike the TT, which has a much nicer interior, the 350Z is not a premium nameplate--but it is a great sports car.
The two cars are close both in terms of price and performance. The TT has the advantage of optional all-wheel drive, which is great in snow, while the 350Z can be hellacious on wet roads if you're not in the mood for sliding around. (However, the Nissan's rear-wheel- drive configuration appeals more to sports car purists than the TT's optional front-wheel-drive layout.)
The 350Z has the trump card in terms of horsepower, with a 300-hp, 35th-anniversary model for 2005, but the TT's flagship 3.2 quattro series offers a high-tech, sequential manual transmission (you change gears with paddles on the steering wheel). This transmission doesn't use a clutch pedal, but it is much faster than similar units thanks to its use of two clutches, and can simulate a racing technique called heel-and-toe downshifting by blipping the gas during downshifts to make them smoother.
In sales performance, this matchup is no contest. In the first ten months of this year, the TT's American sales totaled only 18% of the 350Z's. Audi sold 6% more TTs than Mercedes sold SLKs in the same period, but the TT equaled only 36% of the sales of BMW's Z4. The rejuvenated Corvette outsells the TT in this country by about 7-to-1. Sales of both the TT and the 350Z have declined this year; perhaps now that the cars have been on the market for some time, the public has cooled off from its enthusiastic reception of what at the time had been seen as striking new designs.
However, the lesson of the cars' sales figures is that room exists at both the top and the bottom of this already expansive category of vehicles. Premium automakers enjoy having two-seat roadsters in their lineups. BMW, Porsche, Cadillac and Ford Motor's (nyse: F - news - people ) Jaguar subsidiary have them. In addition to the SLK, Mercedes has its flagship SL-Class, which can cost six figures. Mark Igo, general manager of Nissan's Infiniti subsidiary, said in an interview in January that his brand would love to have such a vehicle.
At the other end of the price spectrum, the success of the 350Z suggests that General Motors is thinking in the right direction with its forthcoming Pontiac Solstice roadster. While the company has not yet announced pricing for that vehicle, expect it to cost closer to $20,000 than $40,000.
In an interview last year, GM Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz said that he championed the Solstice's development because "the world does not need another $40,000 roadster." Maybe he's right. Maybe it needs more $25,000 roadsters--and more $60,000 roadsters. For a more detailed look at the segment, please see the slide show that follows.
Click here for the slide show.
http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2004/..._1117show.html
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From: Wisconsin
Originally posted by bigtimegeek
Are there tires out there that give you the best of both worlds: high performance but decent traction in the wet weather? Yes I know dumb question but again I'm new to the RWD sports car thing.
Are there tires out there that give you the best of both worlds: high performance but decent traction in the wet weather? Yes I know dumb question but again I'm new to the RWD sports car thing.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
If you get a Z with the VDC stability control, then driving in the rain or snow will NOT be a problem. Every Z has it except for the Base and Enthusiast models. With the VDC on, I've tried to induce oversteer in the rain just to test the VDC, but the VDC immediately corrects the oversteer. The system is awesome! Luckily, there is an Off button if you want to take it out of Nanny mode.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 250
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From: MA
I'm getting a little sick of people saying the Z sucks in the rain/snow. Why? Because it's mostly the tires not the car. The Potenzas are rated summer only, and believe me, they're not kidding. Now don't get me wrong, the car isn't anything like an SUV or a AWD bubaroo, but with the correct tires, she'll drive in anything that she can clear underneath, which is just about all you can ask for in a RWD 287HP sports car. Yes, you still slip and slide, but let's be realistic, you got 274 lbs of torque at the rear, you have to lightly step on the gas and that's about it - something we sometimes forget all about - the difference between driving in the summer/dry vs. in the winter/rain. I don't care how good a grip the stock tires give us, 1st thing anyone should do with a Z is change tires IMO. You'll love the extra handling in the rain and light/moderate snow (and in the dry the difference is negligible, granted you get the right tires).
Last edited by ZPower; Nov 20, 2004 at 01:47 PM.
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From: VA
I have the base Z so it doesn't have VDC or traction control. When driving normal, I've never had problems with traction. There's a few times I've given it more gas than I should have in the rain and spun the tires but that's expected.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 535
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From: California
Originally posted by john98r
I have the base Z so it doesn't have VDC or traction control. When driving normal, I've never had problems with traction. There's a few times I've given it more gas than I should have in the rain and spun the tires but that's expected.
I have the base Z so it doesn't have VDC or traction control. When driving normal, I've never had problems with traction. There's a few times I've given it more gas than I should have in the rain and spun the tires but that's expected.
VDC/TCS is truly a crutch and is not neccessary.
I actually drive my Z with VDC off in dry and wet conditions so I learn how to control the car in both.
I don't want to rely on VDC/TCS.
Now if I had to drive my Z in the snow, then I would turn-on VDC (in addition to new tires) just to add more safetly.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Hartselle, AL
Originally posted by EnthuZiast
raceboy...you really think the TT will take the Z around most tracks?
raceboy...you really think the TT will take the Z around most tracks?
Yeah but the DSG one racebuy has is pretty cool. Two clutches and more power. Also that vid is VERY Z biased.
I still thought that the Z would take out the TT DSG or not on most tracks.
Isnt the Audi much heavier with less HP and twist?
I still thought that the Z would take out the TT DSG or not on most tracks.
Isnt the Audi much heavier with less HP and twist?
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