http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=7659

 

horribly written and compared in my view. Road and Track are Porsche nuthuggers, just like C and D are bimmer nuthuggers. After years of reading these mags, i don't take any of the comparisons seriously anymore.

 

^^ And Motor Trend = Mustang Trend

I gotta admit the 370z looks pretty mean next to the Cayman.

"Intangible value" ey?
In an extreme case, we might as well be reviewing and choosing a Porsche 356 over a Carrera GT based on "intangible values".

 

This thread will be 5 pages long and this will be the only post worth reading.

 

i thought it was well written piece...especially liked the managing editor's comment on the rev matching feature and how he brags about being able to heel/toe :P

two main things i agree with the author on though:

1) i can TOTALLY relate to the crazy vibrations i feel in my 2007 zed when shifting at high revs...for a while i thought something was wrong with my car :S

2) imo...the europas have mastered the art of interior sophistication unlike any other japanese car manufacturer...and though i've not driven either car...i totally believe the author when he says the cayman interior is a lot quieter

 

I love porsches just as the next guy..however im starting to think that if they are totally unbiased and say what they really mean or award the 370 top honors then porsche will cry foul. Both are great cars but one is better in this economy hands down.

 

the fact they are comparing the zed to a ultra luxury sports car is something to be considered. personally i would take it as a compliment. every writer has his or her own standards & opinions, can't hate them for it. another way to look at it is, publicly published opinions set standards with the masses for car companys to meet or exceed, net net is a better product for us all. critics ftw

 

Great timing on that article. I wonder how much Nissan paid them to write that review. Very conveniently timed to put it up against the OUTGOING 08 Cayman S and not the new 2010 Cayman S. At least they could have used a 2009 Cayman S that actually has an LSD - but that's not the story Nissan ordered! A 2009 Cayman S would have done better. The 2010 cayman will likely slaughter the 370z.

But I must say that Nissan did very well with the 370 with the parts available at their disposal. andfor the $$ there's nothing better.

Don't get me wrong. I like the 370, but I just see Nissan's tricky marketing department working overtime to get the car in all the sub $30k comparos and then onto the outgoing 08 Cayman S. Just to get the perception out there that is can whoop a Cayman S. I hope R&T eventually pits the New Cayman againast the new Z.

I can just see al the kids saying "370 will beat a Cayman S and it's inder 30k". Well, yes, but with some caveats.

Mark my words that Nissan will quietly increase the new Z's price as soon as all the mag comparos and reviews are done. The did the same thing with the GTR and I am sure it was "in-plan". Sell the first x cars at a loss to get the price-point on paper, then raise it up to being profitable.

The Z is still a great bargain for what it's capable of... I hope to have one soon.

 

i like this write up better:

http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature...Cayman_S.shtml

 

I am not sure what you meant by "quieter interior" but the Cayman will be a lot noiser inside because of its mid-engine layout. I've driven the Cayman and the thing you notice is the engine sounds just may be too much for long distance cruising.

 

yes, everyone was expecting the exchange rate to turn face and for the economy to crumble. you are a genius.

and why shouldn't they compare it against a car that isn't out yet? that makes total sense as I am sure Nissan has been using a pre-production 2010 Cayman when they set their benchmark (of a cayman). I totally agree with you!


but yeah, amazing they could only muster a 13.7... the same as the outgoing Z... in this test. and that their test data shows the Z had a quieter cabin some of the time, and a 1db louder cabin the rest of the time (rolls eyes).

 

yea and when they get a 2010 cayman S there will probably be a 2012 380z or something. What I'm trying to say is that the way you say a 2010 Cayman will slaughter a 370z, I can say a 2012 380z will slaughter that Cayman. And cycle repeats.. its dumb to say that.

for now 370Z > cayman

 

you'd think they would atleast hit a high 12, I mean seriously.

 

which of the two would you pick? i'd pick the Z

 

Maybe I'm interpreting your (rolls eyes) wrong, but 1 dB is a lot.

 

I am partly talking out of my a$$ about the 2010 cayman S. Maybe it is the 2009 that I mean, which is out now - gets new headlights, tail lights and a nice bump in HP along with PDK transmission. I am not very Porsche aware. The latest mag I saw clocked a 4.6 0-60 for the Cayman S. and we all talk about how mag times are low.

I just don't understand why the test was done with this year's z and last year's Cayman and not this year's. Sure, that's what nissan tested with, but it seems too staged for this comparo.


I just hate to see obviously paid marketing, but that's the game.

Sure, Slaughter is too strong of a word, but the Z took the Cayman by tenths of a second. no doubt the newer Cayman would have probably taken the z by a couple of seconds. But who carres, the Z is half the price of the pcar. (for now).

I would rather see a story where the z lost by two seconds against the same year pcar. Seems like Nissan is grasping at straws to make a point and they don't need to.

 

Yeah, it's kinda dumb, but I was thinking about the 2009 Cayman, not the 2010. My mistake.


LOL, this is where the marketing BS get you. So what if this year's z beat last year's Cayman. That's great to see that they were able to outperform their banchmark - they engineered it to. But why test with last year's pcar and this year's z? It's a staged and paid marketing review to appease potential z owners. It's kind of patronizing and insulting.

You mean 370Z > last year's Cayman, which just sounds retarded

The Z is a hero not because it is a few tenths faster than last year's Cayman, but because it comes close to the performance of a Cayman S for almost half the price.

Sorry, I really don't like marketing folks. I am an Operations guy. And I hate to see the wool get pulled over the eyes of the sheep who play into the hands of marketing peeps.

 

I have to disagree - 1 db is not a lot. Our ears perceive a sound that is twice as loud as another as one bel. A decibel is one tenth of a bel. A difference in amplitude or intensity of 3db is a slightly noticeable increase in loudness. Two db is barely noticable. One db is probably not able to be perceived by the human ear.

IMO

 

I think they have different noises. I drive a 370 and the predominant noise on the highway was tire noise. it's more of a roar, and I was not even in a sport package with the wider (noisier) tires.

So would you rather hear tire noise or engine noise. I dunno - tire noise will just get louder as the tires wear. The engine noise will be constant. For 1/2 the price though, my $$'s on the z

 

BTW, I'd love for you to elaborate on that statement...