MY350Z.COM - Nissan 350Z and 370Z Forum Discussion - Got an '09 base w/ sport package

thanks fellas...

it's been raining and/or really crappy outside ever since those pictures were taken... so the photoshoot will have to wait until it clears up.

I didnt trade the old one in... found it a new home for it first.

So... I've been gradually breaking the car in... about 700 miles on it so far. Started with a lot of mild-moderate acceleration and engine braking to get a good seal. Gradually started getting a little more aggressive with it. Still haven't went balls out through every gear, yet.

Visual impressions. So when I very first saw pictures of this car... I was a bit turned off honestly. After seeing the car in person.. I liked it better and thought what the hell, why not... after owning it for a few days... damn it's growing on me fast. The more I look at it the more I appreciate and love it.

SynchroRev Match. Before I tried it, I thought I would hate it and never use it. I'm a bit of a purist, and love heel-toe downshifting. Being able to do it properly, whenever you want, in whatever situation calls for it, is not only a skill but an art. After I started playing with the new feature, I have yet to turn it off. It matches the RPM perfectly every time. It's pretty damn cool to say the least. My only concern is what kind of bad habits it may lead to, on or off the track. I also wonder how this feature will be affected when a lightweight flywheel is used.

Handling. The car feels entirely different than the 350s. So much different I wasn't very comfortable with it at first. My last Z had a race weight (without me) of around 3050lbs. It was light and pretty damn nimble for having an entirely stock suspension down to the tire. This car of course feels heavier than what I'm used to (nissans claims feel about right). It will get weighed soon enough. The VDC is a drag. I'm not used to the fun being interrupted, but with all the slick roads I've been leaving it on for the most part. Overall it feels really good and well balanced. I can definitely feel the bigger tires on the road, especially when corning on a bumpy road. Not too much to say on handling as I haven't tracked it yet and probably won't get too carried away on the streets.

Acceleration. Low end torque is vastly improved in the 370. While it doesn't seem to have the same peak torque, the area under the curve seems greatly improved and smoothed out. I guess I would have to look at a dyno to confirm, but that's what my butt tells me. Gearing is the same with the exception to the final drive being a little shorter for the increased red line. First gear will really catapult you. My old Z was lightened a lot in the rear, on 245s, so traction was a big issue(not to mention open differential). Not the case in the 370 with the sport package. It bites a LOT harder, no questions asked.

Speed limiter? If it's still at 159mph on the speedo, that would be a shame. My 350 didn't have any problems pegging it up and down hills. Why put 180mph on the speedometer if the car isn't capable of it without an ecu flash? Just to show you how fast it SHOULD go? Seems ridiculous to me. Once the car is fully broken in and I get a good chance I'll report back on the top speed.

Shifting. Oohhhhh so much better. MUCH smoother. 2nd gear doesn't CLUNK anymore. No hint of synchros not doing their job either, so far. The throw seems slightly longer. Overall a great improvement.

Braking. I didn't bed the brakes in yet, so I can't really comment on lack of braking despite having big brakes.

I love the push button and keyless entry. I keep finding myself digging for my keys, then right about the time I pull them out, going "DOH!" The buzzer sound is pretty cool too, instead of the horn.

The radio. Why the hell doesn't it show you whats playing? My ex girlfriends '08 nissan sentra that was a rental had this. I'm not a big audiophile, it just seems like a $2 feature that should have been added, if for no other reason than just because.

I love the gauges. I always hated the orange overload in the 350. The reflection on the windshield is kind of annoying though. The subtle ambient orange light is kinda cool. The maintenance alerts and custom alerts are a nice feature. The leather steering wheel feels great. I'm not crazy about the seats. They don't seem to hug me as well as the 350's, especially my upper body. I guess too many fat asses complained. There is also a HUGE blind spot. The side view mirrors are naturally angled to give you 3 fully functional rear view mirrors. (absolutely unacceptable in my opinion). They're not able to be angled to the blind spots where they're supposed to be.

The gas filler is in a really awkward spot and you have to be really careful with the pump. The last 350z had all sorts of fuel issues. It's like fuel is a complete afterthought with these cars. I don't like having to push on the paint to open the fuel door either.

Overheating? I can see this being a problem already. The temp gauge is all over the place. I've seen 240 so far and I've been being nice!! In my 350, once warmed up, my temp gauge never budged... even on 100 degree track days.

So those are my first impressions. Sorry if I've reinvented the wheel here with my comments... these are just my personal impressions that other people may have had, or not.