all national results withheld, for the past few months i have regretted getting a 350z and instead wish i had gotten an rx8. i am thinking about actually making the move and getting one... someone ocnvince me otherwise?

 

It all depends on ur taste.. we all have opinions but it comes down to what u really want and are happy with!! the z is an amazing car but so is the rx-8.. they both have their positives and negatives!! wich im sure u know what they are !! but if ur regretting it ..then for sure go 4 the rx-8!! take care !!

 

If autocrossing is that important to you, then the Z probably isn't the best choice. On a full blown road course, the situation is the exact opposite...

 

Get a Honda S2000 if you want a car for Autocrossing.

 

the thing is, i eventually want to build a t2 car out of the 350 if i kept it. maybe ill keep this a bit longer and save up for a truck.

 

go ahead take the step down...its your money and car. buy what you want, not what others tell you to buy.

 

step down?

 

yes its my personal opinion that z > rx8.

my z is beuatiful, I love walking to her in the parking lot, as for rx8's theyve got some style, but its like theyre "popping their collar" in their design just to get some extra attention. and the four seats, f-that.

 

To be frankly honest you should buy a shifter kart. You can road race and auto-x with very little out of pocket comparitively. I promise its alot more fun than any car you'd ever be able to afford. I auto-xed the lotus elise back to back with my kart and I swear the Elise felt like I was driving a dump truck around the course. Also its not like you have to buy a new kart every year to stay competitive, unlike most stock classes. Plus a set of tire cost $140. It feels awesome setting FTD at every local event too, even if I PAX **** poor.

The amount of money you're going to lose trading in the car is probably half a kart setup. I have a pretty good kart setup now that I think would be Nationally competitive (as soon as I get better at driving it). I think I've spent 9k total. That includes kart chassis, blueprinted motor, all the tool, 4 sets of wheels tires, a bunch of spare part, a AIM computer and a lift.

Soon as my Z sells I'm buying a van so I can transport my and my friends kart to races and maybe a crappy civic to get to work.

 

The 350Z is not for everyone. Drive what pleases you.

 

The RX-8 is definitely a closer match to the profile of the ideal autocross car, given that it's lighter, more agile, and has more camber. There's also a far larger group of people developing the RX-8 than there is developing the 350Z, which is another advantage in its favor. Whether that means the RX-8's actually the superior autocross car is still an open question in my mind. Keep in mind that, until you're a top national-level driver, there are far bigger gains to be had in improving your driving than there are from switching cars.

I have no idea what relevance "popping their collar design" has in a racing forum.

Steve

 

I'm still not convinced the Z can't beat the RX-8.

 

Neither am I.

In fact, I'm convinced otherwise (2nd fastest car at Packwood NT on Sunday -- behind the 968, and ahead of ALL of the RX-8s). You have to learn to take advantage of the strengths of the Z, and learn how to make the Z stronger in its weaknesses.

Oh, and as for "ideal autocross car" -- that is an A-Mod car. Everything else is a compromise.