Well I was really leaning towards a M3 but my last BMW was a headache and I heard a lot of horror stories about engine detonation.

Boxster S is interesting esp for 2003 with a few upgrades including a glass rear window. But even though I could afford it, the price seemed too high.

Z06 I was close but I am not a fan of the style and don't like american cars in general.

I guess the big temptation for me is the 911 S4 (with the turbo body). That's a sweet car. I could afford one(But it would be tight) and it's a lot of money for a car. I think for $90K I want to wait to see the next gen 911 and NSX.

The 350Z may keep me happy so that i don't have to blow big money on a sports car and can get a nice luxury car like a LS430.


Bottom line at this time for me I was comfortable spending up to $55K so I could have gotten a Z06, an M3 or a Boxster S. But for $35K the track Z seems like a steal.

 

Just read your reply. My thoughts exactly. I can drop $6K in mods and not feel guilty. Also probably easier/cheaper to mod than a Boxster or M3.

 

Leah, this was a legitimate post, some people are buying the Z for value, others because they love the Z, and people like myself for both reasons. I see you are new to the site, but I can tell you that you won't be on this site for long if you persist on calling someone an "idiot" if you disagree with them. There are numerous sites that welcome name-calling....THIS ISN'T ONE OF THEM.

 

I was only interested in the SC430, SLK32, and the Boxster S until my introduction to the Z in January. I can afford them.

If I wasn't getting the Z, I'd probably buy the SLK32.

 

I am car fanatic and all through college I was targeting to get a Nissan 300ZX. I started my web development business in 1994 and my first step into performance vehicles was a '97 Eclipse GS-T. I watched painfully in 96 as my Z was finished, I set that as one of my goals (1 - own my own business by 26, 2 - be independently wealthy by 30, own a Z).

Well I hit 1 and then in 1999 sold my business at 29, so I hit goal number 2. I could not bring myself to buy a used Z. So I set my goals much higher and ordered a 2001 Boxster S. I went a bit crazy and added 30K to the base price of the car with all the goodies. I like how it handled and looked much better than the 911's and I couldn't bring myself to drop over 100K for a car and go for the 911 Turbo. My wife wanted a car and she fell in love with the Acura CL, of course I made her get Type-S and the nav system in it, so it's are winter, reasonable usable backseat car. I am a fanatic, so after I saw fast and furious, I went looking for a project car to play with and actually ended up getting a 2001 Mustang Cobra to add to my collection, I love the big muscle V8.

But then, tada, Nissan is bringing back the Z. As soon as I heard I went and tormented my dealer, so they called me the very day they could take pre-orders, so I went to order it. All things considered, I had no idea what the track model extra's would look like, but I was set on getting a Z. After seeing the specs, I am so anxious to see how it compares to the Porsche.

 

Z is Z. That's why I buy a Z.

 

killerbug,

I can pay cash for any of those cars you mentioned, but I am buying a Z because I earn the money myself and I spend it SMARTLY. The Z is the best VALUE sport car on the market right now, period. Want a second opinion, check the financial magazine Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/08/0708feat.html. Want to know how well it perform, read any car magazine. Want to know the quality and reliability of Nissan car, check the Consumer Report.

I don't pay extra for name brand. They don't do anything extra for anyone, just cost more. If you own any of those car, my condolences to you.

 

I think the guy was just trying to stir up trouble. Kudos to all you guys for being so mature about it. The funny part is that the Z has been around longer than the M3, SLK and Boxster. The M3 would've been nice, but $49,500 is a bit steep. The SLK isn't even a sports car. The Boxster is nice, but I'd rather just step up to a 911. The Corvette is a great car, but they're like the Camry of sports cars; it seems like everyone has one, plus it never struck me as refined, if you can understand what I'm referring to. The TT also was nice, but once again, it's not a serious sports car, although if Audi could somehow shoehorn the 2.7T into it, it could be a monster. The S2000 was also a serious consideration, but I couldn't see why I would spent $28000 for an S2000 used, when I could spend the same for a Z new. A 93 Rx-7 or Supra Turbo was also a serious consideration, but where would one get financing for a car that's 9 years old? And why pay $23,000 for nine-year-old car? They're both starting to show their age, plus it comes with all the niggling issues of a 9-year-old car. We're running out of options. An M Coupe is cool, but for $44,900 I'll take an M3. Plus the current M Coupe dies in a couple of years when the Z4 emerges.

The Z didn't strike me as a good deal for the money. It struck me as a sports car, something for which I'd been waiting for years. Don't get me wrong; there are qualities of Porsche and BMW that make them well worth what they charge, but the Z just struck me as MY car, the right car for ME.

And that's an even 200 posts.

 

Define afford. I can afford a ferrari, at least the bank says so. They'd love me to finance a $100,000 loan. I wouldn't enjoy the $2000/month payments. I am looking at the Z for a couple of reasons

1) I want a rear wheel drive sports car with 0-60 performance in the mid 5 second range.

2) I want a car that costs less than $30,000 because I want to pay cash and am unwilling to pull money out of other investments.

3) I want a care with a different image than that of the Mustangs and Camaros which are just about the only other cars in this price/performance range.

The only other car I can think of that would give this performance for this price would be a Mazda Miata, and spending $6K to turbo charge it. Great car, lots of fun, but it is just too small for me. If you know of any other cars in this category, let me know. I'll take a look. I still haven't ruled out the G35c - but I suspect it's going to be closer to $35,000 than $30,000.

 

Simple for me the z from 90-96 was my wholy grail,but there was no way in hell I could afford A 44+thousand dollar car at my age during that time.So I waited and my plans were to buy a nice used low mile 94-96 zxtt but when I saw the orange concept car a few years back my plans changed.Ive wanted the new z since the moment I saw it.

 

I like this question, and like many of you, I have multiple reasons for getting the Z.

I've always wanted a sports car, and at the same time I am very value oriented (not cheap though).

Two cars that have always been near the top of my sports car list have been the M3 and Vette. I think the Z06 is the best super car value in the world, but it's really too much car for me. I like the M3 because it handles very well and has excellent performance, but the price is more than I want to spend for a sedan based vehicle. If I wanted to spend that much I'd get the Z06.

The Boxster S is even worse than the M3 for me. It has all the price, but does not perform as well, although from what I've read it has the best steering of pretty much any car out there. The Z should perform similarly to the Boxter S and will cost much less.

The Boxter to me doesn't compete with Z in performance at all, and is so much more expensive it seems like a waste. Same with the TT, and Z3.

The only car that really had me interested besides the Z was the S2000. If there was an S2000 coupe, I probably would have purchased that as soon as it arrived, but when I saw the first Orange Concept Z I new that it would one day be mine.

It would be less expensive than any of the cars mentioned above, would have a hearty V6, looked better than the others, had style, would perform as well or better than most, and above all was a Z.

I ordered mine Feb 2, and should get it sometime in October. I can't wait.

-D'oh!

 

Reading this thread made me crack up. Everyone on the internet is rich, but "value oriented!!!!" I was just picturing the reality of a bunch of 16 yr olds at home on their parent's computers. In between viewing different **** sites they visit car forums and they all own the most sought after cars. The reality is most of them couldn't get a $5 loan from a buddy to get lunch at the high school cafeteria!

 

I have an E46 M3 right now and am debating a possible 350Z depending on the deal I get. Why?

The M3's insurance is ridiculous for a 25 year old male, that simple, combined with the fact that they are terribly expensive both in initial cost and maintenence.

If you are throwing dollars aside though, I cannot realistically say I would want a Z above all other cars, it is simply a helluva good bang for the buck.

Though, comparing it to a new M3 w/SMG is a bit out of its league, and pricerange, let alone Boxster S/Carrera S/GT2/AMG, all of those cars really spin up a nasty pricetag in a hurry.

Boxster S is one of a few cars that I have ever heard of that can nearly double its price in options from base.

 

I liked 350z better than M3. Personal opinion.

 

The E46 M3 is a helluva nice car, hands down one of the nicest I have ever driven, and thats an extensive list. However, it is very maintenence intensive if you want it to last and keep it performing at its peak. The primary thing to consider is that a reasonably equipped M3 is twice the price of a base Z, easily twice the price too. Alot of the costs of M3 are hidden in the MSRP, things like Gas Guzzler tax, luxury tax, and the sometimes painful sales tax on a 55k car!

Hence the reason why I own zero cars, and my sister in Delaware owns like 9 cars ) 2% sales tax in DE baby!

 

raceboy,

Only a handful of the member of this forum responded to this thread. You equated that to everyone on the internet. You also pictured the member here as 16 yr olds at home doing ... Are you one of them or you think you're the only exception?

I don't know about you but my son is in college and I am paying his tuition from my paycheck without pulling money from saving and investment.

 

All through college, I had my heart set on buying a used MKIV Supra TT. During my senior year, however, I began to worry about the practical implications of buying a used car, especially a used sports car that may have been abused. I started eyeing various other cars, but decided that all (Z3, M3, Boxter) would be well beyond my financial capability. In the midst of my contemplation, I found an article about the up-coming Z. The more I read, the more it perked my interest. I graduated in May, and began my first permanent full-time job on June 12th. On June 16th, I placed an order for my Z. I'm super excited.
While I don't expect the Z to offer the refinement of pricer cars, it should satisfy my desire to drive a stylish, high performance car. The way I figure it, the Z will be as close as I'll ever get to owning a ferrari.
Mika

 

mwaller,

Car & Driver put it best during their TV show test drive last Saturday "that Boxster S performance, with $20,000.00 LESS".

So you got a $50,000+ refined sport car for around $30,000+/-. It is not Ferrari level performance, but best value sport car for the money.