Just thought I'd chime in with my experience ordering my Z.
I went to a local Nissan dealer (Nelson Nissan) in mid January this year and put $500 toward ordering my then 2012 370Z (I wanted Pearl White + Persimmon, which I couldn't locate anywhere in the extended tri-state area). It was explained to me that an actual order would be placed, but that they would keep their eyes out for any similar Z's that showed up in a reasonable radius (this was a red flag - just didn't realize at the time).
After reading on the forums about the process, I began to get suspicious when nearly two months in they couldn't provide my order number. They kept calling me with nearby Z's that weren't what I wanted - all the while saying that the order was still in effect. After getting blown off several times ("Hey, I'm with a customer, but I'll get you the order number first thing Monday...") I finally called my salesman and demanded my order number - he promptly handed the phone to the sales manager who immediately went into this lecture on how "you can't order a Nissan anymore, you just have to keep an eye on inventories and get lucky - I'll have a rep from Nissan Distribution call you tomorrow to explain this..." Being armed with information from dealers on this forum, I called him out on his BS - they refunded my $500 the next day.
A couple days later (now in mid-March) I went to another dealer in town (Jackie Cooper Nissan) and placed the same order for $500. The order was placed the first week of April. During this wait they switched over to 2013 production, which delayed me a little further. My salesman provided periodic updates on my order without me asking, including the order number, VIN, and anticipated delivery date.
The ordering process is purposely cloaked in a lot of mystery to the consumer, as with much of the car buying process - but there are reputable dealers out there willing to get you the exact car you specify.
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