wackjum

But that's the great thing. The Z actually compares pretty well with the 996 911. The Z in my mind is such a great car at its price point whereas the 996 911 T is incredibly overpriced. I understand the exclusivity thing, but it does not feel like a car that is 4x better than the Z. Not even 2x.

I kept all of my mods. I do intend to pick up a 370Z one day as prices continue to decline. It would become a really nice daily when I don't need more capacity than myself. I think the real draw of the 370Z is accessibility. I can drive it hard and it won't cost that much for me to maintain it. And it still looks great.


Ok so some general observations I noticed going from one to the other. This is not really a comparison, but more of a list of impressions that came at me.
First of all, my 911 is an MT. I have driven manuals my whole life, and my daily is a manual. I think I am a pretty decent MT driver. But in the 911, I am definitely the weak link. The car can be much faster, but I am just not shifting quick enough for it.

I had a 7AT 370Z and that was a fantastic transmission. I have rode in my friend's 458 Italia, and the 7AT feels about 85% as quick and crisp as the DCT in his Ferrari. It is that good of a trans and definitely a keeper. The tiptronic that they had in this generation 911 just doesn't compare at all and why I opted for the MT.


Secondly, I had a touring/sport 370 with the nav. I'm not going to compare electronics obviously but as far as sound quality, the 911 is horrible. It has the upgraded "Bose" speakers but they feel like speakers that came off a Ford Ranger or something. They're not blown either. They just suck. The 370Z touring sound system I always thought was ok, but compared to the 911 it is a concert hall. You'd think for a car that cost 160k new it could do better.


The interior of the 911 is almost all leather with aluminum and carbon fiber trim. The seats are very comfortable, at least in the front. The rear "seats" can fit one medium sized adult if that person sits side saddle. But it can hold children pretty comfortably. Visibility with the top up is still very good. It is a spartan interior, with only one flimsy cup holder that pops out of the dash and a small ashtray that I use to hold a few coins. It also has thin narrow "pockets" under the door arm rests that can hold a few CDs. If you think storage on the Z is bad, the 911 is something else.


Regarding overall road manners, the Z steering felt heavy. Road feel felt a little numbed down like the car was a heavy sponge that dampened a lot of sensation and only passed some of it through. The 911 feels light in comparison.

They both ride about the same with the 911 maybe a tad cushier since it is a GT car. I'm comparing it to a Z with swift springs.


I think for now, the 911 fits my needs better than the Z, but I miss owning it. A GTR was on my shortlist, but I just never could warm up to its fairly anonymous styling. Those backseats make such a difference though. Too bad they don't make a +2 like the Z32.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.