I've noticed a couple of things since reading most of the automotive "test drive" reviews of the 370z.
First? Reviewers very often explain that it's just "not a car they can see themselves buying", and make generic comments about it just not "wowing them" in some way. But ultimately, they conclude that it really is a great car, for the right person.
And second? There seems to be a lot of demand out there for HP numbers that meet or exceed the latest American "muscle cars", as well as luxury German cars, or else it's just "too slow" or a "dinosaur".
Personally? I Bought my '16 Nismo because I really liked the looks (not only exterior but interior too), the handling, and for the fact that it's not something you see every couple of blocks when driving around. That plus the fact it has enough horsepower to be "fast enough" for me. (Personally, I'm of the opinion that any car that has at least 300HP is a legitimate sports car. That's plenty to allow quick acceleration and not to leave you frustrated in driving situations, wishing it had more power.)
I also always felt that the best car I ever owned was my '97 Toyota Supra twin-turbo -- and so I've been looking for something in that same vein, ever since. No matter how fast they make a Mustang, a Charger, a Challenger, or a Camaro -- it's going to handle like the big American car that it is. That's not the feel I'm after (not to mention seeing way too many of them on the roads and not wanting to look just like everything else).
The fact that Nissan could keep selling the 370Z for this long, with so little changed, is a testament to the fact they designed a true classic with it. I rather like the idea that I bought a car that's been around this long, to get so many bugs worked out of it. (By contrast, I bought a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8GT when it was brand new, back around '09, and was eager to resell it after only a couple years. Spent thousands on visual and performance mods for it, only to be continually burned by "half baked" products that sounded great initially, but had issues that were likely because they were so new, for a brand new model of car.)
So yeah -- the 370Z is NOT for everyone, and that's part of the appeal to ME. It makes a lot of compromises but comes up with a blend that's up my alley.
Quote:
Originally Posted by b15
Don't get me wrong I love the tech in new sports cars but I think the "roughness" is what I truly enjoy about driving the Z. The most annoying nanny on this car is the single setting VDC but you can turn that off.
We live in a day of high hp cars with fast 0-60 times that are full of electronic nannies. Heck a lot of sedans can pace or beat the Z in the straight line nowadays. But for the very few such as ourselves that care about the overall driving experience and not just stats on paper, the Z STILL fits the bill even 8 years after it was introduced. Who would've thought that a car with 332hp would be considered "slow" or "underpowered" but that's the market right now. Should be interesting to see how high the hp wars go.
Seems like the older I get, the less I care about the newer cars and the more I want a classic.
|