Quote:
Originally Posted by RicerX
OH ****... this calls for the ADVANCED EDITOR!
I have all these conflicts, my friend. I don't like the way a lot of cars are going and my tastes are just changing.
The 2015+ Nismo is the perfect Z34 to me. The right seats, the right look... to me it's a future classic. I truly feel it's the only other Z that will be worthy of the stigma the S30 gets now. The Z32 was great for its time, but it's not a timeless car. The Z34, to me, reflects the last of a dying breed in this arena of sports cars. I will have another one day. Life just doesn't have enough room for one right now for me.
Now... I have considered many different cars to try and break my often betrayed Nissan fanboyism. As a loyal Nissanite, I have gone through the bastardization of the SE-R cars, the death of a Z (but its redeeming resurrection), the loss of manual transmissions throughout the lineup, the Juke Color Studio, the Pathfinder's transformation into the Mallfinder, the Cube, the CVT transmission, and for the love of all things holy... the Murano Crosscabriolet. (HOW MUCH MORE SHALL MY LOYALTY BE TESTED?!?!?)
I love the new Camaro... BUT. It's big. It has terrible visibility. It doesn't have the character of a Z ... it's just... brute force. The Z is a precision instrument to me in a way that can never be replicated in a Pony Car.
I love the Miata... BUT. It's tiny. I will catch far too much **** from my friends if I ever got one. It doesn't have the UMPH of a Z.
I love the Cayman... BUT. I want a 718. I look into my wallet, and find a " Error 404 Cayman Funds Not Found" message. Still haven't figured that one out.
I love the M3 (yep, the sedan) but I'm terrified of BMW. After doing research, their trunk-mounted battery is $1000 to replace. I have never had a car that had a $1000 battery, and I don't ever intend to. I understand it's an infrequent expense, but it strikes me as "tip of the iceberg" as far as surprise expenses. I have already read that they're the gold standard in grand touring performance and I have always been curious, but I just can't get there. On top of that, any 5 year old BMW's interior has always looked like absolute ****. They don't age well. Many people berate Nissan and their interiors, but I feel that, when taken car of, the Z's interior is not that bad.
I love the GT-R... BUT. I'm terrified of upkeep and surprise repairs. They've gotten better, but the more YouTube videos I keep seeing of people driving them into trees, the more Geico seems to want to charge more to insure them. Since I began considering a GT-R three years ago, my insurance quotes have nearly tripled. The first time I looked, it was 10% more than my premiums for my Z, and now it's double my Q50 (which was more than my Z to insure), and I have had no driving incidents occur that would increase my premiums.
I love the BRZ... BUT. JK... no I don't.
Anyway... I'm in a state of being stuck in my ways. No fun car option out there ticks all the boxes for me like a Z34. It's reliable (SHUT UP all you CSC guys... you don't exist!), it's nimble, it's powerful (SHUT UP all you V8 guys), it's direct, it's fairly exclusive, after 10 years it still turns my head (and the current Camaro won't do that in another 6-12 months just like the last bodystyle), and it's just special to me. The Z cars have always spoken to me since I was a kid, and as much as I've tried to change that, I haven't been able to.
I could ride into the sunset with a 2015+ Z34 Nismo and a truck and be perfectly content with my cars.
TLDR - let me know what you decide dude. I'm really curious to see where you get to.
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If time on the forum has proven anything. We can agree on 99% of all car opinions and right now is no different. I went through the same list of vehicles and then some. I've even looked at the AMG GTS. But it's costly to purchase and yes. I think about maintaining these cars going upmarket. I may be able to afford these cars now but... maintaining them. Do I want to throw that much money away? The most expensive maintainence are the tires. The small mods I have on my 2011 have made it phenomenal and I feel that getting a Nismo and modding it might be slightly more interesting. The car is also beautiful. Yes I love the Z interior. Nissan could've done more to upgrade the materials and smooth out the layout a lil more but... it's the most sports car looking interior from ALL the sub premium sports cars. I too fell in love with the Z as a child. I was raised around 240z, rx3, rx7, corolla and supra. In those days muscle was too expensive n the poor people had import sports cars. My first MUSCLE car was a Monte Carlo SS. But my first sports car was a 93 rx7 turbo. I was introduced to Nissan as an owner with a 240sx and I've had quite a few Nissan's since. But the 370z was my first Z. That was a dream come true.
I have an attachment not only to Nissan, but the OG Japanese tuner lineup. I root for Japan in the sports car arena as that post WW2 nation that rose from the ashes thru the computer and auto industry and they dominated the world by being the most intelligent business men on the planet. Japan has created an automotive culture that can't be duplicated in our country. We think shooting down a straight line or driving around in one giant doughnut is racing. Japan invented drifting to drive on curving mountain roads at HIGH speeds. When I look at any Japanese sports car. I see a precision instrument. Subaru cars all AWD and affordable. Nissan combines muscle and sports with the best turbo 6's ever built. Mazda, precision instruments. Mitsubishi, The best turbo 4's in existence. Toyota, the best inline motors on the planet and the biggest Nissan competitor. Honda.... the NSX and say no more. A Japanese Ferrari.
As I see it just like you... the Z is a dying breed. It's relatively light for what it is though it can stand to lose 250lbs. It's lighter than any car in its price range which gives it an agility others don't. And yrs, you get more balance out of a brz. But at a loss of 145HP. That's the difference a Nissan versa and a go kart.
I looove the camaro. Like you I think it's still too big. And I'm not willing to pay that much money for one. The Z has an LSD, a handbrake, RWD, 2 great performing transmissions and it handles like a supercar. People who don't appreciate handling don't seem to get the Z.
Z lovers have become bigger underdogs than gencoupe owners because people don't understand why we pay what we pay for a Z. The Z is not just about performance. It's an experience. It's a lot of quirky traits that's unique to any other car. Historically, people who don't like the Z want the Z to be something else but want the Z body style. I like the Z the way it is... But Nissan could've been more proactive on the sound system and upgrading materials over time.
Porsche, Mercedes are the only ones to offer a drive reminiscent of the Z. If the AMG nose was 3 inches shorter? I'd probably buy it. But it's 3" too long so it ain't happening. Plus the car I configured was $162,000. As was the Porsche 911 GTS.... $155,000. I'd buy either if they were $30,000 cheaper. The premium for premium sports cars are just ridiculous. Maybe used, one day. I have the money but the more I ponder it. It just seems like a waste of cash that I could invest in the future.
The Z addresses every issue I have. Plus it seems the FI turbo kit seems to be very reliable. That's an option I'm ready to reconsider.
The supra.... I might just add it if it continues Toyota's rep for reliability?! It looks promising We'll see? BMW might Eff up the reliability of this car. Lol.