I just moved from a 2001 SS to the 370Z.
I am very suprised at how good the old SS handling was compared to the Z. My SS was lowered, with some chassis mods, custom shocks and springs, proper alignment, and it had some incredible cornering ability, if a bit lacking in feel compared to the Z, and just not quite as quick turning, and a bit less outright grip at the limit...but we are talking small differences, some of which could just be the tires, such as the grip level at the limit. Where the Z wins big time is composure...the old SS live rear axle cannot handle any bumps whatsoever, without ruining the composure of the car and your confidence in the corners. The harder you drive in the corners, the more noticeable are the Z's advantages. The Z ride quality is much better. Of course, the Z engine is hardly noticeable compared to the experience in the SS, which had considerably more torque and noise. I think the Z is probably just as fast, but I never rev my car over 5k rpm, so it's hard to say, I prefer torque over revs for power. The Z also wins on interior quality. I get into the Z and its closer to a Ferrari than the SS is to the Z.
The old SS and the new Z are very different cars, you can love both for different reasons, but overall I'd pick the Z every time. That's why I got the Z instead of the new SS.
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