Quote:
Originally Posted by shadoquad
Not really. That 15-yr-old GM pony-car is just that, 15 yrs old. Good chance that it's run down, it has outdated tech, etc. Let's also not forget what performance bargains those cars were, even for their day.
Just because it's not the fastest conceivable car doesn't imply that it can't be fun and fast enough to enjoy.
Also, I think a key component that may be lacking when you drive it is torque. Being a variable valve engine, it makes no real power in the low rev range. GM/Ford v8's give you power all over the rev range. Not necessarily better, but different, and you definitely feel it with more torque.
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I flogged the 370Z I test-drove. To be honest with you, it felt great at every RPM--at least as great as 332bhp could feel. It didn't feel like I had to thrash it to get anything out of it, the gearing was awesome, and I would have sworn it had way more torque than the numbers indicate.
Yes, my 2001 Ws6 was run-down. Not by any fault of mine, but because GM used the cheapest components they could to get a pony-car with a 'vette motor out the door. 4-cylinder rear-end from an S10 pickup, etc.
What do you mean by "outdated tech", though? Yes, it had an SRA, but IRS would have bumped the price-tag up. The tech wasn't out-dated but economized, in that aspect.
The engine was an LS1, making around 300whp and 310-320wtq while returning an observed 27.5mpg highway and around 21mpg on my daily commute.
The transmission was the T56 6-speed.
The only thing that you could argue was "out-dated" was the SRA, which we already discussed.
I just don't see enough of an upgrade to the 370Z other than "The 370 is new and not ratty, and the F-body is older, and ratty".