IMHO the BMW is an ugly looking car. The Z is good looking, reliable and sporty and it is great bang for the buck. Get the touring Z with sports package (nothing less), the only maintenance you'll need are oil changes and those are fairly inexpensive.

http://i.zdnet.com/gallery/162390-440-330.jpghttp://www.dragtimes.com/images/1752...issan-370Z.jpg

One word of caution, if you get rid of the Z4M, apparently you and the wife won't be nearly as popular at the fishbowl parties :) Another two seater worth looking at is a 08+ Audi TT or even better TTS.

And let's not forget the G37 coupe. I mean, it's kind of a middle ground there. One person I know w/ one loves the 370Z but loves the ride of her G37 more. And she races it ^_^

Nah, the Z4M Coupe is totally gorgeous!

EB

http://www.bimmerfile.com/wp-content...80x1024_07.jpg

Yeah, the new one looks nice. Even better in person. The Bangly one looks like heck with its silly diagonal line.

Actually, I've been weighing up the 370z and the new Z4. I've spent so long looking at the 370z even the new Z4 is starting to look ugly.

:eek:

Uh oh...

Horseface: Now you're talking, that convertible one looks much better than the 370Z. Price wise there is no comparison, I am sure.

The BMW reminds me of the Cheetah back in the '60's.

I had a 06 Z4 3.0i convertible MT. Right now I have a 2010 370Z 7AT with sports package. Here is a summary of what I think about the 2.
Winner:
Performance:370z
Ride quality: 370z
Comfort: 370z (I'm 6'3")
Visibility: Z4
Noise: Z4 (Do not overlook this, especially if it's going to be your daily driver)
Cargo Room: Z4
People gawking: Z4 (especially from women, my 370 only gets looks from teenage/young adult males :ugh2:)
Engine Sound: Z4
Exhaust Sound: 370z
Audio quality: Z4 (Keep in mind both I had were stock with no premium packages)
Interior Design/Quality: 370Z
Exterior Design: 370z (however, I'd think its a tie compared to a M series)
Fun to drive: Tie

I'd say pick the 5 categories most important to you from the list and you will find your answer. Hope this helps.

Bummer, man. Mine's a chick magnet :tup:

I hope you aren't giving off the wrong vibe :eekdance:

I hear you on the Exige. Even now I'm tempted to sell my Z for a used S. I keep thinking about just going whole hog on an S260...

Word, women break their necks looking at my Z, whats even more hilarious is that married women with their husbands in plain view in the car with them, still gawk :) I love it.

I was thinking the same thing, especially from this photo!

I think it's more to do with location than wrong vibes... ;) ......In LA, there is no shortage of exotic cars... In fact, anything less than a Veyron goes pretty much unnoticed.

;)

I'm a BMW fan, plus drive an 07 Mini Cooper JCW. Originally the Z was not even on the list, I was in a quandary of getting a M Coupe or a 335i. When I drove the M Coupe I wasn't impressed with the ride quality or performance, took it for about a 30min test drive in a variety of conditions. I guess for the $58K they were asking for the car I was expecting something quite a bit more refined. One bad thing I guess is I drove the MIni to the dealer, which is modified, suspension, tune, etc. and the Mini felt almost as fast, smoother, and better handling. I was looking for an upgrade, and just wasn't feeling it. So I kept looking. A friend of mine invited me to an Edmunds event in Nov 08 where they were previewing the 370Z. I had seen pics on the internet, but was not too excited, but when I saw it in person, wow! I immediately fell in love.
The driving position to me felt really natural, there was more room behind the seats then the M Coupe. A Touring fully loaded with Sport package and Nav would cost me $18K less then the M Coupe, and mods and maintenance would be less expensive, so it was a no brainer. I bought my Z on Jan 5th 2009, the first weekend they hit the dealers in So Cal. :tup:
I've got maybe $4K invested in mods so far and she is a real dream to drive, handling and performance is top notch, and even when I go with a supercharger say $10K, my total invested would have still been less then the M Coupe purchase.
Syncro Rev is awesome!! I heal and toed for years, but you will not be able to be that perfect every shift.

My vote is for the Z, and if I were you, since you are not concerned with leather in Touring model, is to check out the Nismo 370Z. This car wasn't available at the time I got mine, if I was to purchase one at this time, I think I would go with Nismo, better starting base if you are going to be tracking the car, and a bit more exclusivity, Nismo is kind of like the "M" for Nissan. :tup: They are dealing on these now at the Nissan dealerships.

i am going through this same decision process. i also want a rwd track competent car that would be my daily driver.

i am leaning toward the z4mcoupe, but it worries me to get a "dead end" car-- very limited production means a fairly scant aftermarket.
the z looks awesome, and gets some really good gains from simple mods.

to be trackable, the z needs an oil cooler. oil coolers are a compromise, as it would delay the rise of oil temps to optimum, which would be an issue for me due to a very short daily commute. the z4m does not seem to have engine cooling issues at all.

the z4m also has a proper lsd. the 370z lsd is decent, but can get overwhelmed by track use, cooler or not. you can swap the lsd on the 370z, just like you could add one to a cayman.

as for brakes, the z4m brakes (csl brakes) are probably a bit better than the 370z's. of course, there are bbk options for either.

so, i see it as z4m vs. 370z with oil cooler and diff cooler. i'd guess that the two cars would be a pretty close match on the track.