My Impressions After A Week

KravMaga

First of all, did the clearmask. Rate my work a 7 out of 10 but if I had unlimited funds to keep buying material, could get to a 10 out of 10 with practice. In short, very doable if you are more patient than I and don't have 15 thumbs like I do. But it will protect what I want to protect, and it's not THAT bad, just not perfect.

I will drive the Z all the time except when weather requires snow tires. I have been driving her since Sunday and here are my impressions. These impressions are from a guy who does no tracking or racing. Just kind of a sports car enthusiast who likes to accelerate quickly on the on and off ramps and go kinda fast sometimes. These are definitely seat-of-my-pants impressions.

Paint
Had a small scratch on hood. Had no idea where it came from. Just used some Optimum Polish on a MF towel and the scratch disappeared with minimal effort. Very minimal. So yes, the clear is soft, but that will be an advantage when taking care of swirling or micro-marring. Soft clear is easier to correct, but of course I think it might chip easier also. I absolutely love the Magnetic Black color and all the pretty little flakes.

Interior
Great! Coming from an '03 Mach-1, not saying a lot, but it is a big upgrade for me. Though many will disagree, think the whole NAV and stereo interface is outstanding. But I listen to ESPN on the radio a lot, so again, not saying much. Everything is where it should be, though some buttons are small. Once I memorize all the buttons, or program voice commands correctly, will be a non-issue. I like the shifter also. I see quite a few go to a short throw, but am totally happy with the movements my hand has to make, so for now, I'm good. Shifter feels comfy in my had so am not planning on changing it out.

Suspension and Handling
Exactly what I expected. A little bumpy on not-perfect roads, but incredible ride on the highway. Grips corners like I grip my last dollar bill. Seats are perfect for me as far as cornering goes. I am 5'10" and about 195. Seems they were made for me.

Overall Driving
Coming from a torque monster (in my opinion) I thought I would miss the V8. Don't miss it even a little bit. For everyday driving, the torque is strong, smooth, and predictable. I am sure if I tried, it has enough to make the a$$ end sway from side to side, but with real-life traffic, it's good. Like alluded to earlier, straight-line acceleration is quick and car feels firmly planted. But I did not really appreciate the car until I took a turn. Fast. With Rev-match kicking in. And a big a$$ smile on my face!

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