370z vs. snow

[awkwardturtle]

Hey all,

I'm looking at transitioning into a new car now that I'm about to start a real job out of college. Right now I drive a sub-500 hp 2007 Civic SI, which is fun and all, but I'm sick of the FWD limitations and the overall cheapness of it.

I live in MN, so my first thought was to pick up an EvoX. I've always loved those cars, loved the AWD, etc. I'm still contemplating that one..

On the other hand, the 370z has been just about my most favorite car since it came out a few years ago. Love the styling, the exhaust note, the overall package is just fantastic. Also, I have a nissan dealership 5 miles from my house, and the closest mitsu dealer is about 75 miles.

My only real concern is winter driving. If I get a 370z, it will more than likely be the nismo variant (I believe I read they did away with the manual trans if you don't get a nismo model? Is that true??). 40k on a car is about my upper limit with what I'll be making at my new job, so buying a second winter beater is out of the question.

So, ultimately, is RWD as horrendous as I've heard in the snow? Everyone I know keeps telling me to avoid RWD like the plague.. yet I find myself having more traction issues than anyone in the snow in my FWD civic.

Thanks