he said he liked the paddle shifters so I assume the 7AT

Sorry, just updated the info under my name. It is a 7AT. I know some frown upon the 7AT, but I love mine. It fits me better. I like to just cruise but then if I want to turn it up I can put it in bump shift mode, use the paddle shifters, and go at it. :happydance:

Nice choice. Good luck with it.

BTW what are some quick must knows about the Z. After searching, the top things I see are fuel starvation (I'll try not to let my gas get below 4-5 dots) and the steering lock thing. I admitted in my OP that, while I am learning, I don't know a whole lot about cars so I'm just hoping that since it is an '11 the previous owner took advantage of the recall.

Some must know things

Change your headunit and speakers ASAP
Ride the piss out of the stock tires and buy Michelin pilot super sports or Bridgestone re11.
Get some swift springs
Also get a clear bra to protect the crappy paint
Stock exhaust is embarrassingly quiet , get a aftermarket cbe for a better sports car feel
Good choice on the auto! Congrats

Welcome to the Z community! Good choice with the 7AT as it will continue to impress you and quite frankly is faster than the MT albeit with a different experience. I'm not sure what's going on with some of these guys issues as all I have ever had to do to my '09 Z is pull a fuse for the steering lock even though it was working fine (pulled it just in case).

This was the one thing that kept me from buying the 370 years ago. The front end. I hate it to this day. That is why it is no longer there. Ever since it disappeared I've been happy. Cool thing about cars, find what you lie and if there is something that is not quite right then research and see what it would take to change it. My fascia was replaced within a month of purchase.

Anyway, congrats and welcome!

Here are pics of my Z. Couldn't be happier with her :tup:

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...psdafd8995.jpg

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...psa402afe1.jpg

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...psb1460869.jpg

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...ps905019ea.jpg

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0cafe482.jpg

BTW those were taken with my Droid Razr M. Also another good life choice haha

Congratulations for choosing the Z. I bet you'll never regret getting the Z but if you did otherwise and got a BRZ, you'll be spring chicken forever.:tup:

Here are some quick notes

Fuel starve is a condition of letting the fuel dip below 3/4 tank and really pushing the limits in hard driving. Unless you're going to be caning it around a long right-hand sweeping turn, you shouldn't experience this often.

Oil cooling - if you plan to track or plan to drive hard on hot days, you should look into buying an aftermarket oil cooler. Otherwise, the temperatures may reach 250, 260, and your car will go into a limp mode. Coolers solve this, and you can either get a thermostatic plate or block off mechanism for winter.

Braking - if you plan to track, you will want to upgrade the brake fluid to something with a higher tolerance, something like Motul 660, and you'll want different brake pads. If you don't plan to track and plan to just drive conservatively, this is probably not an issue.

Just a couple of quick hitters, enjoy your sweet new ride :tup:

Should've gone for an Audi S4 hehe :p....jk. Congrats on the ride, looks great!! Enjoy it mate! :tup:

Congrats on making the best choice, great thread just read the whole thing lol

I think the Z is amazing in red. Would have gotten it in red myself but every red car I've had prior came with some sort of bad luck. :( lol! Enjoy it!

Congrats!! Oh and good color choice!