FR-S / 370Z / CaymanS

tonythetiger

cayman is the better car but way over price!

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KWV3/Eibach/StillenG3/FI CBE+LTH+34Row/Uprev/SPL/SouthBendSS/QuaifeLSD/4.08/TommyKaira/Status/VolkZE40/AP Radical BBK/Seibon/Amuse/VIS/Sparco/WorksBellGTC/RJM/Nismo

SurfDog

I put Berks and HFC's on my sport and It sounds as cool as its possible for a car to sound IMHO. That Cayman S has nothing on me!

I also have to say some of the fun of my Z is just spurring my modded 355 horses now and then and feeling the beast eat some road. This video was a pretty biased, but as a Miata owner I do understand that fun factor is hard to quantify.

I thought long and hard about getting a FRS in the end it came down to looks (no comparison), power (different league) and the fact that my 1st ride was a 77 280z and so the 370 feels like family.

I do miss having a back seat though.

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09 6spd Berk CBE, JWT cams, ZSpeed CSC, Stillen (25 row oil, brake cooling, sways, gen3 CAI), Passport (9500ci), Quaife LSD, Z1 400 hp kit, ss lines, pads, rotors, clutch etc, Phunk's pan and fuel starve fix

bigsix

SurfDog; yeah, i'd guess it would come down to the same things for most people when choosing b/w FR-S and 370z: looks & power. As far as the Z being an "8/10ths car", do most people even approach 8/10ths on the road most of the time ? ? ?

Was a Cayman not a choice along w/ the Scion and Nissan ?

SurfDog

I would not consider a Porsche for the same reasons I would not wear a Rolex. I hate paying a premium for name recognition, and 20k more is like twice the price of my Z

SEIKO 200m automatic dive watch $200
Rolex submariner $7000 bucks
Functionality. Nearly identical


Is porsche faster? not really

is porsche a better driving experience? Now that I have dynamat, I don't think so. (I drive my buddies cayman occasionally)

Is a porsche a status symbol? Yes. That is why I stay away

As for 8/10s driver. I disagree and so do most reviewers. The consensus among performance drivers is that a 370 is heavy on the controls but very predictable and controlled at the limits. The video reviewer seems to love the Porsche for "refinement".

I'm a simple man who likes simple things that work well. I don't want the illusion of performance (BRZ.) I want to fly around the track trying to keep my boundless power under control in a well balanced, inexpensive to own and repair, exiting car.

In short I think the reviewer would love a Miata too. Especially if he could find one with enough name recognition to cost 40k.

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09 6spd Berk CBE, JWT cams, ZSpeed CSC, Stillen (25 row oil, brake cooling, sways, gen3 CAI), Passport (9500ci), Quaife LSD, Z1 400 hp kit, ss lines, pads, rotors, clutch etc, Phunk's pan and fuel starve fix

Hbomb

+rep for you sir. Very well said. Hate to off topic- where did you dynamat at? I love the car, but the gravel/rocks kicking up behind me are a little extreme

SurfDog

Thanks! Like most of us, I definately have passion about this stuff.
here is a link (with photos and all) about my soundproofing work:

SurfDog's Soundproffing journey

Good Luck . One of our members can send you a free sample (10 square feet) of GT Mat to get you started.

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09 6spd Berk CBE, JWT cams, ZSpeed CSC, Stillen (25 row oil, brake cooling, sways, gen3 CAI), Passport (9500ci), Quaife LSD, Z1 400 hp kit, ss lines, pads, rotors, clutch etc, Phunk's pan and fuel starve fix

DLSTR

By far the best comparo post ever on this forum. You are my HERO! Well said!

Shamu

Think you may be fooling yourself about track performance between Cayman S and 370z. Cayman S is far better car dynamically than the 370z. However ultimate performance isn't everything. I'm a long time mid engine Porsche guy and while cayman S is far more competent car the driving experience isn't as fun as the Z. Z is car that will scare you occasionally while Cayman is utterly unflappable and to me boring.

Having torn both cayman/Boxster and 370z apart the Porsche is more than just status. There are real engineering differences with decades of race car engineering that make it into Cayman. I'm under no illusion that Z is anything close to Porsche in terms of engineering and over all capability. However Z is a bargin performer that can be tuned to perform similar to fast Porsches, but Z has some fatal flaws it can't overcome. Poor weight distribution and heft that is hard to overcome in a performance car.

Would have loved to put my car in this compare however. Suspect he would have walked away with completely differnt impression of the Z. And sound?

Hoopa hillclimb 2012 - 370z - YouTube

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Grant

SurfDog

I'm not a track guru so I'll defer to your judgment. However I think my Rolex/SEIKO argument still holds. Besides I like my car a bit brutal. It's all in fun.

I smile whenever I hit the apex of a turn and begin powering out. That is what matters to me I guess. And yes. THE SOUND!

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09 6spd Berk CBE, JWT cams, ZSpeed CSC, Stillen (25 row oil, brake cooling, sways, gen3 CAI), Passport (9500ci), Quaife LSD, Z1 400 hp kit, ss lines, pads, rotors, clutch etc, Phunk's pan and fuel starve fix

Shamu

I'd say its more like Tag Heurer verses a Casio. Rolex would be more like Rolls Royce. Porsche Cayman certainly doesn't reach into true status car in my book. It's truly entry level Porsche. Status car in Porsche mighT Be Panamera turbo or a GT3 RS? cayman really doesn't cut it as status car. Plenty Cayman S can be had for mid 30k used - less than a new 370z. Good luck finding used Rolex for price of a Seiko!

And do we want to have discussion on paint quality? 370z has something akin to kiddie finger paints compared to beautiful paint job on Porsche.

Even on street level of refinement from Porsche is far better than 370z. Technology in PDK, torque vectoring etc is just awesome. Suspension of Porsche is much more compliant than Z too. Heck my 12 year old Boxster had better suspension than current 370z! But still I love retro feel of Z. It's the flaws in the car that make new Z endearing. Perfect cars can be real boring on the street.

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Grant

cossie1600

I had a chance to drive a GT3 and GT3 RS. They are both great cars and they are world better than the Z, but not sure if they are $70-$130K better. The same applies to the Cayman, but then performance cost money and people are stupid for cars

SurfDog

My best friend drives Porsche exclusively and we have this discussion quite a bit. There is no right answer.

I guess I'll say that for me... I love the Z quirks and all. I just like my car a bit spirited. My buddy likes refinement and ride compliance and therefore loves his Panamera and his Boxter.

Its a big fun world with lots of room for varied opinions. I definitely respect all of yours! In other words you guys are all correct.

Can we agree that the reviewer is comparing apples to oranges when he pits these cars against each other? Especially the (BRZ)

At any rate I could have had *any* of the cars reviewed and picked the Z because I love it for reasons that are a mix of logic and emotion. No discussion is likely to sway me from my passion for the Z!

I believe there is no best car, there is only what appeals to varied drivers. The reviewer liked the BRZ... go figure!

Fanboy? Sure why not. I just get giddy pounding the Z-beast around in the hills.

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09 6spd Berk CBE, JWT cams, ZSpeed CSC, Stillen (25 row oil, brake cooling, sways, gen3 CAI), Passport (9500ci), Quaife LSD, Z1 400 hp kit, ss lines, pads, rotors, clutch etc, Phunk's pan and fuel starve fix

DEpointfive0

I know the 370 isn't the "torquiest" car, but Boxer engines make no torque... That's my issue...


And it just has a weird torque curve