370z vs E92 M3

shadoquad · 07-04-2012, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeRRoRiFiC35

Interior comfort was something I didn't consider. I'm 6 feet tall so that was something that helped. What is the main difference between the touring and regular seats on the 370z?

As for the guy with the M3, which year did you own? To be honest, nav is not a high priority when it comes to choosing since I have one of the top of the line Garmins.

non-touring is just no-frills cloth with rail sliding and a lever for folding the seat.

touring is leather with electronic doodads for all that plus seat heaters.

The extra electronics dug into my legs.

TeRRoRiFiC35 · 07-04-2012, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsix

Why is it time to move on from your G37x sedan ? Do you have a preference as far as manual vs. automatic transmission, rear wheel drive vs. all wheel drive ?

My first car was a 3-series. What I miss about BMW is the incredible handling & refined, high-revving engine.
Now, I like driving a Nissan because the badge doesn't carry so much Stigma like a BMW. I also enjoy the good low-to-mid range torque and power of the V6 engines.

If you're looking at an E92 M3, are you also considering a C63 AMG or RS4 sedan ? A Lexus IS-F would be the Japanese alternative.

The sedan feels like driving a boat to me. AWD is something I can do without. Also the amount of money to get the sedan to where I would want it is too much to justify keeping it. I also would get the entire car repainted on the sedan because it needs it, I'm very anal about my paint. Manual is also my preference but for a used GTR I would def sacrifice that. I just cant say the GTR would be my choice because a used one could have been tracked which is something I dont want.

TeRRoRiFiC35 · 07-04-2012, 07:34 PM

To get the sedan to what I would want, I would be redoing the entire car. This is what I wrote down for it:
Repaint entire car another color
Air ride system
New wheels to replace the DPE's
Exclusive Sport Front Lip and Rear Diffuser
G37S Front end swap
Full Amuse catback exhaust (custom job by amuse)
GTM Twin Supercharger Kit and everything needed to reduce the overheating
Upgrade brakes to either OEM BBK kit or Brembo's

The cost was well over 30k for that build. I have a spreadsheet with exacts, thats just the broad version

370ZilverZ · 07-05-2012, 12:25 AM

My M3 was a '10 model. V-8, 7-speed double clutch and paddles. Alpine white with silver/blue leather interior and sunroof. You will not regret getting the M3. I can't say the same about the Z. But when you are talking M3, you would be better off making your comparisons with the GT-R than the Z.

Shamu · 07-05-2012, 12:38 AM

I agree the M3 should be compared to GTR both are overweight touring cars. My 370z nismo makes mince meat of huge m3 in autocrosses. But m3 v8 sure sounds sexy!

Seems like your used to heavy touring cars so M3 is likely better fit for you. 370z is lighter and less refined. More of a purists sports car. BMW is a sweet tour car that does ok for it's size but it ain't no sports car by a long shot. Think more like a Mustang. Speaking of Mustangs why not a Sweet Boss 302 with Laguna Seca package?

bigsix · 07-05-2012, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamu

... My 370z nismo makes mince meat of huge m3 in autocrosses. ...

... BMW is a sweet tour car that does ok for it's size but it ain't no sports car by a long shot. Think more like a Mustang. Speaking of Mustangs why not a Sweet Boss 302 with Laguna Seca package?

Yeah... i was g2 recommend checking the Boss out, too; but, TeRRor said he won't buy an American made car. Man, the Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 are really appealing cars, imo.

Unless you are really narrowing down/focused on a specific type of car, there are awesome choices from America, Germany, Japan, etc.

M3 Killer! Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laps Laguna Seca - YouTube

cossie1600 · 07-05-2012, 02:31 AM

I must be missing something.

E92 L: 181.4" W: 71.7" Weight: 3704lbs
Boss 302 L: 188.1" W: 73.9" Weight: 3631lbs

Also M3 comes with 20K miles PS2 while the Boss 302 comes with 60 treadwear Pirelli. Really? Is that a fair comparison?

icormba · 07-05-2012, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeRRoRiFiC35

I will NEVER buy an american made car, that will never happen.

Mustangs are made in the same plant as some Mazdas if I’m not mistaken?

Also… the Top 2 AMERICAN MADE cars in the USA are…. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Go for the Dodge Challenger, it’s made in Canada and Italian owned!

ps, Happy 4th of July

other than that... I'd vote M3 if money didn't matter.

Shamu · 07-05-2012, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cossie1600

I must be missing something.

E92 L: 181.4" W: 71.7" Weight: 3704lbs
Boss 302 L: 188.1" W: 73.9" Weight: 3631lbs

Also M3 comes with 20K miles PS2 while the Boss 302 comes with 60 treadwear Pirelli. Really? Is that a fair comparison?

Yes your right the M3 should be compared to much larger SVT Ford Fusion.

Shamu · 07-05-2012, 08:37 AM

[QUOTE=bigsix;1806500]Yeah... i was g2 recommend checking the Boss out, too; but, TeRRor said he won't buy an American made car. Man, the Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 are really appealing cars, imo.

What's that even mean in today's automotive world? All big manufacturers are global corporations, most source parts from same suppliers globally. Toyota Camry is more American made than a Mustang these days. BMW makes cars in the US does that mean you won't by a US made BMW?

My Jeep Cherokee was designed by Mercedes and built by Fiat/jeep in the US using some of same parts that are on Mercedes SUVs Lol! Best vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned infinitis, Porsches, Nissans, Hondas, fords, Chevys, etc. it's weird these days to say you won't drive an American made car. So you will only drive a car made outside the US? Why pay the premium? Manufacturing in Europe and Japan costs a fortune and currencies are inflated to USD so your paying 25 to 50% more over a car manufactured here. That's why Totyota makes Camry here. Why not take advantage of us manufactured car? Not only helping our economy but quality in US is top notch too. quality statisitcs show bmw being lower quality than most other makes. Plenty of quality issues with BMWs.

But will say that V8 m3 is wicked sounding. Just doesn't fit sports car bill for me. It's closer to my SuV than a true sports car

Shamu · 07-05-2012, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeRRoRiFiC35

The sedan feels like driving a boat to me. AWD is something I can do without. Also the amount of money to get the sedan to where I would want it is too much to justify keeping it. I also would get the entire car repainted on the sedan because it needs it, I'm very anal about my paint. Manual is also my preference but for a used GTR I would def sacrifice that. I just cant say the GTR would be my choice because a used one could have been tracked which is something I dont want.

Pretty easy to determine if a GTR has been tracked. Especially if it has low miles. Just check brakes. If it has new pads or rotors at fairly low miles or extremely worn pads you will know someone has hauled that beast out. Also tires are good indicator as well. New tires on low mileage car may be sign of a track day. Hard to hide track day on those beasts?

TeRRoRiFiC35 · 07-05-2012, 09:02 AM

I have a bias towards American made cars, most of them are made like crap. Great example are the past 3 American made cars my parents have owned before they both switched to Japanese, 2 Ford Explorers and a Ford Taurus. I was win HS and college when they owned those. The Taurus was just poorly made, nothing else can explain it. Then my dad owned the Ford Explorer, not bad but def not on par with my friends Nissan Murano. Then he traded that in for the Eddy Bauer edition Explorer, worst truck ever. That thing spent more time at Ford than at my parents. The 20 yr old Volvo they had worked better than the Ford Explorer. Also had a friend that bought one of the new Vette's and he sold that within a year.

I know the M3 should be more compared to the GTR, but I wanted to get your guys take on the 370z. I'm not entirely sure if I would want to buy something that I can have modified the day I buy it or piece it together. I also wasn't sure if the 20-30k difference in price was justified.

I might as well ask this, does Nissan offer loaner cars for when the 370z is in for oil changes and such like Infiniti offers?

TeRRoRiFiC35 · 07-05-2012, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamu

Pretty easy to determine if a GTR has been tracked. Especially if it has low miles. Just check brakes. If it has new pads or rotors at fairly low miles or extremely worn pads you will know someone has hauled that beast out. Also tires are good indicator as well. New tires on low mileage car may be sign of a track day. Hard to hide track day on those beasts?

And doesn't the GTR lose its warrenty on the drivetrain if you turn off something so you can launch it?

cossie1600 · 07-05-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeRRoRiFiC35

I have a bias towards American made cars, most of them are made like crap. Great example are the past 3 American made cars my parents have owned before they both switched to Japanese, 2 Ford
I might as well ask this, does Nissan offer loaner cars for when the 370z is in for oil changes and such like Infiniti offers?

ha they didn't even give me a shuttle ride from 15 miles away.. you get what you paid for

370ZilverZ · 07-05-2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamu

I agree the M3 should be compared to GTR both are overweight touring cars. My 370z nismo makes mince meat of huge m3 in autocrosses. But m3 v8 sure sounds sexy!

Seems like your used to heavy touring cars so M3 is likely better fit for you. 370z is lighter and less refined. More of a purists sports car. BMW is a sweet tour car that does ok for it's size but it ain't no sports car by a long shot. Think more like a Mustang. Speaking of Mustangs why not a Sweet Boss 302 with Laguna Seca package?

If this is what you refer to as a heavy touring car, then that's what I was used to. 650whp, viper 6-speed, 4:56 gears, coil over suspension 11 second 1/4 mile drag and 70 mph @ 2200rpm fun car. That is what I drove prior to the M3 and the M3 was just as fun. As much as I like my Z, it hasn't been a replacement to either my 57 Chevy or the M3. They do not compare. They are Apples and Oranges.

Car appraisal 004.jpg

Car appraisal 013.jpg

123 Tweety & Sylvester.jpg

07-04-2012, 07:34 PM	#18 (permalink)
TeRRoRiFiC35 Base Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 37 Drives: '11 G37x Sedan Rep Power: 16	To get the sedan to what I would want, I would be redoing the entire car. This is what I wrote down for it: Repaint entire car another color Air ride system New wheels to replace the DPE's Exclusive Sport Front Lip and Rear Diffuser G37S Front end swap Full Amuse catback exhaust (custom job by amuse) GTM Twin Supercharger Kit and everything needed to reduce the overheating Upgrade brakes to either OEM BBK kit or Brembo's The cost was well over 30k for that build. I have a spreadsheet with exacts, thats just the broad version Last edited by TeRRoRiFiC35; 07-04-2012 at 07:37 PM.

07-05-2012, 12:25 AM	#19 (permalink)
370ZilverZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: DFW, TX Age: 67 Posts: 2,321 Drives: '11 BMW Z4 Rep Power: 19	My M3 was a '10 model. V-8, 7-speed double clutch and paddles. Alpine white with silver/blue leather interior and sunroof. You will not regret getting the M3. I can't say the same about the Z. But when you are talking M3, you would be better off making your comparisons with the GT-R than the Z. __________________ 370ZilverZ Journal BMW Z4

07-05-2012, 12:38 AM	#20 (permalink)
Shamu A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 1,059 Drives: 370Z Racecar Rep Power: 19	I agree the M3 should be compared to GTR both are overweight touring cars. My 370z nismo makes mince meat of huge m3 in autocrosses. But m3 v8 sure sounds sexy! Seems like your used to heavy touring cars so M3 is likely better fit for you. 370z is lighter and less refined. More of a purists sports car. BMW is a sweet tour car that does ok for it's size but it ain't no sports car by a long shot. Think more like a Mustang. Speaking of Mustangs why not a Sweet Boss 302 with Laguna Seca package? __________________ Grant

07-05-2012, 08:37 AM	#25 (permalink)
Shamu A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 1,059 Drives: 370Z Racecar Rep Power: 19	[QUOTE=bigsix;1806500]Yeah... i was g2 recommend checking the Boss out, too; but, TeRRor said he won't buy an American made car. Man, the Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 are really appealing cars, imo. What's that even mean in today's automotive world? All big manufacturers are global corporations, most source parts from same suppliers globally. Toyota Camry is more American made than a Mustang these days. BMW makes cars in the US does that mean you won't by a US made BMW? My Jeep Cherokee was designed by Mercedes and built by Fiat/jeep in the US using some of same parts that are on Mercedes SUVs Lol! Best vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned infinitis, Porsches, Nissans, Hondas, fords, Chevys, etc. it's weird these days to say you won't drive an American made car. So you will only drive a car made outside the US? Why pay the premium? Manufacturing in Europe and Japan costs a fortune and currencies are inflated to USD so your paying 25 to 50% more over a car manufactured here. That's why Totyota makes Camry here. Why not take advantage of us manufactured car? Not only helping our economy but quality in US is top notch too. quality statisitcs show bmw being lower quality than most other makes. Plenty of quality issues with BMWs. But will say that V8 m3 is wicked sounding. Just doesn't fit sports car bill for me. It's closer to my SuV than a true sports car __________________ Grant

07-05-2012, 02:31 AM	#22 (permalink)
cossie1600 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: californee way Posts: 5,380 Drives: 370, Leaf Rep Power: 30	I must be missing something. E92 L: 181.4" W: 71.7" Weight: 3704lbs Boss 302 L: 188.1" W: 73.9" Weight: 3631lbs Also M3 comes with 20K miles PS2 while the Boss 302 comes with 60 treadwear Pirelli. Really? Is that a fair comparison?

07-05-2012, 09:02 AM	#27 (permalink)
TeRRoRiFiC35 Base Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 37 Drives: '11 G37x Sedan Rep Power: 16	I have a bias towards American made cars, most of them are made like crap. Great example are the past 3 American made cars my parents have owned before they both switched to Japanese, 2 Ford Explorers and a Ford Taurus. I was win HS and college when they owned those. The Taurus was just poorly made, nothing else can explain it. Then my dad owned the Ford Explorer, not bad but def not on par with my friends Nissan Murano. Then he traded that in for the Eddy Bauer edition Explorer, worst truck ever. That thing spent more time at Ford than at my parents. The 20 yr old Volvo they had worked better than the Ford Explorer. Also had a friend that bought one of the new Vette's and he sold that within a year. I know the M3 should be more compared to the GTR, but I wanted to get your guys take on the 370z. I'm not entirely sure if I would want to buy something that I can have modified the day I buy it or piece it together. I also wasn't sure if the 20-30k difference in price was justified. I might as well ask this, does Nissan offer loaner cars for when the 370z is in for oil changes and such like Infiniti offers?