Hercules

And let me tell you it's a world of difference between this and the 350Z. And that's frankly, a good thing in my opinion.

Power is extreme. The 350Z and G35 Coupe are similar in this regard. Though I drove the automatic the G35 has great power off the line and thru the rev range though falls off at the top end.

The cabin in the G35 is very relaxed. This is opposed to the 350Z that keeps you too involved and takes away in my opinion, from enjoying the drive. The plastics are softer, better on the eyes. The center mounted automatic temperature settings are easy to read and controls are convieniently placed.

Back seat has great legroom. Headroom as I mentioned before, is quite bad. If you're 5'10" or more, then your head will hit the glass. If you're over 6 feet (as I am) you have to scrunch so you can keep your head on the GLASS.

Handling is razor sharp. At a rating of 9 on the C&D scale I am hard pressed to see how the RX-8 will be better. However since the RX-8's weight is signifigantly less, I think the agile feeling contributes to the handling rating. The G35 Coupe though is excellent in this regard and after driving it you appreciate it a lot more.

All in all if I don't like the RX-8... I'll be in the Infiniti dealer waiting in line for one of these coupes. At a price of almost $5000 more though, I think the RX-8 will be a much better buy and from the sounds of every article I've read... a car more in-line with what I am looking for.

Wing

Hercules, I went to the Infinity dealer today in town, get this only 1 of them! They had 2 coupes, both sold, they said you can't test them, just buy the thing if you want it. Because they are so hard to get, you lucky ba****d!

Skyline Maniac

Hercules, I CANNOT believe you have not driven the G35C & 350Z until now and all these time. So you mean all those times when you post about "Torque is BS", "Interior is blah blah blah" "Handling" "Fun to Drive" blah blah blah, you didn't even test drive those cars? What's even worse is I spent all that time responding to your comments on the G35 and 350Z. Damn!

Anyhow. Since we are talking about the G35C here I might as well chime in and provide some more info.

1) Power: Power all over the rev range. You can clime a SF-like slope in this car at 1500rpm with 4 passengers. With four passengers and trunk full of junk this car still accelerate like bat out of hell.

2) Handling: Handling is very good, except it's heavy, and you will feel it on tight hairpins. At medium and higher speeds, the G35C drives like a true sport car.... except quieter and more comfortable. At low speed corners, the 3500lb weight will hurt you. This is where the RX-8 will excel.

3) Backseat: About as comfortable as you can ask for in a GT. The only problem is the headroom, which will hit the back of your head if you are over 5'8. If you are 5'8 or under, the G35C seats are some of the most comfortable leather bucket seats you can find on the market. So if you only have one car, and 3 X 6' friends, don't get this car.

I don't think you will enjoy the G35C as much as the RX8. If you want a 'fun to drive' car that can carry four 'full size' adults, this car is not it. If styling, service quality and some luxury is what you are looking for, then the G35C is not a bad choice.

Hercules

I drove the G35 Sedan when it was released and power aside, I wasn't thoroughly impressed. The car's steering and power were the best points of the car, but the interior appointments, handling, and responsiveness were sub par based on Miata-esque standards.

The G35 Coupe seems to, in my eyes, remedied most of those problems. The interior quality is higher, the plastic 'knock'-ability has improved, tactile feel is better, handling seems right on razor sharp, and the power of course, is wonderful as well.

I also must comment; I've never said 'torque is BS.' However I have given a pass to the RX-8 in this regard for the main reason that well.. I have not yet driven it. Power to me isn't everything, it's a happy balance that makes me even more happy. The G35 Coupe definately has a great balance of everything. Good interior, good looks, good handling, and great power. But if the RX-8 delivers good interior, good looks, GREAT handling, and good power... then I'd likely go for the RX-8, specially considering it comes in at almost $5000 less than the very similar yet different G35 Coupe.

I believe in both my reviews of these cars, I have been very fair. I do not rule out any car, but given a past history of Mazda's type of cars, the price, and the features of the RX-8, it seems to be on paper at least, the best choice for me. It's not to say the G35 Coupe has ever been a BAD choice. It's just the less best one.

When the RX-8 comes out and I drive it... I'll post a review here too. And I will be fair to it as well. Having seen it at the NY Auto Show I'm well aware that its interior is fine (right on with the G35's as far as QUALITY goes, not luxury), the room is more than adequate and the price at which it all comes makes it salivating. But sometimes when you drive a car, you don't appreciate it like magazines do... and that's why you need to sit down and give it a run before making a decision.

My mind on paper, has been made up for quite a while. But given that the RX-8 is a car that I've never driven I can never say it's amazing compared to <insert car here>. But like I said, past indictators will show me that the RX-8 has the slickest gearbox, the nicest clutch, and the best handling. Add to that, power that's pretty comparable and more roomy of an interior, and of course the price well... I think you will understand why a lot of people on these forums are biased.

And I am too. But when I drive the RX-8 my biases will either be proven true or false, and given the $500 deposit I've given on this car, I'm hoping it's the former and that I'll be the happy owner of an RX-8 that will fulfill all the wishes I had for it.

moogle

all that you mention is also the qualities of the rx-8 + you can carry four adults and have some fun with it.

Wing

Saw one of these on the road today, OMG! BEAUTIFULL! I couldn't believe it, it was absolutly stunning! And to top it off the guy floored it as I drove by, good deep throaty sound!

etang789

yea i saw a G35c over the weekend...looks great, mean....
since i am considering to get a rx8 or G35c....this is the questions i have to go through
G35c has 280 hp and 270 (around) lb torque
more solid feel i assume since its heavier
rated the best V6
more luxury and the brand name of infiniti

RX8 has 250 hp and 115(dun remember extactly) lb torque
light, better handling, unique
can be turbo charged
but engine problem is a concern

collinsc

big difference between 115 and 159

Hercules

What engine problem?

etang789

thats why i said i dun remember the exact number
but still 159 vs 270 of torque is a big difference that would counts to consider between two cars

etang789

i mean possible engine problems....
like i am worrying about the oil burning thing
since the G35c V6 engine has proven to be a great engine
but the Rx8 rotary is still unproven in terms of time and public use
but if we find out there is no problem then i have nothing to worry about

Hercules

Rotaries burn oil as a part of their movement, it's not going to change.

And since this one is naturally aspirated it will easily go for over 200,000 miles. It's based off of the 13B with improvements and that engine got great mileage. Besides you have a warranty for anything that goes wrong

Maximus

Hi etang789,
I would suggest you do some homework on what the torque numbers really mean, dont judge performance based on peak numbers only. There are other factors to consider like weight, gearing ratios, how the torque is spread accross the RPM range etc. Search the forum and you will find lots of threads where this issue has been discussed.

DonG35Miata

Herc, don't be too surprised if you drive the RX-8 and you find it does not appeal to you as much as the G35c. This is not meant as a slam on the RX-8, or praise for the G35c. It's just that until you test drive the car, you never really know what will have the feel that appeals to you. That certain something that says, "This is the one."

A couple of years ago I test drove an Audi A4 Quattro with the 1.8T and 5-speed. I thought it was going to be great but ended up thoroughly UN-impressed. Understeered, little steering feel, not particularly fast. A month later, I drove a VW GTI 1.8T. Same engine, FWD, a bit lighter. LOVED it! Fast, responsive, linear steering with good feel. Bought it that same week.

I was actually going to post a thread warning the people in the "sign and drive" camp to take that test drive. Why in the world wouldn't you? You would feel sick a week later if you realized you were committed to $500 per month for five years and the car was not all you had hoped for. Especially with a car that has as many questions about it as the RX-8. We have read about the problems with the tertiary ports; then there is the "door thump" and how well the fit between the front and rear doors will hold up in real-world use, with real people and mass produced vehicles.

The press on the RX-8 thus far is promising. But reading and dreaming are a whole lot different than driving, and everyone's tastes and perceptions are different. As for the media reviews, as a member of the media let me tell you a lot of people in the media have agendas to pursue and personal/business relationships to maintain. I see it all the time and in my own field I can pick it our pretty quickly when someone crosses the line. (Sadly, when they do, it is almost always to the consumer's detriment.) Since I don't write about automobiles, I can't say for sure what is going on but it is definitely not impossible that there is bias, or an effort to make the RX-8 successful to either help Mazda, get advertising revenue for their publication, or ensure a future 2600 lb RX-7 with a 300 hp 1.4L Renesis.

Let's be excited about the RX-8... but not blind. Mazda is pushing the envelope in several ways, and the car has its pluses and minuses. Let's all approach it objectively, consider the competition, and make our own decisions.

Hercules

Don you didn't read my post

I said if the RX-8 isn't up to par on some level for me, then I'd be at the Infiniti dealer the next day. Though given the fact I like the interior and build quality, the only thing left to do is drive it; and I don't expect to come out dissapointed.

DonG35Miata

Oh, I read your post. I was not talking to you in regards to the test drive. I remember seeing a different thread where people were discussing whether or not they would want a test drive, or "sign and drive", buying the car and driving it home without a test drive. I know you are one of the people who WOULD drive it before signing on the dotted line.

As for the car itself, you don't EXPECT to come out disappointed. But you never know. I also don't expect you to come out disappointed with the RX-8. But the drive is telling. I test drove a 350Z and it did absolutely zip for me, though by almost all accounts it is a great performance car. I'd rather drive a Mini Cooper S or a VW GTI 1.8T, even at the same price. Different strokes for different folks!

bwayout

When I went to the "Mazda Rev It Up" event in Dallas and finally got to sit in the RX-8 ... I walked away with mixed feeling about the back seat for grow-ups. Sure, going in was easy with the back doors - much better on the passenger side due to the fact that the front seat folds forward while it slides away from the back seat for ease of entry (I wish that the driver side did too!) But I had a very difficult time getting out of both of the back seats (for me, my first thoughts in the RX-8 was that it was almost equivalent to getting out of the back seat from a 2-door Acura RSX or G35 coupe - which I've done on more than a few times), my feet inside the RX-8 kept on getting caught under the bottom of the front seats and undoing the plastic molding --- hope it will be better made on the actual production models ... and anyway, I'm only 5' 8" but when I adjusted the front seat for my legs and got into the back seat, there wasn't much room there for me to sit there or even for my 5 year old daughter's legs - but my daughter didn't care (that day) because she loved it in the back and can't wait for me to bring one home, because of all of the (hid-a-way cup holders, map/book and pass-through) storage compartments in the back for her to use for her sippy cup, toys and books!

My wife looked at me and said " I know you want this as your next car, but this is not the spacious 4-door family car that you've been telling me all about." She's right, I was expecting a little more room in the cabin area that the RX-Evolve was suppose to offer and from all of the glowing praise that Road&Track's Sam Mitani has written about the RX-8 in the past ... like: "The amount of space at the rear seats is particularly noteworthy. These are real seats for real people, not merely an extra compartment for your luggage." I was expecting better. Well, I don't agree with Sam and found it very very snug, and yes it does have more headroom than the G35 coupe, but the G35 offers more legroom ... and that is very important to me, because I want to use the back seats - especially for my 2 children and their carseats (my guess is that having the extra 2-door would be helpful in getting those 2 carseats in and out from the back -but I don't want them to be so close to the front seats, always kicking the backs of the front seats (like kids usually do).

Road&Track's Douglas Kott's recent 2004 RX-8 review hits closer to home for me: "With either RX-8, the novelty here (besides the rotary engine) is that you can take three friends along on your sport-car experience... provided two of them are children, or small to adverage-size adults ... in reasonable comfort..."

Plus, I'm also unsure of the RX-8's trunk size (8 cubic feet) with no spare tire (only a emergency tire repair kit) --- A friend at work has the G35 coupe and it does have a spare tire and is about the same size as the RX-8's with out one ... but I'm one of those who, on the rare occasion, needs to carry around a lot of big (family) stuff (or my personal items like my big old 200 watt Fender Bandmaster Amp, portable keyboard or my smaller in size advertising/art portfolio case - 30" X 42" X 6").

I was really hoping that I'd be able to use the RX-8 to take the family on (little and long) fun road trips. I guess that all waits to be seen ... until I really get to test drive one.

If Mazda is really listening, I very early on bought into the 1999 Mazda RX-Evolve concept idea of a 4-door sports car for those people (with families) that don't want to drive a SUV or station wagons ... But after sitting inside the RX-8, and reading the special series Road&Track Mazda RX-8 supplement that I picked up from the "Mazda Rev It Up" event --- I now realize that the RX-Evolve had a more spacious and longer cabin built more around inside sedan-like proportions than the current RX-8 does ... sadly discovering that the concept between the RX-8 and the RX-Evolve are considered completely different at Mazda - making the RX-8 more of a tight sports car (that's not truly appropriate for family use IMHO when compared to the original idea of the RX-Evolve ... ) I can only hope that when the RX-7 comes back, the RX-8 will evolve into more of the original "functional family" RX-Evolve sports car ideal (I can wait a few more years)!

Back to comparing the plus and minus of the G35 coupe, my friend's only complaint about his G35 coupe, is that when it rains and he happens to have to drive through a fast-food place and since there is no rain gutters on his car by the windows, all the rain water pours inside from the roof top ... and gets his interior soaked.

An other thing I like about the G35 coupe is the instrument dash is also attached to the ajustable steering wheel column (same on the 350Z)... reminds me of my fondly missed old 1990 probe - it also had the same feature.

Edit: opps, I just caught a spelling mistake.

bwayout

So true! For me to it is so much more about the feel behind the wheel!

Hey, if I don't like the RX-8 and there's nothing else around that I like ... I forgot to add that if I don't care about having more room - the Mini is also up there at the top of my list too!

Hey, Don, have you got use to having the Mini's dash over in the middle?

DonG35Miata

I don't have the Mini yet. Mini S' are on backorder, so you have to order one to get one. Which is fine by me... I wanted to exercise restraint with the option list. I think a $25,000 Mini is silly. Mosty of the BASE Coopers on the dealer's lot have a higher MSRP than my well-equipped Cooper S did!

As for the speedometer, you adjust quickly to it being in the center. The effect is kind of cool once you experience it. I liked it! If you order NAV then the speedometer goes on the steering column. But if you get NAV you will probably have a $25,000 Mini Cooper S.

I have had a hellish twilight-zone surprise of a week at work.... if things don't pick up (my writing is a sideline) I will not be getting it at all, or at least not until later in the year!

bwayout

Hope you survive the rest of the week and things turn around for the better!

I think I can relate ... after all I work in advertising ... for the last 25+ years ...

Skyline Maniac

bwayout, that's the same experience I had with the RX8. The backseat 'looks' bigger than it actually is. I have no complaints about the headroom, but the legroom is simply not there. Also, the immobile raised center console in the RX8 is irritating. You can't enter or exit the vehicle easily if you only open one door. (Which I do often in my G35C, because I don't feel like getting out of the car to let rear passengers in) Also, keep in mind that you can actually increase the trunk size of the G35C to over 13 cu.ft by removing the spare tire and jack/tools molding. (can be done in about 5 minutes) The G35C also has a rear fold down seat in case you want to carry a snowboard, fullsize keyboard (I have one) or folded furniture. Overall I don't sense a real disadvantage of the G35C trunk vs sedan, it's the same width, only shallower.

The G35C's only rear limitation is the low headroom issue. If you are 5'8 or under though, there would be no problem at all. (My friends have no issue sitting in the backseat of my car on long trips) Legroom, hiproom and elbow room are all very generous. So if you have kids, this would not be an issue at all. If you seriously need a family hauler though, I would recommend a BMW 330 (coupe or sedan) or a G35 sedan.

bwayout

Thanks for your added insights on the G35 coupe. It is a great car! When ever I see one one the road, or my friend's - looking at one, still makes me hold my breath and think WOW. Thanks for reminding me again about the fact that theG35C back seats fold down - that's a big plus for me (although I wish it was a hatchback too)

:D

But to tell the truth, my wife, who is not at all a "car person" by any stretch of the imagination ... likes the look of the RX-8 much better than the G35 coupe.

... Again thanks for the thoughts, but we already have my wife's 2000 VW Passat for the family car (I guess that it will do until we get a pet). I curently drive a 03 mp5 (that actually my wife perfers over her Passat so she takes the mp5 everywhere on her weekend outings) that replaced my 1990 Probe last Feb. --- We plan on keeping the Passat for a while (before my wife had the Passat, she owned a 1986 4-door Honda civic - we tend to keep our cars for a long time, although I wouldn't mind trading in the Passat for a used G35 sedan) But the plan is for me to trade in the mp5 in a year or two for my next car - which I want to be some kind of sporty (2+2) fastback/hatchback or the RX-8 ...