Red Devil

I don't mind not having pistons, but I'm a rotor fanatic.

I had heard there was a certain lack of adjustability in the Z's suspension but never knew for sure. I wonder why they would opt out of those points?

If the Z would have been 3000lbs or less, I would have really been a fan of that car and maybe even purchased one.

Rosko350z

My source for vehicle weights is autos.msn.com, which so far has mirrored those of the manufacturer. Of course, I use the weight of my car - a 2003 350Z Enthusiast. It weighs 3197. The 1996 300ZX TT weighs just over 3500 pounds according to them - that's with a T top. I don't remember if there was a slick top TT, which would probably weigh less.

I just checked the 1990 300ZX TT, and it's listed as 3414.

Red Devil:
True, there is no camber adjustment for the 350Z. However, you can easily buy hardware to cure that problem, or any other problem. The Z aftermarket is endless. No pun intended.

3000 Pounds, hey? My car is almost down to 3000 pounds with empty gas tank, all spare tire paraphenalia removed, and track wheels installed. With a new exhaust, I think I might break the barrier - estimated of course. But then again, that will never happen since I'm going to sell it and buy a performance car with 4 seats.

MoodDude

Try to drive the car w/o a gas? You should always wiegh the car with 1/2 tank of gas. And with a 20 gallon gas tank in the Z, a half a tank would make it wiegh 63# more. Most of the cars additional weight comes from the doors and the hatch.
Most aftermarket parts for the Z are junk. There is still not a good quality aftermarket part for Caster adjustment for the Z. There is only one good quality aftermarket part for front camber adjustment on the Z, but it cost $850.

Don't get me wrong - I love the Z and it handles better than most car out there, but I just wish they would solve the wieght issue.

CarAndDriver

Let's change directions?

Rosko350z

Okay, I didn't mean EMPTY ... almost empty. I autocross with about 2 gallons of gas, which Nissans's fuel computer views as empty. My DTE is usually "----". And the weight given by manufacturers is curb weight, which means all fluids are full including gas tank, so my Z with a full tank of gas should weigh 3197.

But yeah, still don't hate the 350Z. Rock out!!

LabDad

Why does the issue of weight always comes up? Sure the Z weighs more than an 8 but it has the power to compensate for it.

I'm sure that somewhere out there a Lotus Elise owner is saying

"Don't get me wrong - I love the RX-8 and it handles better than most cars out there, but I just wish they would solve the weight issue."

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Well put.

tmak26b

I think it might actually be better to have a full tank on the Z, it helps put the power down. They have plenty of torque to power out of the hole anyway.

M Fury

I like them. I almost got one, but i like the 8 better. That being said, this is a RX8 forum. I doubt any 350z forums are giving the 8 as many props and attention as we're giving them. Just something to think about.

HCTR154

I think 350Z's are pretty hot cars. They are fast and reasonably priced. Problem is that it only has 2 seats.

I see that some are mentioning that they always see 350's, Mustangs etc all the time. Well, if Mazda sold the same amount of RX 8s, then the aftermarket for our car would be a lot better. Those two cars in particular have strong aftermarket followings. Just a thought.

Scott R

I like the 350z (but not real crazy about the door handles that remind me of belt buckles). My brother has one. When I was shopping for a car recently, the lack of backseats made it a non-option for me, though.

Originally I was looking at used G35's. I ended up driving an automatic G35 (2004, I think) and then a used 2005 RX-8 MT later that same day. I wasn't familiar with the roads around the G35 dealer and the sales rep went along for the ride, so that diminished my enjoyment of the test drive. Automatic is convenient, but it definitely took away from the fun-factor. The front seats felt too wide/flat (the RX-8's seat and cockpit fit me like a glove). I also tried sitting in the the backseat of both cars and the RX-8 felt much more comfortable and useful for toting along adult passengers.

That said, I probably should have hunted down a manual G35 and given that a test drive, just to be sure. If I had gone that route, though, I would have been buying a used 2004-2005 G35 for what I paid for my brand-new 2007 RX-8.

It's interesting that people in this thread are saying that the 350z's are too common. Around me, I really don't see many, but I do see a lot of G35 coupes.

ProCharger GT

I don't consider anything a test drive unless the sales guy/girl is white-knuckel gripping some restraint and they've crapped their pants at least twice

TopGear8

iTrader: (3)

Where i live, Charlotte NC. 8's are very rare. since i bought my 8. (a month ago, tomorrow) i've seen maybe 5 of them. i see at least 2 Z's a day, and G35's are much more common than the 8, but not as common as the Z's. on the way home from Hilton Head beach, a few weeks ago, i counted the Z's and 8's. i counted 11 Z's, and only 3, 8's.

Ike

I could see that meaning something if the RX-8 were a limited production car. It's not, and if Mazda had their way there would RX-8s all over the roads. Not many people are buying the RX-8 (though it's hardly rare) and the Z has been a sales success. If you want to feel like you have something rare don't buy either car...

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

whether or not the 8 is a big seller, the fact that there are fewer on the ROAD makes it "rare", at least in the sense of this argument.

saturn

I think the point is that there's a difference between something that's rare because there aren't that many of them in existence and rare because no one wants them. It seems wrong to claim the word "rare" when in most cases this word is supposed to imply increased value.

tiggerlee

So since they only made GTO's from 2004-06 and only 792 Yellow '05 GTO's that would mean mine is rare right?

ScottyStyles

8's are actually more popular than 350Z's in Idaho... I see probably 2 8's to every Z, and two Z's to every G35. It depends on location. By the same token, when I was in San Diego early this summer, I hardly saw ANY 8's around, but I saw a ton of 350Z's and G35's.

ProCharger GT

It would probably apply for a collectors plate; my 99 GT is a 35th anniversary model, and less than 2000 were made that are like mine. Unfortunately they don't do a breakdown by hardtop/convertible AND color, it's either/or.

angeljoelv

This is one of my father in laws rides. with $4600 worth of brakes. So I guess I have to like them.. I dont want to get kicked out of the familly

ProCharger GT

Does he engage in time travel or something when he jams on the brakes?? Jeebuz..nice brakes and all, but damn!

angeljoelv

Well the only thing I can tell you is that his top speed is 25 mph(MY FATHER IN LAW) so the brakes are just SHOW ( guess he wanted to spend money) But Ive put my hands on the Z and let me tell you ... IT STOPS!!

ProCharger GT

He goes 25-0 MPH in record time....lol... who makes those brakes? They do look nice, I'd guess a 13" or 14" front and rear rotor & 4 or 6 caliper piston.

angeljoelv

Bear is the brand . 14" 6 piston and I'm not totally sure but I think the calipers are 1 piece.

alfy28

i have been trying to convince my wife , that we should pick one up. but she thinks its ugly. so im stuck with the s2k and rx8 until she is ready to trade in the s2k for a IS250.