Nssan 350 vs Boxster S

[Perfectlap]

^ I don't think the Miata is really a car to buy to enjoy high power. It's a car to teach how unprepared you are to handle lots of of power in the first place. If I talk to a guy who tells me the first legit sports car he ever drove in earnest is a high-powered expensive one, right away I know he's not really learned from his mistakes. A mistake in one of those cars is potentially game over. A mistake in a Miata is one you can live through to fight another day. And without mistakes you're just cruising in a pricey car.

[RawleyD]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

^ I don't think the Miata is really a car to buy to enjoy high power. It's a car to teach how unprepared you are to handle lots of of power in the first place. If I talk to a guy who tells me the first legit sports car he ever drove in earnest is a high-powered expensive one, right away I know he's not really learned from his mistakes. A mistake in one of those cars is potentially game over. A mistake in a Miata is one you can live through to fight another day. And without mistakes you're just cruising in a pricey car.

In earnest, my Box S is the first legit sports car I've ever drove.
Guess I'm just cruising in a pricey car huh?
Sometimes I think you talk too much PL.

..just waitin' on that mistake I guess...

[Perfectlap]

I think other people know exactly what I'm talking about. There's spinning a car because you overcooked your entry speed. And there's ending up in a tree from the same mistake.
Perhaps you are the next Kimi Raikonen and learn without making mistakes, but most people don't know the line until they've crossed it... a few times.

p.s.
A 3.2 Porsche is the first sports car you've owned? Congrats. That's like having Kate Upton as your highschool girlfriend.

[dghii]

I'll add another antidote.
I owned a really nice 2003 Z4 3.0 6sp. that I bought to replace a 99 M roadster. HP was similar in both cars but the driving experience was night and day different. The M felt, looked, drove and sounded like a sports car, the Z4 felt like a more refined touring car with sports car potential.

In 2006 I drove an '05 350Z Roadster Grand touring 6 speed (bad az yellow) Nice car but felt just like the Z4 in terms of being more of a tourer than anything else.

The first time I test drove a BoxS (a used 2003), my first reaction was simply, "Oh Sh_t, I'm going to have to buy one of these! That particular car was out of my price range at the time but still got the wheels turning and a few years later, I bought the one I currently own.

The only other time I had a similar feeling was the first time I drove a Miata in 1990. Sure, the car was was considered under powered, but coming from a background of Fiat and Alfa Spiders, the Miata had more than enough performance and that gear box....wow! Just knowing that the Miata would be a reliable car was icing on the cake! I bought a used A package car in the sping of 1991, kept if for six years and enjoyed it the whole time.

So far, the BoxS has been the same experience. The car has not dissapointed me and is still a blast to drive.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by dghii

I'll add another antidote.

did you mean anecdote?

[epapp]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

did you mean anecdote?

Noooo, its the antidote to the japanese car virus

[Perfectlap]

^ yeah I was surprised by how kart-like the Miata felt. Once I slapped Azenis and KYB's on it....forget it. You can't do better for the money.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by newob

So a "friend" of mine was talking to me, and he does not know that I just bought a Boxster S ( I prefer to wait until I am fully comfortable with the car). He currently owns an older Mazda Miata. He told me that the best car for the price is the nissan 350-370z. I asked why not a host of other cars, BMW, Honda S2000, Eclipse, Porsche Cayman, and he had his own little arguments for each. I finally came down to Boxster and he said "haha Nissan would smoke that" a Boxster is basically a Miata. :troll:

So the real question is, how does a Nissan 350z and a Boxster S 986 matchup?

Sounds like your friend has been doing alot of reading & has a valid point. The Nissan VQ engine is a great engine & has won many awards. This V6 has been around for a long time & is used in most of the vehicles Nissan makes. Since it is used in so many vehicles it must make good low rpm torque in order to function properly in heavier cars & trucks. So VQ V6 in the Z with the 6-speed is fun to drive & exhaust sound is 1 of the best available. If you are into boulevard matchups Z car has more bang for your bucks. Porsche is a better sport car but doesn't become obvious until you get it on a track where it's lighter weight,superior suspension & broader torque range outshine the Z car. I would not buy a 350Z because of the huge blindspots, understeering, ride comfort,tilt wheel/IP, interior quality & weight. I'm sure the 370Z is better but I have not been in one.