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GT PP vs 370Z Nismo

Ewheels

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A friend of mine has a 2012 370Z Nismo and has had it since new. I've been around it plenty and have driven it before. Great car but I guess I never really paid all that much attention to it. Back then, my car knowledge and experience consisted of youtube videos and parking lot car shows. Now that I have the time and budget to take my car to the track and grow my driving abilities, I am more keen to desirable driving dynamics and feedback.

So back to the Nismo, my friend and I took his car through some twisty roads on our way to get some food. VERY IMPRESSED! Auto rev-matching downshifts, 7500 rpm redline, great exhaust sound (though that is subjective), 3300 lbs, and STIFF suspension. Stiff in the good way; I could see how it wouldn't be the most comfortable commuter but for pure driving fun, that suspension is perfectly sprung. It stays perfectly flat in corners.

I guess my question/concern is: why are these cars not more popular??? Comparing this to my performance pack GT, the Nismo is far more focused on performance and driver feedback.
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import111

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They have a lot of issues. I had a 2009 370Z, and mine along with a lot of other people's had multiple reliability issues. Oil overheating, 5th gear grind, throttle lag when engine warmed up, abs ice mode issues, fuel cut on high G turns even with almost full tank, just to name a few. Also not as fast as it "should" be on track. A lot slower (4 seconds) than my 05 STi and with my 2016 GT PP1 I matched my old 370Z times in just a handful of laps, would have easily gone faster but we switched direction of track at lunch.

When it worked right, it was a fun car to drive, but too many issues that stayed with future models until at least 2012.
 

abmobil

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They are great cars and underrated for sure.
Dated but IMO still a great car to consider. To me the base model is worth 30k, but anything more is too much when you have what Mustang and Camaro offer.

I was practically 100% committed to getting myself a brand new 2017 Base model Z when at the last minute I started looking at Mustangs and ending up with a 17 GT.
 

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They are more expensive than a Mustang and slower is the way I remember it. Plus, no V8. So they really never interested me much.

They do have decent styling.
 

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Ewheels

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I didn't know about the reliability issues. That would be a pretty large red flag for me.
And I didn't realize how expensive these are. A new Nismo is almost $48k?! Take $10k off of that an you have yourself a deal!
 

Laststandard

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Nismo pricing is ridiculous. 370Z sport has a 6 speed and a limited slip, MSRP at 35k. Could probably get one much closer to 30. My daily is an Xterra and the VQ40 is just a punched out version of the engine in the 370, and that has been flawless. 190,000 miles and doesn't burn / leak a drop of oil.

I'd take a 370Z over a BRZ / GT86
 

abmobil

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I didn't know about the reliability issues. That would be a pretty large red flag for me.
And I didn't realize how expensive these are. A new Nismo is almost $48k?! Take $10k off of that an you have yourself a deal!

They don’t have major reliability issues. 09 was the first year so maybe some 1st year bugs but they definitely have less issues than the S550. The biggest issue with the 370 seems to be the clutch slave cylinder.
 

shogun32

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My friend has been thru 2 engines on his Z. The seats are also very narrow and hard to get in/out - much worse than my Camaro. I found the Z clutch to be aggravating.

Buy a non-PP GT and spend the 4 grand in Steeda/BMR/brake/suspension upgrades and the results will spank the PP car.
 

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I've owned a 2011 NISMO and now own a 2019 GT PP2.

While the Z was a fun car, I can't think of a single scenario that the Mustang doesn't win hands down. It's faster, sounds better (and I had a full aftermarket exhaust on the Z), handles better (the Z will understeer far easier), and it doesn't beat the crap out of you as a daily driver. It has less road noise, a huge trunk when you need it, and a back seat.
 

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It's because Nissan didn't learn its lesson from the 300Z. They got ridiculously expensive when compared to other cars in the class. 370Z is the same way. Old tired design that is way overpriced. Kind of like the Frontier.
 

bluebeastsrt

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It's because Nissan didn't learn its lesson from the 300Z. They got ridiculously expensive when compared to other cars in the class. 370Z is the same way. Old tired design that is way overpriced. Kind of like the Frontier.
I totally agree with you. You should get a certain level of performance. At a certain price point. I remember shopping a 350z back in the early 2000s. It had the exact same performance as a SRT-4. But cost 15 grand more. Today the Z is just miles behind it’s competition. Namely Mustang and Camaro.
 

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I totally agree with you. You should get a certain level of performance. At a certain price point. I remember shopping a 350z back in the early 2000s. It had the exact same performance as a SRT-4. But cost 15 grand more. Today the Z is just miles behind it’s competition. Namely Mustang and Camaro.
SRT 4 are you talking about a Dodge Neon and comparing it to a 350Z? :cwl:
 

Idaho2018GTPremium

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The 370Z is a two-seater. I think that limits its appeal by a wide margin. But, I think the main reason it's not more successful is it hasn't evolved since it first came out 10 years ago. When it came out in 2009, the Mustang GT had 300 hp, and the 370Z was at 332 hp (same as in 2020). Now, the GT is at 460 hp and the 370Z is still at 332 hp. What company couldn't boost power in their engine over an 11 year period? The GT has undergone several refreshes and a new generation since 2009, the Z essentially looks the same, with a very mild fascia update in about 2015. The NISMO version had 350 hp in 2009, just as it does in 2020. Not bad for 2009, but in 2020, that isn't great. The sales numbers I think support this theory. In 2009 it sold 13k+ units. It's down to 3,500 units in 2018 because people didn't want a 2009 car in 2018 or today. Also, even the WRX STI gained 5 hp in that time frame.

What you get for the $ is not great compared to a Mustang GT or Camaro SS for the same price.

As a sidenote, the fact the WRX has only improved by 5 hp since 2008 (when it was improved to 305 hp from 300) while having a turbocharger is fairly pathetic, too.
 

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It's because Nissan didn't learn its lesson from the 300Z. They got ridiculously expensive when compared to other cars in the class. 370Z is the same way. Old tired design that is way overpriced. Kind of like the Frontier.

Frontier isn’t overpriced. They are great trucks that don’t have quite as many frills as
Many other trucks but still have a solid platform and great power train. They are priced accordingly.

Despite the truck dating back to 2005, they start around 20k just like the Mustang. They are in many rental fleets like the Mustang and they sell about the same amount of units a year as the Mustang. 70,000 to 80,000 units a year is pretty solid for a truck that old. They sell well for good reason.
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