370Z, yes or no?

[vinylengraver]

A local Porsche dealer has a 2012 Nissan 370Z coupe with 5000kms on the odo
All stock, pearl white with white(ish) leather/alcantara interior, Sport Package, very pretty Rays wheels and a proper 6MT.
Absolutely pristine.
This happens to be my wife's favorite car of all time... and it's our 30th anniversary this year, so...
On paper, 370Z vs 135i look very similar in terms of power/ handling etc, minus two seats and forced induction but with a proper LSD. I am tempted to drive it and see for myself... but what if I like it better than my 1-er?
What are the chances of that?

[Red Bread]

It's your wife's favorite car? Buy. Now.

I've never really liked them, and our N54 135i (and even my S52 M Coupe) walked them. But you didn't marry me.

[pgviper]

Fun car with great dynamics, subjective looks/sound (I favor both, some don't) and aged/abrasive powertrain.

If you ever plan on doing an autocross/HPDE, you MUST replace brakes. Stock brakes are not up to the job.

[FrostyDC4]

The 370z handles better, provides better front grip, and is faster on the top end than a stock 135. The stock VLSD will turn into an open diff after a few hard laps though. If you are serious about tracking one I would upgrade the brake pads, diff, front suspension bushings, and add an oil cooler.

[Spa2k]

So, your wife loves it and it's your anniversary - What was the question again?

It's a proper two-seat sports car, the driving experience is fun, reliability is excellent, maintenance is affordable and there's an enthusiastic group of owners. The technology is a little dated, but it will be around a few more years in its current form, so you won't be buying an orphan. Do it!

[KingOfJericho]

Great car. I think you'll find it less refined compared to the 135i but it's nice in its own right.

[R3dliner]

FBO and a ecutek tune you can be around 320whp. It's pretty fun to drive.
Be wary however, the weakest point to these cars are the clutch system. I would invest in a heavy duty CSC from z1 and change out the pressure plate.
Nissan can't make good manual systems. You'll find that the CSC is located inside the bell housing of the trans which is a pita to change out.

I had a southbend stg 2 clutch and loved it. Also you mentioned "proper" LSD but its not a locking diff.

[justin4]

I had a 350z and a 135i. I actually liked the 350z more for the handling and styling and how plentiful the aftermarket parts there were. However I did think it was kind of slow. The 370z is slightly different/better than the 350z but I think you'll enjoy it.

[cliverman]

Originally Posted by Spa2k

So, your wife loves it and it's your anniversary - What was the question again?

It's a proper two-seat sports car, the driving experience is fun, reliability is excellent, maintenance is affordable and there's an enthusiastic group of owners. The technology is a little dated, but it will be around a few more years in its current form, so you won't be buying an orphan. Do it!

Make the wife happy! Do it.

[Questofthetune]

I remember when I first got my 1LE Camarillo a 370z had tried to launch on me at a light at like 3am. A car cut across and he blew his clutch out trying to stop after dropping the clutch- weak clutches I guess haha

[Alfisti]

All i ever hear is that people tire of these things quickly. Ride is harsh, cabin is noisy and hot.

[aozer]

Cabin noise is definitely pretty extreme. The rear tires are basically right behind your head.

[thetastelingers]

I had a 370Z for a short period of time.
Really liked the car. It did everything well.
The exhaust note is less than desirable.
Sold to get an STI to tote around my son when I went on drives.

[Eljay92]

I had a 350z and 370z (sport package also) before my 335i and both were fun cars. The BMW interior is nicer and it has luxuries the 370 didn't, but in my opinion when it comes to exterior styling and sports car feel, the 370 has it beat. I can't compare it to a 135i, tho.

In all honesty, if I didn't need a (slightly) more practical car I'd probably trade the 335i for a 370. Although going back to a NA car from a turbo might be hard...

[FC4]

Cool car if you're in high school.

[HawkeyeGeoff]

If it's your wife's favorite car, do it.

To be very honest, the performance differences will be very minimal in stock condition. I have long contemplated doing a 350Z as a open track day car since they're so stinking cheap...but I couldn't pass on a 135i due to it's tunability.

You will find the interior to be not as nice and will develop more rattles/squeaks than the 1er interior might, but stock for stock they're about the same in terms of aesthetically pleasing if you get the higher trim model in the 370Z. From being around BMW's for most of my life the interior quality of the 135i felt like a little step down from a real BMW....I had to have M3 clusters, different gauge hood, etc to make it feel like a "real" BMW.

At the end of the day, it will probably be a pretty reliable vehicle if you choose to go with the VQ35 powered coupe and probably less of a hassle when it comes to maintenance from my experience with that powertrain. It's a wash. If your wife likes it, do it and be happy.

[WhatsADSM]

Originally Posted by cliverman

Make the wife happy! Do it.

Agreed!

As for the car I think they are actually pretty underrated vehicles... they never quite got the credit they deserved and lived under the shadows of the GT-R most of the time.

For serious track work, as others have noted, you will need to change the diff, add an oil cooler, and work on the brakes. For street use though none of that is an issue.

And your wife wants the 370z... be sure you keep the wife!

[Sinnakle]

This was my 370z before I just sold it a couple of weeks ago. I bought it brand new when they first came out in 2009 while I was deployed to Iraq and stationed in Germany. Not overly popular brand in Germany so you never saw many. It had been on the autobahn, where I hit 155mph according to speedo. Went through winters in Germany and Maryland. It was fully loaded and went on 4 trips (4,000 miles round trip) from Fort Bliss to Maryland and back with no problems at all. I kept it stock until 3 years ago and went mod crazy. I did all the bolt-ons with a Uprev tune @329whip. Slightly nostalgic details as I do miss that car sometimes.

The only major problem I had was the CSC and it happened at 7,000 miles. I had to have it replaced at a German Nissan dealership under warranty of course. Even though it was an American Spec car I bought through a US military contracted dealership. Once I had the CSC replaced I never had it go out ever again and I sold the car with 65,000 miles on it.

I would probably consider myself lucky because I do know some people in the Z community that had to replace it more than once. They have to drop the transmission which is mostly why it is so expensive to replace. If you get one there are aftermarket solutions that delete the CSC and replace it. Runs about $1800 ish. If the stock CSC goes out you will have to be towed!

Top Gear did a head to head when the 135i came out you could probably find on youtube. It's not practical. You can't get a ton of power unless you Turbo it. I'd recommend it as others mentioned diff, oil cooler, brakes, and CSC are a must.

[NickyC]

Big
Fat

MEH

[M2Rush]

Very simple... Happy wife, happy life.

[E9TOU]

One of my best friends has a 40th anniversary 370z that's modded pretty tastefully (IMO). Compared to my E92 335, the car is a lot more raw. The feel of the car is less refined (but not in a bad way), and seems to handle just as well if not better than my car. He hasn't experienced any major problems with it, so the reliability is good. If your wife loves this car then there's your answer. It's an enthusiast car and it caters really well to that crowd.

[FrostyDC4]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

FBO and a ecutek tune you can be around 320whp. It's pretty fun to drive.
Be wary however, the weakest point to these cars are the clutch system. I would invest in a heavy duty CSC from z1 and change out the pressure plate.
Nissan can't make good manual systems. You'll find that the CSC is located inside the bell housing of the trans which is a pita to change out.

I had a southbend stg 2 clutch and loved it. Also you mentioned "proper" LSD but its not a locking diff.

Yeah, if you like launching the car hard and do it often the CSC will fail prematurely. It happened on my 07 350z the next day after a few 4000rpm launches and it was not covered under warranty since it's a wear item. Also changing the plastic CSC also requires the trans to be dropped so you might as well upgrade the clutch while you are in there anyway. I love the powerband of a fully tuned vq35hr & vq37vhr. It revs out like a 911.