# Nissan 350z



## jampott

Well.... as I'm sure you are all bored of reading, I've traded the TT Roadster in for a Le Mans Sunset Nissan 350z, with Alezan Leather, GT pack and Rays alloys...

I'll stick some nice photos on here when I get chance, but until then, there are some (courtesy of Norm) here:

http://www.norman.pyke.btinternet.co.uk/Zed_Head/

First impressions?

Well I picked up on Tuesday evening (in the dark) and had a 40-50 mile drive back from the dealer (Chelmsford) to Ipswich where I was staying during the week.

Apart from a quick chance to play with some of the toys (electric seats, 240w BOSE, cruise control and a rev shift light) the drive back was uneventful, and I took it easy getting used to the car a little...... then later that evening took it out for a little 20 mile blast to see how it handled roundabouts without traffic. Sideways? If you want it to....!! 

Next evening, I took it along to Kneesworth to meet the crew for Xmas dinner. Think about 6 people took me up on the offer to have a brief test drive and test her out. It was only 1/2 way there that the engine started to feel "right" and the brakes weren't bedded in by then either - still a little "grabby".

I think the general consensus was "nice" but I'm sure the chaps can post their own thoughts here..... but generally people seemed to like the engine note, the comfort of the driving position, and the direct feel to the steering. It definately outshines the TT in this respect for me. There is no "looseness" - as soon as you move the wheel an inch, the wheels turn. I always felt the TT took a little too much initial input before turning in, but the Zed seems tighter....

Friday afternoon I did the drive from Ipswich back home again. 31mpg and a reasonable average speed (65+mph) and more chance to try out lazy cruising and cruise control. The gearing (and torque) are such that 6th gear is great for bumbling along anywhere between 45/50mph and as fast as you care to go..... When run in properly (I didn't want to labour it TOO much) it'll cruise at 40mph in 6th and STILL pull away if you put your foot down.....


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## jampott

The driving position is very comfortable. The gearchange is nice and short, but with a definate "action" to it. Its quite heavy, but the box is smoother than the TT manual (not hard to achieve)...

The engine note when cruising is smooth and quiet, and I generally felt I was doing about 10mph lower than I actually was - partly due to the noise, but also the stability of the car, and the weighted steering.

Visibility is pretty good. Certainly forward of the driver its excellent. To the rear, its better than a TTR but not as good as a TT Coupe for looking over your shoulder. But the mirrors are good.

The stereo? Great. Louder than the Roadster, and with the sub positioned right behind the driver, I can turn the electric (and heated) seats into "massage" mode by turning up the volume...  I also find I can have the music volume lower and have excellent clarity of sound versus the TT because of the overall lower sound at motorway speeds.... (versus the standard exhaust, but certainly versus the APR one I had fitted!) You have a 6 disc changer mounted in the dash, and volume, track and disk controls on the wheel. Cruise is on the wheel too, so you can drive and play with both hands on the wheel....

Handling.... I'm still getting used to RWD. It does need a different driving style. The TT was a lot more forgiving - particularly on tight greasy corners. The ride is firm without being crashy - there is a section of road near my house that the TT used to bounce over. The Zed feels firmer over it, but without too much suspension travel or a bouce....


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## jampott

Looks? Well so far its as much a head turner as the outgoing car. Already a few admiring glances and comments from strangers, so all bodes well. Yet to see another on the road since taking delivery. I think there are under 1000 in the country (certainly less than that in UK spec, with a few grey imports making up the numbers). The colour is lovely in the flesh, and the Alezan leather gives the cabin a light feel.

Build quality seems fine. The car is solid with good shutlines and no rattles so far. Some bits of the interior trim aren't up to German standards, but the overall impression is one of good workmanship and style. It has details all of its own echoed throughout the car.

Comfort? Drivers seat (where I've spent most of my time) is great. Plenty of movement (although not much up/down, meaning its difficult for shorter drivers). The steering column adjusts for height only, but the dials move with it retaining visibility. Gear lever is positioned spot on...

Storage? No front glovebox, but a big lockable one behind the passenger. Sunglasses holder, a big centre console box and a box above the stereo (where the satnav would sit). A couple more map boxes in the bulkhead behind driver and passenger too, and a fair sized boot. Boot is shallow and has the strut brace right in the middle, but too all my weekly kit PLUS a 225 exhaust from my TT and a bootful of Xmas pressies too! Its possible to fit 2 golf bags in, and there is even a diagram explaining how!


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## jampott

Overall impressions are that this is a great car. It has twin personas, really. One for ambling along using the low down torque of the lazy 3.5L engine. The other for pushing along using more revs and taut handling. It stops well (thanks to Gold Brembos all round), accelerates with a howl and a burble, and is a different animal to the 1.8T TT I have left behind.

I'm not as overwhelmed by the styling and overall "sex" as I was with the TTR. It maybe doesn't (yet) have as much panache and brag value, but as it gets better known (and the reviews its getting will help that) I think it'll develop into a superb ownership experience.

If I had to sum up the car in one word, it'd be "honest". There is nothing about it that is pretentious or flashy (to my mind). It looks purposeful, sounds mean, and drives well....

Its a lot of car (and engine) for the money. Time will tell what the depreciation hit will be - but as the TT market seems on a downer anyway, this is less of a problem than it could have been.

If anyone wants any more info, or wants to meet up and see it in the flesh, just let me know


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## Widget

I'm chuffed that you're enjoying it. I still and probably always will have a soft spot for them. But what you say is true:



> difficult for shorter drivers


Thanks for the reminder :-/


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## jampott

;D ;D ;D

Just had 4 kids on bikes knock the door and want to chat about the car...

"where did you get the car, mister? thought it was just a concept - but it looks just like the one on Gran Turismo even the brakes are the same colour!"

"is it faster than the your TT?"

"lush, mate, lush..."

(and a few other phrases I can't remember.....)

Getting stopped in the street or in the car park is one thing, but when people knock the door to ask about it..... thats cool


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## Widget

Grin-tastic.

When I was test driving it for the very first time I got stuck behind a dustbin lorry on a narrow village road. I was stationary for about a minute during which time a fella knocked on the window and said that the secretary in the office over the road wanted him to tell me how lovely the car was and ask what it was.

Talk about a smug salesman ;D

Enjoy it you lanky get


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## PaulS

> Well.... as I'm sure you are all bored of reading, I've traded the TT Roadster in for a Le Mans Sunset Nissan 350z, with Alezan Leather, GT pack and Rays alloys...
> 
> I'll stick some nice photos on here when I get chance, but until then, there are some (courtesy of Norm) here:
> 
> http://www.norman.pyke.btinternet.co.uk/Zed_Head/
> 
> First impressions?
> 
> Well I picked up on Tuesday evening (in the dark) and had a 40-50 mile drive back from the dealer (Chelmsford) to Ipswich where I was staying during the week.
> 
> Apart from a quick chance to play with some of the toys (electric seats, 240w BOSE, cruise control and a rev shift light) the drive back was uneventful, and I took it easy getting used to the car a little...... then later that evening took it out for a little 20 mile blast to see how it handled roundabouts without traffic. Sideways? If you want it to....!!
> 
> Next evening, I took it along to Kneesworth to meet the crew for Xmas dinner. Think about 6 people took me up on the offer to have a brief test drive and test her out. It was only 1/2 way there that the engine started to feel "right" and the brakes weren't bedded in by then either - still a little "grabby".
> 
> I think the general consensus was "nice" but I'm sure the chaps can post their own thoughts here..... but generally people seemed to like the engine note, the comfort of the driving position, and the direct feel to the steering. It definately outshines the TT in this respect for me. There is no "looseness" - as soon as you move the wheel an inch, the wheels turn. I always felt the TT took a little too much initial input before turning in, but the Zed seems tighter....


From the short test drive I had, I'd say the engine, and engine exhaust note, are much much quieter than the TT or Boxster. Driving position is fine, but I'm not used to seeing so much bonnet. On the Boxster, it slopes out of sight, and even on my Pug, the bonnet slopes down almost out of view. The steering is nicely direct, definately an improvement over the TT. I thought the seats were comfortable, but quite wide. The brakes should be excellent, with Brembo's all round.


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## PaulS

> The driving position is very comfortable. The gearchange is nice and short, but with a definate "action" to it. Its quite heavy, but the box is smoother than the TT manual (not hard to achieve)...


Agree on the box - the change is very close and mechanical (better than the TT) I did note quite a lot of transmission vibration through the lever, as well as some transmission noise, from inside the car. The clutch pedal has quite a bit of travel.



> The engine note when cruising is smooth and quiet, and I generally felt I was doing about 10mph lower than I actually was - partly due to the noise, but also the stability of the car, and the weighted steering.
> 
> Visibility is pretty good. Certainly forward of the driver its excellent. To the rear, its better than a TTR but not as good as a TT Coupe for looking over your shoulder. But the mirrors are good.


I thought that space in the rear load/hatch area is compromised - the strut brace and storage running across the rear of the seats restrict capacity. As there are no rear seats, I wonder why they bothered with the rear quarter windows - for driver visibility and the coupe look I guess.



> The stereo? Great. Louder than the Roadster, and with the sub positioned right behind the driver, I can turn the electric (and heated) seats into "massage" mode by turning up the volume...  I also find I can have the music volume lower and have excellent clarity of sound versus the TT because of the overall lower sound at motorway speeds.... (versus the standard exhaust, but certainly versus the APR one I had fitted!) You have a 6 disc changer mounted in the dash, and volume, track and disk controls on the wheel. Cruise is on the wheel too, so you can drive and play with both hands on the wheel....


IMHO, I thought my TTC Bose system was better, it certainly went loud, as you demonstrated, but it sounded a bit compressed at the loud end, to me. I thought the actual head unit, and display, looked a bit '80's.



> Handling.... I'm still getting used to RWD. It does need a different driving style. The TT was a lot more forgiving - particularly on tight greasy corners. The ride is firm without being crashy - there is a section of road near my house that the TT used to bounce over. The Zed feels firmer over it, but without too much suspension travel or a bouce....


Ride, comfort and handling felt very good to me.


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## PaulS

Very roomy feel to the interior. It's certainly an interesting car to look at - it's full of styling details and clues. The front reminds me of a Celica (the lights) from the side, a TT, and from the rear - jury is still out on that one Â :-/



> Build quality seems fine. The car is solid with good shutlines and no rattles so far. Some bits of the interior trim aren't up to German standards, but the overall impression is one of good workmanship and style. It has details all of its own echoed throughout the car.


Yes I noticed the Z styling clues


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## PaulS

> Overall impressions are that this is a great car. It has twin personas, really. One for ambling along using the low down torque of the lazy 3.5L engine. The other for pushing along using more revs and taut handling. It stops well (thanks to Gold Brembos all round), accelerates with a howl and a burble, and is a different animal to the 1.8T TT I have left behind.
> 
> I'm not as overwhelmed by the styling and overall "sex" as I was with the TTR. It maybe doesn't (yet) have as much panache and brag value, but as it gets better known (and the reviews its getting will help that) I think it'll develop into a superb ownership experience.
> 
> If I had to sum up the car in one word, it'd be "honest". There is nothing about it that is pretentious or flashy (to my mind). It looks purposeful, sounds mean, and drives well....
> 
> Its a lot of car (and engine) for the money. Time will tell what the depreciation hit will be - but as the TT market seems on a downer anyway, this is less of a problem than it could have been.
> 
> If anyone wants any more info, or wants to meet up and see it in the flesh, just let me know


Enjoy the car, and RWD Tim!


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## PaulS

In the States, Nissan have their 'Infiniti' brand (bit like a Lexus is an upmarket Toyota) Here is the G35 Coupe which is based on the same 350Z floor pan and drive train. It's a bit longer though, and has 4 seats.































http://www.infiniti.com/content/0,,cid- ... 01,00.html


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## jgoodman00

> On the Boxster, it slopes out of sight, and even on my Pug, the bonnet slopes down almost out of view.


I think thats one of my favourite features on the boxster, the way you have the two curving wings to aim the car. All the other cars I have driven have flat bonnets.

Tim, I must confess to thinking it great that somebody had the 'courage' (for want of a better word) to go for the Nissan & not go down the common route of boxster or another TT. I think it looks lovely, & whilst it may not have the alleged kudos of an Audi etc, lets see the car which people most admire in the immediate future. Plus, irrespective of that, for me buying another TT would not have been special.


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## Stu-Oxfordshire

Tim,

Good review mate and nice to see there are others who believe there is life after the TT. For me if I sel it will not be for a TT competitor but something else.

What did you get trade in for the TT may I ask (IM me if you can;t post)

Good to meet up sometime.

Stu


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## W7 PMC

Niiiiice motor mate.

Enjoy (as i'm sure you will) ;D ;D


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## Carlos

Good show Tim.

Only seen one in the flesh and that was silver. Didn't like it but I do like the photos I've seen of the orange.


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## garyc

great post Tim. Glad yer lovin it. Shake that ass...


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## jampott

Cheers Gary...

Its certainly attracting attention. I'm working from an office in Cardiff this week, where I worked a while ago. I snuck (sneaked?) the Zed into the car park this morning. Couldn't bear to hide it in a multi storey....

Its had a string of admirers already, and a few people asking after who owns it. Only bad points are that its dirty. Less than a week old, already dirtier than the car it replaced, and 800 miles on the clock already!!

Its also had more people drive it in 6 days than EVER drove the TT....

I'm still not getting the "I'll keep this car forever" feeling that I got when I first bought the Roadster. Maybe thats simply me being a bit more rational, and already having owned one nice car (the TT was my first decent car, really). But anyway, who cares. I know I won't keep it forever, so I'll just enjoy it for now instead. Will change when something better comes along (Roadster version maybe next year!!)....


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## Carlos

> Shake that ass...


In order to drip dry? Alternatively you could use moist toilet tissue...


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## raven

Congrats on the new car. I've seen only a couple of 350Zs and I like them a lot. One has been dark silver and the other the orange you have got. I have to say that they looked fantastic, real eye catchers. For some reason the piccies don't do it for me - IMO a classic case of the benefits of seeing one in the flesh as opposed to in a picture.

I'm intrigued that you haven't got the feeling you got when you first got your TT. I feel exactly the same about my new TT, and put it down to the fact that it was just another TT (rather than a totally different car). Perhaps that feeling only happens when you move away from a "normal" car to a slightly "special" one.

Look forward to hearing further thoughts - especially the move from quattro to rear-wheel-drive. It was a minor concern for me that ultimately stopped me going down the M3 route (losing it on a wet roundabout etc), but when I drove a rear-wheel-drive hire car the other week, I loved it.

I may have missed it, but did you get satnav?


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## jgoodman00

> I'm intrigued that you haven't got the feeling you got when you first got your TT. I feel exactly the same about my new TT, and put it down to the fact that it was just another TT (rather than a totally different car). Perhaps that feeling only happens when you move away from a "normal" car to a slightly "special" one.


I must confess to feeling the same when I changed to my S. I think because of the fuel consumption around London it felt a little underwhelming after the initial novelty wore off. However, now that I have gotten used to this I cannot imagine life without it, & am trying to work out which Porsche to get next...


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## PaulS

> I must confess to feeling the same when I changed to my S. I think because of the fuel consumption around London it felt a little underwhelming after the initial novelty wore off. However, now that I have gotten used to this I cannot imagine life without it, & am trying to work out which Porsche to get next...


Exactly the same for me:

As soon as I first sat in the TT I thought - "this is it, it's perfect, I'll never sell it". I did a year later though.

The Boxster, at first, didn't feel quite 'right', it took me a while to get used to it, I couldn't pinpoint why.

But now that I know the car, there is no going back, shall we say Â 

jgoodman00


> I think thats one of my favourite features on the boxster, the way you have the two curving wings to aim the car. All the other cars I have driven have flat bonnets.


Mine too, coupled with the laser guided steering Â


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## jampott

Well after nigh on 800 miles in the damp, I can safely say I'm starting to get used to it...

I think my initial sideways trip was mostly due to the tyres not been run in - although I've not deliberately tried to provoke it since then, I have pushed on hard and its felt totally with me. I'm taking things steady, but still able to (it seems) drive as quickly as I could in the TT. Maybe my driving style has altered very slightly already, or maybe the car has just settled in a bit too.....

I haven't yet gone for the Sat Nav. Its a dealer fit, and at Â£1500 was a little rich for me, after the trade in price I got for the TT. Had I got book price, I would have have it. Still - I can always go that route after Xmas if I get a windfall 

The car certainly does feel special. Different. Fun. Comfy. Certainly with a few of you admitting the same thing (no initial "wow" when changing cars) I do think its because we spolied ourselves with the TT - and as I said, that WAS my first nice car. Previous was a Volvo for god's sake!

The car is just getting better on the road  (and dirtier!)


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## garyc

I am stuck in some dull place called lincolnshire for a couple of days doing in-law stuff.

Apart from the Waggon and Horses, the highlight of the day has been the import car showroom down the road where they have an identical 350z in orange toTims. I have to say that it looks considerably better than the only other one that I have seen in silver...although the current greasy conditions most definately favour powerful rwd'


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## garyc

> Exactly the same for me:
> 
> As soon as I first sat in the TT I thought - "this is it, it's perfect, I'll never sell it". I did a year later though.
> 
> The Boxster, at first, didn't feel quite 'right', it took me a while to get used to it, I couldn't pinpoint why.
> 
> But now that I know the car, there is no going back, shall we say Â
> 
> jgoodman00
> 
> Mine too, coupled with the laser guided steering Â


So there's the rub. Â My TT experience was similar. Â It gives you everything full on on first an initial acquaintance as highly positive (well except that ruff 4 pot for me personally), then after a while you notice the deficits - grabby brakes, artificially weighted steering, nose heavy stance, poor rev decay 'tween changes, road noise etc. Â Now you don't not like the car for these as they are part and parcel, but yo do wish for improvements, "if only it sounded better", "If only the nose was lighter" etc.

Other cars Â that we discuss, but the Boxster is a great case in point (I havn't had the pleasure of caning a 350Z), deliver their driving Â pleasures up more slowly as the miles/driving confidence builds. Â I am not talking looks/build here.

ie they have more depth. Â This usually comes from a well sorted chassis, steering, brakes, gearchange, power delivery, _in extremis_ handling etc. all of which combine to give that Â magic synergy X factor we call driving pleasure. Â I may be wrong (thinking 4wd 911s) but these in the main are RWD sports cars with good weight distribution.

The TT is still a good car, brilliantly executed and assembled. Â If it is the first Â "nice car" that one gets, brilliant. Â If you have had a few others as I had, it's more, "OK. Â Good. But I now want more of the X factor."

Some folks get another car then go back to the TT. Â Most don't. Â I don't know what that says, but Audi should definately take note and focus on making the next TT a much better Â drivers car as well as stylish etc. Â

But I know what you mean about the Boxster steering. Â If you have been used to the TT, it is a deepening telepathic experience akin to feeling the surface of the road thru yer finger tips, that IMHO Porsche 'do best'.

So many cars, not enough time/money....that's why it's good to exchange views and spar with people on here.

Toodle pip. ;D


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## snaxo

Excellent Tim - good colour choice - saw the Z at Motor Expo in this colour and thought it MUCH more striking than the silver Z at our local Nissan dealer.

Much prefer the 350Z to the RX8 personally.

Saw a black one at Guildford PC World just the other night and thought that looked pretty smart too.

Nice little Christmas pressie all round!

Damian


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## PaulS

Tim - It's about time you updated your sig pic Â ;D

GaryC


> So there's the rub. Â My TT experience was similar. Â It gives you everything full on on first an initial acquaintance as highly positive (well except that ruff 4 pot for me personally), then after a while you notice the deficits - grabby brakes, artificially weighted steering, nose heavy stance, poor rev decay 'tween changes, road noise etc. Â Now you don't not like the car for these as they are part and parcel, but yo do wish for improvements, "if only it sounded better", "If only the nose was lighter" etc.


Do you remember when Autocar first tested the TT? "Audi builds a Porsche" was the stop press headline.

May be Autocar were a little over enthusiastic, and taken by the looks Â [smiley=gorgeous.gif] Â



> Other cars Â that we discuss, but the Boxster is a great case in point (I havn't had the pleasure of caning a 350Z), deliver their driving Â pleasures up more slowly as the miles/driving confidence builds. Â I am not talking looks/build here.


I will admit that I was not as 'stunned' by the Boxsters look, as I was with the TT, it is a slightly older car/design, after all, but it has very much grown on me. The Porsche look. It is familiarisation - I love the way the front wing curve line flows through to the rear and then flips around the bootlid (best viewed from the front) Build quality I have found to be spot on - the car feels rock solid with no rattles or squeaks.



> But I know what you mean about the Boxster steering. Â If you have been used to the TT, it is a deepening telepathic experience akin to feeling the surface of the road thru yer finger tips, that IMHO Porsche 'do best'.


I could not have explained that better, Gary Â ;D



> So many cars, not enough time/money....that's why it's good to exchange views and spar with people on here.


Great here, isn't it? This is one of the best car sites, IMHO Â 8)


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## jgoodman00

RWD is such a laugh as well. I had to drop a DVD back at Blockbuster a little earlier. When pulling away I decided to give the car its head to hear the amazing noise, but experienced something else; the feeling of the rear squirming trying to gain traction. It was amazing & for a few moments I thought I was doing it, before realising that the PSM was helping me out. It is so good, that without seeing the flickering light I would not have known it was working. The TT esp is so uncouth compared to this. It seems to just kill the engine & rely on slowing down to regain control, whereas the Boxster with PSM was more than willing to let me slither along the road for a bit. Amazing...


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## jgoodman00

> So many cars, not enough time/money....that's why it's good to exchange views and spar with people on here.


So true, unless your name is Jay Kay.


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## jampott

Well thats ~1100 miles done now, and its just getting better....

.... as my friends will bear witness, from the stupid way I'm forced to go "woohoo!" (in a Homer like way) and grin stupidly whenever I've put my foot down in 2nd or 3rd and just let the car launch itself down the road.....


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## Neil

> Well thats ~1100 miles done now, and its just getting better....
> 
> .... as my friends will bear witness, from the stupid way I'm forced to go "woohoo!" (in a Homer like way) and grin stupidly whenever I've put my foot down in 2nd or 3rd and just let the car launch itself down the road.....


That's a job for the new year then - got a Nissan garage just round the corner from where I work, so will go and get a test drive to see what all the fuss is about (not just you, but the whole of the press that seem to be raving about it all the time - it picked up 5 stars in this months Top Gear test as well :)


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## jusTTin_D

after 6 months of interest i finally took the plunge a couple of weeks back and ordered a 350Z. initial delivery date was April, but got confirmation last week for end of Jan / start of Feb instead  i've ordered Gun Metal w/ GT pack, seems to be the most popular choice, but its definately the best colour (although the sunset is nice too JampoTT ) couldn't live with the orange seats though, so i've gone for the traditional charcoal. the next month is gonna crawl by, i really can't wait to get the car. but, i will be a bit sad to say goodbye to the TT as i still enjoy every moment of driving it, but for me i just feel it's time to move on.

JusTTin


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## raven

In the Feb issue of Car magazine, they rave about the 350Z.

One comment made me laugh, and JampoTT, I imagine this will have crossed your mind:

"It's a shame that the centre of the dash is dominated by the cubby flap - a daily reminder that you really should have ticked the sat-nav option box"

Although the fact that you can have it fitted as a dealer add on at a later date is fantastic. I would love to pay for an OEM sat nav for the TT now, but when you're handing over a cheque for near Â£30K, an extra Â£1.5K seems just too much...


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## jampott

Yeah, except for 2 things.

1) my road ain't on the map (well, not by name anyway) and you can't postcode search either I don't think!

2) it didn't plot the best route between 2 known points (it seemed to think trundling all the way down the M5 and along the M4 is quicker than M50 then holiday route down through Ross and Monmouth. Its not. Its 20 miles futher, so at a rough guess you'd have to average about 20mph+ more via the M5 route which simply isn't possible)

So I'm still considering my Sat Nav options. Although had I got book price for my TTR, I would have ticked the box no question....


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## Richard

Seen a couple in the flesh now, looks much better than the Mazda. If only it had rear seats it would have been a realistic alternative. Will be interesting to see how the brand fares over a couple of years or so.


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## jampott

> Seen a couple in the flesh now, looks much better than the Mazda. If only it had rear seats it would have been a realistic alternative. Will be interesting to see how the brand fares over a couple of years or so.


Agree, it makes the Mazda somewhat awkward looking.....

Not at all bothered about the rear seats coming from a TTR 

The brand? Hmmm well Nissan will be 1st division for a while I expect, but the "niche" brand of "Z" will hopefully remain stable. Coupe prices (and those of the Zed especially) are looking good at the moment. Not quite so sure on the TT prices - I hear Â£1k discounts might be available at Audi dealers on a new V6.....??


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## Neil

OK, just had a test drive, and was very impressed.

Engine noise is just superb, and a massive amount of torque available right through the rev range (you can easily amble along in 6th at 30, and still pull away). The power delivery from the NA engine obviously very different from the TT Turbo, with no push in the back as the turbo kicks in, but can't fault it at all, excellent performance.

Driving position good. I initially found the pedals quite close together, but got used to it very quickly and didn't notice at all then. Great short gearchange. Brakes excellent, I actually found them more impressive than on the 996 I'd driven earlier in the day.

The interior, for me, let it down. I know we're used to the TT, but the 350 just felt a bit too plasticy, and the flap on the SatNav was about to fall off  Little things, like not having a digital display for the aircon temp (petty, I know), or the fact that without the SatNav you're left with a massive plastic flap in the middle of the dashboard where I'd prefer the stereo to be, annoyed me.

Also, don't know if the GT pack, at Â£2500, is good value. I wouldn't pick Bose or cruise as options myself, so Â£2500 for leather seats seems rather steep. I'd be interested to see what the cloth seats look like in the flesh - in the brochure you can hardly tell the difference from the leather, and I have seen cars with very nice cloth seats, but difficult to say unless you've seen them yourself.

Certainly gets you noticed - as I pulled onto a main A road dual-carraigeway there was an X5 going past in the outside lane, who saw me and slowed down so that I'd catch him up in the inside lane. He had a good stare at the car, gave a thumbs up, accelerated slightly to pull in in front of me and then slowed down to let me past so that he could get a decent behind view as well ;D

Overall, very impressed with it - can't fault the engine / gearbox / driving position etc, just feel that the interior trim etc isn't that great, but as an overall package (and for the Â£24k it costs for the non-GT car especially) it's great value.


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## Neil

oh, and he offered me Â£19.5k (in March 2004) for my 2002 52 TTC 225, 13k miles   Not what I'd have hoped for...


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## jampott

> OK, just had a test drive, and was very impressed.
> 
> Engine noise is just superb, and a massive amount of torque available right through the rev range (you can easily amble along in 6th at 30, and still pull away). The power delivery from the NA engine obviously very different from the TT Turbo, with no push in the back as the turbo kicks in, but can't fault it at all, excellent performance.
> 
> Driving position good. I initially found the pedals quite close together, but got used to it very quickly and didn't notice at all then. Great short gearchange. Brakes excellent, I actually found them more impressive than on the 996 I'd driven earlier in the day.
> 
> The interior, for me, let it down. I know we're used to the TT, but the 350 just felt a bit too plasticy, and the flap on the SatNav was about to fall off  Little things, like not having a digital display for the aircon temp (petty, I know), or the fact that without the SatNav you're left with a massive plastic flap in the middle of the dashboard where I'd prefer the stereo to be, annoyed me.
> 
> Also, don't know if the GT pack, at Â£2500, is good value. I wouldn't pick Bose or cruise as options myself, so Â£2500 for leather seats seems rather steep. I'd be interested to see what the cloth seats look like in the flesh - in the brochure you can hardly tell the difference from the leather, and I have seen cars with very nice cloth seats, but difficult to say unless you've seen them yourself.
> 
> Certainly gets you noticed - as I pulled onto a main A road dual-carraigeway there was an X5 going past in the outside lane, who saw me and slowed down so that I'd catch him up in the inside lane. He had a good stare at the car, gave a thumbs up, accelerated slightly to pull in in front of me and then slowed down to let me past so that he could get a decent ehind view as well ;D
> 
> Overall, very impressed with it - can't fault the engine / gearbox / driving position etc, just feel that the interior trim etc isn't that great, but as an overall package (and for the Â£24k it costs for the non-GT car especially) it's great value.


Similar thoughts and experience to me, except with the Alezan leather seats, I think the interior looks fab...

Ok, so its not the TT interior, but (for my money) it was more "interesting" that the usual Jap stuff, and as good to look at as BMW stuff....

From what guys on the Z forum are saying, the cloth seats are actually very good..... and your Â£2500 would be better spent on upgrading the standard stereo


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## Monique

> I think my initial sideways trip was mostly due to the tyres not been run in -


Where did you learn to drive? ;D

350Z should be enjoyable; it was designed to be driven by a very emotional designer. Once saw an interview...


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## Carlos

Who TF is Zed hed? Mind you, I like him more than that JampoTT, good riddance to bad rubbish


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## jampott

Tut tut Carlos


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## Carlos

I assume I can substitute "F" for the word...no I won't say it...

Otherwise your thread titled "Square root of F all" is also illegal.


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## jampott

> I assume I can substitute "F" for the word...no I won't say it...
> 
> Otherwise your thread titled "Square root of F all" is also illegal.


The thread was called something entirely different until it got moderated.....


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