aglio412

just fishing for opinions on these cars...i'm looking to get a new car late this year or early next...and depending upon my salary at the time (will be Oracle 9i DBA w/in the next few months..knocking on wood), i'm considering the above-mentioned cars. i always said i'd stick true to my VW-Audi love, but I dunno, i went to nissan's website today and felt this strange pitter patter when i saw the 350Z Track edition (stock brembos, carbon drive shaft, etc...)...then i started thinking about other cars in that price range...and the yet to be priced mazda rx8. so here are some of my thoughts...please car nuts...lemme know what y'all think:

350Z - 35k
Track edition is amazing...loaded from the get, 18" wheels, brembos, aluminum hood, carbon drive shaft, 6spd...280HP 6cyl...i wouldn't need to do anything to this car either (tuning speaking)..well at least not for a while.

RX-8 - MSRP?? Anyone?
rotary engine power...not a big fan of the rear swing doors, but otherwise, i think it's a bada$$ car...AND since i'm with AOL-TW i get a discount on ford company products..although the bigger salary mentioned above will be nonexistent if i stay here.

A4 1.8T Quattro - 27k
VW-Audi...my love. AWD too! although not as sporty looking as i want. 1.8T engine is stock at 180HP, but with a few K in mods, has ALOT of potential..hell, with a chip and exhaust it'll push well over 210-225...although, i'm not too keen on messing with an audi.

VW GTi 1.8T - 22k
the car i've wanted for a long time, and it's damn affordable. same engine as the audi...small, i love the styling and with some work..can be a rocket. also, with the 20th anniversary edition coming out, get 18" wheels, lowered, exhaust stock..and MAYBE a 6spd. the 337 edition has a 6spd, their toying around with the idea of putting it in the 20th anniversary ed.

so...i'm ranking the 350Z and GTi at the top, tied. i love the out of the box madness a 350Z represents, however, i like the potential and sleeper status that a GTi has...like i said, this thread is simply to spark some discussion, who knows what i'll actually be able to afford this fall...but i'd like to get some opinions or other suggestions.

__________________

daily dwayne :: Next Level Tuning

Blu

Well, considering I'm getting the 337, I'm biased towards the 20th anniversary model. And the difference in price between the 350Z and a GTI are enough to make the decision. The 350 is awesome, but is it the kind of car you'd be afraid to drive hard?

__________________
Up above
aliens hover
making home movies
for the folks back home,

of all these weird creatures
who lock up their spirits,
drill holes in themselves
and live for their secrets

aglio412

you 337 drivin bastard!

congrats man...great car...when are you getting it??

and there is no car in this world that i wouldn't drive hard. and yeah the price difference is a HUGE 10k...but i know me and i'd drop half of that into the GTi over the first 3 yrs of owning it.

GTi - contributes to my tuning itch
350Z - contributes to my speeding ticket collection immediately

like i said...i just wanna hear some input on these cars and maybe some models i may have skipped (as long as they're not the WRX, Civic Si, RSX, Celica...)

Blu

My car should arrive on the 12th. Of course, that's just an estimate, so we'll see. Anyway, I'd go w/ the GTI. And not just b/c I have one and am getting another. It's just more logical. You get a 1.8t, drop in a Stage III from APR, some new wheels and BAM you got a rocket. And it's a rocket that you can live in when you sell your house to pay off your speeding tix.

As for what you've missed...

The Mini Cooper S. It's balls-to-the-wall fun. Apparently it out handles all the BMWs, some of the Porsches through the twisties. And it's Supercharged, so you're only a chip away from voiding your warranty.

And I hear the SVT focus is quick, but I hate them.

And you've excluded the 330 BMW, which is nifty and quick, but not so much tuning. The Benz 230 was missed, but it's too expensive for what you get (And it'a poser car).

Lastly, if you're really considering a 35k car, buy a used S4. Talk about tuning...

aglio412

ewww, focus, no thank you. i dig the mini, but it's way too small...i guess the 350z prob has the same internal area considering it's a 2 seater.

330 is a banging car...although i always say to my gf..i'm just not a BMW guy yet.

MB 230 = poser...full agreement here

as for the s4...man, oh man...oh oh man...i just don't like the idea of buying a used car.

trust me tho, the s4 is high on my list of future dream cars...right below the m3.

Apex

If the 350Z is too small for you, you may want to consider the Infiniti G35 coupe. 275hp, 6-speed, 17" wheels standard, 18" optional, 112" wheelbase, about $35k well equipped. We're considering one for the wife.

Jihforce

Mini Cooper, as you know, is made by BMW...so you technically can't say it out handles a BMW.
But yeah, I like that car too. Would love to have that car to take on a road trip...it'd be fun.

__________________
Auto Leasing Info @ RIDEwithG.com | My Food & Travel Blog

Jihforce

Very sweet car. You get a lot of the price. Definitively worth recommending.

Acy

Are the G35 coupe and the 350Z based on the same platform?

nomoney

I rode in a mini cooper S. My uncle brought over before they were for sale cuz one of his friends is a BMW dealer. Very fun but i wouldnt buy it for the speed. Actually i wouldnt buy one period...they seem like more of a car that will sell to people who used te have a mini

Acy

What do you guys think about the Acura CL Type-S?

Apex

Drove the CL Type-S a few times. Not too crazy about the front wheel drive. Pretty smooth engine though. Interior is ok. Very front heavy feel.

Yes, the 350Z and G35 coupe are both on the FM platform, and also share many of the same suspension parts.

Acy

So what's the difference between these two cars?
I guess the Infiniti is more luxurious while the Nissan is more performance oriented?

I can't decide which one I like more

Cantacuzene

I'm a huge Nissan/infiniti fan. If I were you I'd get the 350Z. The G35 is tight, but i can tell you want the sporty ride, and thats the 350z. I know you don't like American, but you know, you are getting into Corvette range, and a vette will decimate any of the cars on this list...

spigidygak

hehe. . . you know what I'm gonna recommend. . . however the 99+ have 170 hp and before that are 150 hp actually on the a4 1.8t. But you are correct about the chip. Need to get one myself sometime. But anyhow, just go test drive them all thats the fun part .

__________________

Jihforce

Think honda accord on this one.

babymike

If you're performance oriented, did you ever consider waiting for the EVO 8 or the STi? They're both supposedly coming in about a year or so and both are substantially faster than any of the other cars. Plus, both have AWD and should have 6 sp. Both are supposedly supposed to be in the low 30k range. Just my 2c

Cantacuzene

I'd wait a few years on the Evo. It's tuned down to 250. I'd wait until they tune it back up to the full 276 hp the Japanese version has.

palayah8ta

the G35 has a toned down R34 engine, but i wnna wait a little, the new GtR is coming out in america in a little bit.

__________________
George Dubya Quotes:
"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." -Reuters, May 5, 2000
"They misunderestimated me." -Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

Cantacuzene

I'm still not convinced about the Skyline. I don't believe the hype. I'll take a new 'vette.

Hanyoung

Although a new car is well in the future for me,... your choice of cars does make my mouth drool.

I went to the Nissan web site and have to agree that the 350 would be my favorite. That car looks absolutely beautiful, and much better than the infiniti coupe in my opinion. Looking at the prices, and likely demand, I'm sure there will be quite a mark-up on original prices. Much like the S2000 when it first came to the states.

It's interesting that they allow you to pre-order for a car on the internet, where you really have no idea what it truly looks like, or how it "feels." The upside would be getting it at MSRP, and being the first kid on the block. The downside would be getting a "pre-production" vehicle w/ all of the possible roughness around the edges in terms of build quality and reliability.

I need to win the lotto now!

rasetsu

If you are planning on purchasing by the end of the year, I wouldn't get your hopes up about the 350Z. Not because it's not a great car because it is, but because of limited availability, extreme dealer markups, and not to mention all the first run ones are probably already spoken for by people who've already put down their deposit. I went to the Nissan dealer last weekend to check out the Altima with my gf and they had one Sentra SE-R Spec-V in silver with a no shame dealer markup of $2K. It's a Sentra!

maruko

Are you sure the R35 GTR as in skyline is coming to America? I thought it was never coming over, except through motorex. If so how much will it be you think?

bachviet

The real Skyline R35 is not coming to America. Nissan releases the Infinity G35 with two versions (sedan - 260hp with 5sp auto and coupe - 275hp with 6sp manual)!

__________________
Dell Dimension 9200 | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4Ghz) | 3x1GB DDR2 | 256MB nVidia GeForce 8800GT

Dell Inspiron 640m | Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.0GHz) | 2x1GB DDR2 PC2-4200 | Intel GMA 950

Intel P4-C 3.0GHz | ECS 865PE-A | 3x512MB PC3200 | 128MB PNY GeForce 6600GT

TommyBoomfiger

are you sure about that? i was really hoping that the rumors about the gtr skyline were going to be true. i was really disappointed with the performance of the g35 sedan i drove. thats ok, i still have the new evo and the wrx sti to