This Seems Like A Pretty Fair Assessment Of The Z From Car and Driver

[Evolution]

If whoever just wants a track car why would you buy the new Z or the White Labelled Toyota Zupra even? Just go buy a used Cayman S and the mid engine will run circles around both. For the rest of us that want warranty the choice is a JDM and a BMW with a glued on Toyota badge.

Umm, no the Cayman S is not faster on the track. This last weekend, I was 3 seconds faster per lap, on a 60ish second per lap course. They driver in the Cayman is a better driver than me too. Same tires on both cars too.

 

[trackratZ]

If whoever just wants a track car why would you buy the new Z or the White Labelled Toyota Zupra even? Just go buy a used Cayman S and the mid engine will run circles around both. For the rest of us that want warranty the choice is a JDM and a BMW with a glued on Toyota badge.

On short autox courses maybe, usually no more than 60 secs, it can come close, but no way on open tracking, way too short on horsepower.

 

[FBD]

Umm, no the Cayman S is not faster on the track. This last weekend, I was 3 seconds faster per lap, on a 60ish second per lap course. They driver in the Cayman is a better driver than me too. Same tires on both cars too.

Betcha the Cayman had way more fun. I'm still tempted to get one.

 

[rocksandblues]

Betcha the Cayman had way more fun. I'm still tempted to get one.

you should ! They are a blast and typical Porsche perfect. Balanced, predictable the manuals feel and shift great

on a track I have driven a base cayman, cayman s, and a gt4

the base cayman is only slightly faster than a Miata. Both are GREAT fun on a track

I keep hoping the used market for a cayman club sport comes way back down

 

[bghoward]

Betcha the Cayman had way more fun. I'm still tempted to get one.

Have you looked at the price of used Caymans recently? I had this thought too, but good luck finding a used 718 Cayman S under $70k. You can maybe find a used Cayman base (non S model) for $50-60k. It's getting dumb out there right now in this market.

For the price of a used Cayman these days, I'd rather get a new C8 (if you have the patience to wait 12-18 months).

 

[takemorepills]

Have you looked at the price of used Caymans recently? I had this thought too, but good luck finding a used 718 Cayman S under $70k. You can maybe find a used Cayman base (non S model) for $50-60k. It's getting dumb out there right now in this market.

For the price of a used Cayman these days, I'd rather get a new C8 (if you have the patience to wait 12-18 months).

I tried to find a new 718 a few weeks back, it seems dealerships aren't receiving many (as in I found zero new stock within 1500 mile radius). Probably making the used market even hotter.

 

[bghoward]

I tried to find a new 718 a few weeks back, it seems dealerships aren't receiving many (as in I found zero new stock within 1500 mile radius). Probably making the used market even hotter.

No doubt this is a contributing cause. It makes the Z and Supra more attractive. Assuming no dealer markup, something sporty (that can be occasionally tracked) in the low 50's, new with warranty is something to really think about.

I'd think if I really had to get something, a used Cayman for 20k more than a NEW supra/Z is hard to swallow, and if you really want to compare used to used, you can pick up a Supra for mid 40's. I'm not sure a Cayman is really 30k better.

 

[takemorepills]

No doubt this is a contributing cause. It makes the Z and Supra more attractive. Assuming no dealer markup, something sporty (that can be occasionally tracked) in the low 50's, new with warranty is something to really think about.

I'd think if I really had to get something, a used Cayman for 20k more than a NEW supra/Z is hard to swallow, and if you really want to compare used to used, you can pick up a Supra for mid 40's. I'm not sure a Cayman is really 30k better.

When I checked Porsche inventory, it was about a month after that cargo ship caught fire and sank. I wonder if that had anything to do with it?
I've always admired a base 718.

Personally, I've been around cars for quite a while now, and I've noticed that, generally, Porsche seems noticeably more reliable than BMW (and VW, it's other arm) so I'd be much more likely to consider a used Porsche. But, if prices stay high, it's just not a good deal. You're basically paying a "tax" for the pandemic, and it's way higher when you are looking at Porsches

 

[Donalex]

Older Caymans, what a 911 used to be, can be had for $25-35k.

 

[trackratZ]

Older Caymans, what a 911 used to be, can be had for $25-35k.

Yes but many of those have IMS bearing issues.

 

[FBD]

I actually had one delivered and refused the sale last October. 2006 White S with a brand new Porsche engine and it was at 45K. It was a corp connection. Car had 60kms on it. But it wasn't an unmolested car. Had 911 rims on it. A weird spoiler. So I sent it back. But it felt really fast. Had a Borla exhaust. Cayman I think feels good with steering and balance. Not the fastest. But there is something about getting into a Porsche and the driving experience delivers. This is why Chris Harris loves them. But...no warranty. And the IMS bearing thing is a tolerable fix or most of them have had it done along with the rear main seal. It's almost maintenance.

 

[TheGuverment]

But that's kind of the point. That you have to go out and immediately spend $5k (or more) to get it to perform the way it should from the factory , for a $52k car.

Let's face it - this car has been completely hyped up for the past couple years , by Nissan and everyone else . Now that we see the reality of the car , it's clear that it isn't some high performance track star vehicle.

Exactly, the internet hyped this thing up to be a “beast” because people are mad about how the Supra turned out. It was supposed to bring balance to the force and ain’t happen.

 

[RicerX]

But that's kind of the point. That you have to go out and immediately spend $5k (or more) to get it to perform the way it should from the factory , for a $52k car.

Let's face it - this car has been completely hyped up for the past couple years , by Nissan and everyone else . Now that we see the reality of the car , it's clear that it isn't some high performance track star vehicle.

Let's not sensationalize - the car does what it was designed to do from the factory. Its factory configuration is a "jack of all trades" configuration. Just like a base Mustang GT is. If you came into this thing thinking that the Z was going to be some high performance track star vehicle, you were always going to have a bad time. The Z was never that (despite being track competent, none of them were ever track stars save for maybe the TT Z32 for its time). The Nismo models were closer to that, but still not quite there.

The Z only needs tires, brake fluids, and pads if you want to track moderately and have fun (more than that if you want to seriously track - that depends on the type of HPDE you're doing). All of that can be done for $2k MAX. We're talking less than 5% of your purchase price. If you're not tracking? Run it out of the box! The 370Z was plenty fun to sling around in public in purely stock form. This is going to be that plus the extra kick in the pants with the powertrain. The tires suck, yeah? But they'll be toast in 15,000 miles tops if you're doing it right. Break the car in and then upgrade.

There are too many other track-focused options out there if that's your game. This car is not nor will ever be "track-focused" without some help. It's a GT car. Always has been. Go get a Camaro SS 1LE if that's what you want it to do, or be prepared to shell out mod money to get the Z where you want it (and it absolutely can be done!). If you want a track car on the low end of the money spectrum, get a Miata. They're excellent and extremely cost effective, and punch well above their weight on a track. There's also a vibrant aftermarket for it. They're excellent durable cars.

Everyone seems to be upset about how much this car costs, and reads all these reviews with others' interpretations of what the car is, and act like the sky is falling when they emphasize all of the negative traits of the car as conveyed by someone they've never met with an unknown experience level (for the most part - there are exceptions here). Yet most, when asked (not all!) cannot articulate what car out there does it for them for the money. Put your money where your mouth is! Go buy what you feel provides the value for you. The pricing has been out there for months now. The competition is already out there. Why haven't you bought something else yet if this isn't priced right?

1) Drive the damn car yourself (when you can in 2026-ish - you'll be able to get a PlayStation 6, Gran Turismo 8, and a Nissan Z in a launch edition package) and form your own opinion. Most car mags have always dunked on Nissan for the past 20 years anyway. Hasn't stopped me from buying them. Shouldn't stop you either.
2) If you buy the car, enjoy it. Doesn't matter what the rest of the cars out there do. Enjoy YOUR car. You worked for it, you earned it, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

 

[NiZmonium]

Let's not sensationalize - the car does what it was designed to do from the factory. Its factory configuration is a "jack of all trades" configuration. Just like a base Mustang GT is. If you came into this thing thinking that the Z was going to be some high performance track star vehicle, you were always going to have a bad time. The Z was never that (despite being track competent, none of them were ever track stars save for maybe the TT Z32 for its time). The Nismo models were closer to that, but still not quite there.

The Z only needs tires, brake fluids, and pads if you want to track moderately and have fun (more than that if you want to seriously track - that depends on the type of HPDE you're doing). All of that can be done for $2k MAX. We're talking less than 5% of your purchase price. If you're not tracking? Run it out of the box! The 370Z was plenty fun to sling around in public in purely stock form. This is going to be that plus the extra kick in the pants with the powertrain. The tires suck, yeah? But they'll be toast in 15,000 miles tops if you're doing it right. Break the car in and then upgrade.

There are too many other track-focused options out there if that's your game. This car is not nor will ever be "track-focused" without some help. It's a GT car. Always has been. Go get a Camaro SS 1LE if that's what you want it to do, or be prepared to shell out mod money to get the Z where you want it (and it absolutely can be done!). If you want a track car on the low end of the money spectrum, get a Miata. They're excellent and extremely cost effective, and punch well above their weight on a track. There's also a vibrant aftermarket for it. They're excellent durable cars.

Everyone seems to be upset about how much this car costs, and reads all these reviews with others' interpretations of what the car is, and act like the sky is falling when they emphasize all of the negative traits of the car as conveyed by someone they've never met with an unknown experience level (for the most part - there are exceptions here). Yet most, when asked (not all!) cannot articulate what car out there does it for them for the money. Put your money where your mouth is! Go buy what you feel provides the value for you. The pricing has been out there for months now. The competition is already out there. Why haven't you bought something else yet if this isn't priced right?

1) Drive the damn car yourself (when you can in 2026-ish - you'll be able to get a PlayStation 6, Gran Turismo 8, and a Nissan Z in a launch edition package) and form your own opinion. Most car mags have always dunked on Nissan for the past 20 years anyway. Hasn't stopped me from buying them. Shouldn't stop you either.
2) If you buy the car, enjoy it. Doesn't matter what the rest of the cars out there do. Enjoy YOUR car. You worked for it, you earned it, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Believe me, I'm not shitting on the Z in any way . I still think it's a really sweet car, with a sexy exterior to match.

I've owned 2 Maximas , 2 Infinitis , and a Sentra . So I've been die hard Nissan for many years . I've always chosen Nissan for a combination of 3 things : Value , Performance , and Reliability .

Unfortunately , in my opinion , the new Performance Z priced at $52k loses the 'value' aspect .

So in reality , after taxes , tags , registration ......... and spending $5k in mods , we're looking at close to $60k.

A few years ago , $60k could have bought you a used GT-R

 

[TaroBaapG35]

Believe me, I'm not shitting on the Z in any way . I still think it's a really sweet car, with a sexy exterior to match.

I've owned 2 Maximas , 2 Infinitis , and a Sentra . So I've been die hard Nissan for many years . I've always chosen Nissan for a combination of 3 things : Value , Performance , and Reliability .

Unfortunately , in my opinion , the new Performance Z priced at $52k loses the 'value' aspect .

So in reality , after taxes , tags , registration ......... and spending $5k in mods , we're looking at close to $60k.

A few years ago , $60k could have bought you a used GT-R

I agree with you, the price of the car initially deterred me as well, but unfortunately in the current macro environment where Civics are going for ~$35k-$40k the price increase for the Z, as much as I hate it, is sort of understandable. The Supra, luckily priced it high (at the time), sold well, and this will sell the same.

Look at GTRs now, a $60k GTR is now $80k. Inflation is rampant and will not subside.