Comments on: Rivalry brewing? Nissan says 370Z to battle Porsche Cayman, Boxster

By: Go370Z.com

Go370Z.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:40:45 +0000

If you guys want to see new pictures, videos, specs and chat about the 370Z please join us at our Nissan 370Z Enthusiasts forums at

http://Go370z.com

Zya There!

By: iowa_hawk1

iowa_hawk1 — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:34:05 +0000

After driving my ’84 RX-7 for nearly 25 years I went new car shopping. I test drove the BMW Z4M Coupe, Porsche Cayman S, Nissan 350Z, Audi TT and Corvette in that order. I have to say that after driving the BMW and Porsche the Nissan just wasn’t going to cut it for me. It both looked and felt cheap. It also felt heavy. While it would have been far easier to make the payments on the Nissan in the end I opted for the Cayman S. It was not the fastest as I’m certain the Vette would beat it in a straight line every time. However it handled better and is probably as fast as I will ever really need to go. Nor did it have the best brakes, the Z4M shined in that department. Additionally, the Cayman is sharp, beautifully made and fully customizable. After 21 years without a car payment I could afford to buy what I wanted (within reason) and the Cayman S was the one I kept coming back to. I take delivery at the end of the month.

By: awe987

awe987 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:27:04 +0000

Have any of you actually driven a boxster/cayman… there is a reason it has changed little over time. Knock porsche all you want, but for a car that’s balanced, and connects a driver to the road you will not find many that come close to the mid engined porsche. 300+ hp, unequalled handling, porsche quality/attention to detail – that scratches all my itches.

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:11:03 +0000

Other than handling, the Boxster and Cayman don’t offer much. They’re pretty easy to beat with their weak engines and ridiculous price tags. A base Corvette already has them way out gunned for the same price or less.

By: Stinky007

Stinky007 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:13:36 +0000

Empty words, Nissan might match the performance, but not the prestige…
If I had the money, I wouldn’t buy a japanese ricer no matter how fast it is. I don’t want to talk about the styling, the newer cars from Nissan are going full japanese so I’m having a hard time understanding them (just like Pokemon, Anime drama and most Japanese television shows…)
Call me narrow-minded, but I won’t buy a cheaper car, even if it’s faster if it looks like it has been designed by a screaming, spike haired, katana wielding, half naked japanese… ninja :p!

“brocky” managed to sum it up in much more rational terms, if don’t like my little rant, read his comment

By: JohnnyBlazE

JohnnyBlazE — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:01:49 +0000

Go on Nissan, make the Japanese proud… You already have with the Skylines of old, the GT-R of now and lets face it the Datsuns of old were something yummy too… :$

By: brocky

brocky — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:00:33 +0000

I don’t see this as a threat to Porsche. At all. If anything, it’s a marketing scheme just like their 7:29 in the Nurburgring. It’s like hyping up games by tagging players as the “next Michael Jordan” or labeling teams as the greatest ever. Of course Nissan can build cars to compete with Porsche. Any company can. It’s just not smart for every company to do so. But with the great finished product in the GT-R after having proclaimed it as the “Turbo beater,” and the success of their 350z’s and G35′s, Nissan feels like they’ve developed a good enough reputation to actually try to lure Porsche buyers into Nissan. Will it happen? Nope. But it gets everybody’s attention.

By: DrFill

DrFill — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:56:17 +0000

Not gonna win the style battle anytime soon
DrFill

By: Got Handling?

Got Handling? — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:31:26 +0000

Jonnycanuck,

“The Germans are so f*cked”, not the most astute observation ever. I doubt there is a nation whose car-building industry is in better shape than Germany’s.

Porsche’s ability to buy out VW could possibly be taken as proof that their product is overpriced, but how does it prove that their product is overrated?

Furthermore, if Porsche is selling out across its range, and has a healthy order book, how can you call it overpriced? Pricing is a function of demand, not production cost, regardless of whether you’re talking razor blades or roadsters.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:25:25 +0000

“Nissan is the only possible winner of this feud,”

Think “Free Publicity”. Nowei, you got that right.

By: nowei

nowei — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:33:30 +0000

Nissan is the only possible winner of this feud, regardless of whether or not their cars actually outperform Porsche’s.

Porsche should have just kept quiet.

By: Need4SSpeed

Need4SSpeed — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:59:08 +0000

Sounds like the 370Z is about to also get a major price increase, if they want it to compete against Porsche…

By: autonut

autonut — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:22:48 +0000

While Porsche is chasing it’s own tale and VW tail as well, Nissan quietly building faster cars (also of better quality). In case fast cars will be handled by Infinity the service will be excellent as well. Keep on bitchin’, Porsche.

By: zoomzoomer

zoomzoomer — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:17:17 +0000

The Boxster has been around basically unchanged with only a few minor facelifts for almost 12 years.. so how hard could it be for Nissan to match it dynamically with a new car?

By: larsim

larsim — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:55:57 +0000

I am also not a Nissan fan boy or anything…. but I said here a year ago: Nissan is just on a major roll!!!!!!!!!!!! BMW, Mercedes, Lexus. Nissan is closer than it appears!

By: big j

big j — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:15:28 +0000

neck-and-neck? I’m not a Nissan fan boy or anything, but doesn’t the GT-R own the Porsche?

By: jonmiles

jonmiles — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:04:59 +0000

Ooo, I wonder if they will boast phony track numbers for the 370 as well!!

By: yarddog82abn

yarddog82abn — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:57:40 +0000

YAAAH!!!………….. I WANNA SEE BLOOD!!!

The car’s,…..not the drivers,….don’t get me wrong here…..

By: golf4me

golf4me — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:44:12 +0000

Great, it might have the power, speed, and handling, but it has no STYLE…I don’t care if it costs 10k less, because it frankly it still looks like a 20k car to me.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:40:23 +0000

The Germans are so f*cked. While they’re all busy scurrying around like frat boys on a pantie raid trying to get anything to market that can somehow get that CAFE number up- or in Porsche’s case engage in a hostile takeover- the Japanese are free to pick up where they left off in the early nineties when the likes of the Z, the Supra, RX-7 and even 3000GT were at their peak. I hope they clean their glockenspiels. Some may argue Porsche is simply good at their business, but if a relatively low volume producer like Porsche has the wherewithal to control a volume player like VW, that says to me their product is overpriced and over-rated. Despite the Nurburgring controversy, Nissan has proved they can keep up at the track. Now it’s time to spank them and take their beer money. And just wait until the likes of the GTR Spec-V, LF-A and NSX hit the circuit. This is going to be more fun to watch than a rerun of Sink the Bismark.

By: nickkop

nickkop — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:31:19 +0000

inline-6 : they areadly have !! this new 370 is supposed to be a few hundred pounds lighter and almost 1/2 half foot shorter than the old 350 car !

By: nickkop

nickkop — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:29:48 +0000

should be sick ! can we have an all wheel drive 370 Z ? ( 370ZX ) like a 25-30k wrx/ralliart segment hatch competitor ? or even sentra-based ??? just do it !

By: inline6

inline6 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:25:28 +0000

I hate the styling of the current Z. It’s too porky, to boot.

if they can clean things up on those two fronts, I’ll be rooting for Nissan in this fight.

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:18:29 +0000

Ouch. Them’s fightin’ words.

This should be a good fight. Some great products should come out of this little battle. I’m poppin’ my popcorn now…