Impressions?  Looking for that mid-life crisis car.......

I have no knowledge of the 350Z, but one of my favs of all time is the 300Z from the 90s.

What about a 2005 Mustang GT?

Not an owner but a wannabe

Here's a pic of my uncle's 2001 s2000. This is a FUN car to drive. However, it is terrible in the winter, even with snow tires. It makes a Miata look like a 4x4 by comparison.





Note the large center tach:




The '01 model did have some gearbox problems on the 2-3 shift but the problem seems to have been remedied since the '01 model year.

Below is an article from August of 2003 comparing the 350Z roadster to the s2000. If you prefer a coupe, the 350 is the only one that can fit the bill. A hardtop is available as an option for the s2000 but there is currently no such thing as an s2000 coupe.

Since the article was written, Honda has bumped s2000 displacement from 2.0 liters to 2.2 liters. Although bhp remains at 240, peak torque has been increased from 153lb/ft to 162lb/ft and peak is now achieved at 6500rpm, down from 7500rpm for the 2.0 liter.

The Honda likes to be driven near peak revs and has to be in order to wring the performance out of the peaky engine. The 350 has a much broader powerband. The 350z has more sheer brute force with its 3.5L engine but for my money, the fun factor and reliability of the s2000 would make it my choice.

I've got my eye on a 2005 s2000 at the dealership but it's just not in the cards

all text/images below are taken from Road & Track, August, 2003:

Both are great cars and pretty equal in terms of performace. The main difference is that the Z is more of a muscle car in it's approach. Pretty torqey by Japanese car standards. Actually very much like driving a tighter not as good sounding Mustang GT. The Honda is a Honda. In typical Vtec fashion you need to rev the piss out of it to go fast. I have seen guys that can't drive be piss slow in S2000's and burn clutches right off the line. I say 350Z. I prefer the looks, the engine and the price tag. Also the 350Z is the it car right now so mods are ample.

Quoted: If you're going with the 350Z, consider the Infiniti G35 I wish I had the bucks to play this game.

G35=doesn't look like ass, has a (cough) small(cough) pair of rear seats, and is as quick as the Z-car. n

Thanks for all the input.  I'll look at the Mustang and the infinti.  

While the G35 is nice is is quite a bit pricier than the Z. Its also a good deal heavier, noticably slower and it doesn't attract the stares the Z does. A big plus for the mid life crisis I would get a GTO. It will demolish all the cars mentioned. 400hp, 400ft lbs of torque from the Corvette's LS2 engine. Get it in yellow. You won be missed.

new  vette. I drive a pretty quick vintage 'stang
at a drivers ed day at willow springs raceway a Bud had rented a s2000
it was week as hell under 7k than would be fine untill 9k
it was the suck.
might be fun with a bigger motor & a blower

Well, hell, if you've got unlimited funds, why screw around with any of this junk? Get a BMW M3 or a Ruf modified Porsche GT3.

A base model Z roadster stickers at $34,450.00
A base S2000 stickers at $33,150.00
The G35 coupe base stickers at $32,750.00, also not available al fresco.
At least a GTO stickers $32,995 at base model. Of course, it's not available in an al fresco version.
A Corvette should be nowhere in the running with a base sticker of $44,510.00

Obviously, if you're looking for a roadster/convertible then the G35 is right out. The Z and s2000 are the only true roadsters of the bunch. Obviously you can get a drop top Vette but it's going to be a heck of a premium over the Z or Honda.

As mentioned earlier, you need to know how to drive the s2000 to squeeze the fun out. If you're used to driving torquey Mustangs that pull from 3k and try to drive the s2000 that way, you will be disappointed. A normally aspirated 4 will simply not deliver low end grunt.

If on the other hand, if you keep the s2000 shrieking at redline, you'll be hard pressed to find a substitute for the nimble little roadster at a price that's even close. Even with the smaller 2.0 liter that has been ditched in favor of the 2.2, the 'weak' s2000 bested the 350z in the above article in every performance category. With more power on tap at lower revs now, the s2000 should post even better performance stats.

Quoted: I would get a GTO. It will demolish all the cars mentioned. 400hp, 400ft lbs of torque from the Corvette's LS2 engine. Get it in yellow. You won be missed.

While true, even in yellow it will STILL look like a spurned retarded love child of a Cavalier and a Grand Am.

That is all.

I used to think the same of the GTO but for some reason it has grown on me. Perhaps it could be the bump to 400hp and the ram air hood and real dual exhaust. I still think GM made a dumb move replacing the F-Body w/ the bigger, uglier, slower and , more expensive GTO. They should stll make the WS.6 and SS. They were truly two of the greatest muscle cars ever IMO. I had a black WS.6 I never should have sold.

Quoted: Quoted: I would get a GTO. It will demolish all the cars mentioned. 400hp, 400ft lbs of torque from the Corvette's LS2 engine. Get it in yellow. You won be missed. While true, even in yellow it will STILL look like a spurned retarded love child of a Cavalier and a Grand Am. That is all.

 Get out of my head damnit!  Almost exactly the way I describe the GTO

Yeah stick with the 350Z, it's your best all around car.

S2000 simply does not have the pull, it won't impress anyone used to having 300+ hp on tap, but if that isn't you than it will feel plenty fast.

The 350Z is a great car, good power and handles like a champ. I somewhat hated it until i got a chance to drive one. It might look like it would drive like a Mustang, but believe me when I say a Mustang is like an old granny compare to the tone athelete the 350Z is. As far as the sound goes, a set of Borla would make any Mustang envy. If you get a chance drive it back to back with an S2000, you'd be surprise how similar they feel.

The Mustang is on the other hand a great looking and sounding car. I am a Ford Mustang guy but I cannot recommend it over a 350Z and only slightly ahead of the S2000. IMO the only Mustang worth owning in this modern day and age are the Cobras and Saleen's.

The GTO is still ugly as sin, sorry, but if i wanted a car that size I'd go grab a CTS-V which I think is an all around better vehicle.