rob-2

The 370 is mich improved over 350. It's a heavy GT car and does that well. I could see it being a better DD car.

fusionchickenleg

OP perhaps you can consider a nice e46 m3 with an extended warranty, it'll still be "softer" than the s2000 but interior space, solid / planted German feel, driver involvement, and 6 individual throttle bodies make it a really fun ride. The shifter will feel a bit like slicing through tofu compared to the s2000's. Reliability / maintenance won't be like a JDM car's but just throwing this out there. I was very impressed the first time I drove a manual e46 M3.

adut015

It's definitely a comparable option to the 370, but at the same time reliability will not be as good. My friend owns a clean example of the e46 M3, the straight 6 sounds great. First straight 6 i ever drove and i decided there and then I prefer a straight 6 over a V6. Even with this well maintained e46, the bills pile on quite significantly.
On the other hand, the e46 feels a little bit more special imo so maybe worth the extra maintenance cost. I can safely say that the M3 handling is closer toe the s2000 rather than a Z, in such that the car feel responsive, specially the steering.

WVCR-V

Yeah, I love M3s and I'd love to have one but I'm simply not willing to take the step up in maintenance costs. I'm sure if I drove one I'd want one...lol.

EastS2k

It's a great car, co-worker just picked up the '13 nismo variant I drove it a few times and it definitely has that special feel, its not a rocket ship by today's standards (i.e. 450 hp camaros and mustangs rolling around) but if you don't compare to anything else its a good car as a standalone. I could see how the power could get boring if you live in a flat state i.e. FL, if you got some nice backroads in your state you should be good to go.

Don't expect to carry anything more than a suitcase and a bottle of water.

On the other hand you could pick up a brand new one for dirt cheap or a lightly used one, no one is buying them with so many other options and the model being 9 years old, but don't look at that - if you like it, pick one up and enjoy it.

edit; you could remedy the shortcoming of straight line power by getting a shorter final drive and maybe some bolt on's, could probably put you close to a stock mustang gt.

mmmmmic

I own both an ap2 and a 2016 370z base at the moment,
I daily my ap2 to work everyday since I live pretty close by to work, and it just makes my daily routine so much more fun than just a form transportation.

the Z is my weekend driver for longer trips, and the plus for being completely stock, quiet and comfy ride.

like being mentioned in posts above, these are two completely different cars. I would not say which of them is a better or worse car.

EastS2k

how much did you pay for the 16?

TheDonEffect

I found the e46 and 370z to be very comparable, granted I didn't do any track driving in either. Power they felt similar edge of course goes to the e46 and I do prefer the east it builds power, steering advantage was largely due to the steering wheel bmw uses, interior leather is better but otherwise it's a wash to me since I like both for different reasons, I much prefer the sounds of the nissan v6 to the i6 ricy sound, modded or not. You gotta get the bmw hype out of your head, yes the m3 is engineered well and offers a compelling compromise between road and track, but it's a gt type car. That planted feeling is it not hiding it's weight well, the faster rack wide tires and relatively stiff chassis gives the illusion of a lighter car. What is though is a car that let's you have your cake and eat it, it has back seats, comfortable, status symbol appeal, and daily driveable, all while having driving chops, this package makes people understandably fall in love since it feels like a no compromise car. And it is capable but it better be foot what they are going for new and how much they cost to maintain. The z offers all the performance and comfort but loses on the practicality. The looks aren't winning anyone over but if you like it, I do, then you're getting one of the best values out there. And how can sitting in a two seat low slung sportscar not feel special?
Ok it's no s2000, but the s2000 isn't as fast on road courses and not nearly as comfortable.
So why I'd pass on the Z? New mustang with sports pack offers alot of the things that make the e46 compelling but with a sledgehammer v8, less refinement but seriously you could get them or 30k before ttl brand new and z like running cost. But you can't be the car hipster at your local meet because mustangs will always be played out, and I get that. And the other car are vettes, whether in c5 z06 form or c6 z51 form, they're similarly priced, awesome performance, and frankly super comfortable compared to the s. I wound up with a c5z, and aside from the road noise, width of the car, and crap stereo it's a car I'd do road trips in.
Anyway what I noticed amongst my practical minded fiends is that the z wins out vs the e46. The more hipster minded friends tend to favor the e46. The car nut friends really prefer neither unless they're a jdm fan or deutsch fan, but the e46 makes the compelling argument for the uber dd for them.

WVCR-V

I'm always amazed at how many people have multiple sports cars. Must be nice!

dv55xc

Which clutch spring and short shifter did you add to your car? My dad has a g37S which has the same drive train as the 370z. I really hate the clutch and the shifter of his car. It would be nice to upgrade those 2 parts. We've already been though the dreaded conical slave cylinder failure. Hopefully you dont have to go through that as well. Such a major design flaw in the transmission.