8-10 years ago I would dream about having a RX-7, 300ZX, Supra, or 3000GT. Those cars seemed to be near exotic (with pricetags to match) and are awesome rides. Now that I have a G35 coupe, I wonder how it stacks up with those cars. I think the price of the G is slightly lower than those cars, and it can't out perform those cars with their turbos, but is the G actually in the same class? If not, which of the older Japanese sports cars/GTs does the G35 rank with? I guess the question is this: Have I fulfilled my dream of owning one of those Japanese sports cars in owning the G35 now? Or will I have to work harder??:P

2004 Diamond Graphite/Graphite AT
Premium, Nav., 18" Wheels

 

Others will answer with more recent cars but I had an '84 RX7 RS, an '86 GXL and my brother had an '87 RX7 Turbo (all 5MTs), and the G36C simply puts those cars to shame. Even the Turbo, which in its day was considered very fast, couldn't come anywhere near the performance level of our G coupes. Add in much greater luxury and features, plus the uniquely elegant styling of the G35C and...you get the picture.

I never owned or drove either of them, but the '92 RX7 was about as fast, but very fragile and the 300ZX was only as fast in the TT version. I think we are sitting pretty in our G coupes...

 

I bought a Dodge Stealth R/T in 1991 for about $30K at that time. Traded it in for the G35C in April. The coupe feels and is much quicker at 280hp vs the Stealth at 222 hp. If you are talking about the twin turbo version or the 3000GT VR4, those cars will beat the coupe. The handling and ride are much more comfortable in the coupe. I wouldn't say the coupe is an exotic though. For that you will have to save a little more for a 2007 GTR.

 

I own a 300ZX twin turbo (with HKS 2835s not finished yet) and I work/developed a shop (www.anderson-audio.com) that has Supra, 300ZX, VR4s, (plus lots of other crazy and fun projects), 350Z (currently doing major build up on a 350 including a built motor and high boost application), G35 Coupe, SC430 (another twin turbo built motor project), and at one point we were co-located with LeMans GT Racing team and work close with Panoz.

And I can say that the G35C as much as I love mine is not the car of the past maybe in handling and braking but that is about it. They are slow and heavy and do not leave alot of room for doing the basic upgrades.

To be specific the G35C and the 350Z are highly tuned machines with light weight rods (that are also weaker rods) and highly efficient heads, exhaust, intake, and ecu. That only hard changes like cams, and boost make significant changes to power and at which also start to be limited by the internal components of the motor itself.

Currently you can buy a 300ZX for sub 10-15K and spend 2-3K and get 375RWHP to the wheels and thats pretty much the same to all the previous Turbo cars.

Maybe I am just a turbo nut (ok a full fledged lumantic) but I don't think there is an import car out there that truely fits the guidelines of Styling, Performance, braking, and handling that the 300ZX, Supra, Braking, and RX7 had.

Recently we had an RS6 brought to our shop (it is a demo car for editors) and that was exciting but while it had the power it didn't have the styling or handling of true sports car. The new S4 is very nice as well but its also a 4 door, and the same thing with the new S60R, thus the only true sports cars out there that fit the bill are the Dodge Viper, and Corvette Z06 and both are domestic.

Now I love my G35c but when I hear people call them fast I just chuckle at the thought and try humble myself as I gotten so spoiled with horsepower that only 400 RWHP starts to get my heart pumping. Thus I hope Nissan does release its R35 as I am itching to get my hands on one and mod it :-)

The only thing more fun than a Turbo is a bigger turbo, or better said "Boost be gets boost"

Happy Driving


<>
03 G35C Prem/Nav/Performance/5AT
90 300ZX-TT HKS2835s and built motor.

 

That's why I mentioned in one of my other posts..."If I wanted to race, I'd buy a better car." I think most just laughed though. Oh well! Still glad I'm leasing.

Nice post.

 

Motor Trend tested a bunch of performance cars in August 1994; here are some results:

Supra with 320 hp:
0-60 in 5.1 sec
1/4 in 13.5@107
Top speed = 154
$ 44,100 base

Eclipse GS-T with 210 hp:
0-60 in 6.4
1/4 in 15.0@95
Top Speed = 130
$ 20,500 base

RX-7 R2 with 255 hp:
0-60 in 5.3
1/4 in 14.1@99.9
Top Speed = 159
$ 34,000 base

Z-28 with 275 hp:
0-60 in 5.7
1/4 in 14.2@99
Top Speed = 159
$ 16,779 base

 

i think the Z is more comparable than the G coup...G is more lux based..not really the "sports" car the others were. G is more of a GT sorta thing than pure sports.
however, i think even comparing the Z, those other old models are still better..even till this day!!

maybe there will be a new RX7 and Supra someday! at least we are getting Evo and STi..something we didnt have back then.

 

man if the supras and the rx-7s were still produced today with little extra features added like navigation with the same body style as back in 1994, i would've gotten a supra or an rx-7 instead. the interior is totally a driver's car. mmm

 

G is no match for the 90's turbo sports cars performance wise, period. I just wish Supra was still produced today...

 

RX-7 R2 with 255 hp:
0-60 in 5.3
1/4 in 14.1@99.9
Top Speed = 159
$ 34,000 base

Now: New Turbo + upgrades: 1/4mi in the 12's, Top Speed 180mph, and better handling!

 

I can only say...If Toyota does indeed bring back the Supra my G will be gone as fast as I can drive it to the dealership. Not that my G isn't up to par but the Supra just does something to me. The shape...the horses....The last model year still looks futuristic to me.

 

Oh The Fabulous Nineties...got Me Interested In Cars Alltogether...

 

I totally agree. There's really no comparison. Love the G35C but it is what it is.

 

Yeah, and retain resale value very well. I even looked into buying one before I bought the G. But I didn't want to pay that much money for a used car. I thought some magazine was saying they were gonna bring the supra back as some supercar....i could be wrong.

 

the G/Z of today is no match for any of the 94+ Twin Turbo's. if you saw the best motoring to today's car, the Tskuba track are run with cars averaging 1.11+ on eatch lap. with 1.09+'s as the fastest ones. back in the day's they average at 1.07 sec's. 2 sec's is alot in circuit racing. i have the twin Turbo monsters vid of 95 where all the big dogs ran tsubka, and from the Z's G's or even the M3's time of today, still don't match them.