Lerxst

I never thought I'd create a post like this... sorry... but looking for some support... and making sure I'm not crazy!

I have a 2003 Nissan 350Z Track... and seriously looking at a 1996 C4. I want a car that's going to have good performance, beautiful (enduring) looks, and will hold its value well. I enjoy spirited driving with a few trips to the track and AutoX.

I bought the 350 as a Porsche substitute that I could drive year round. The car is very nice looking with best bang-for-the-buck performance. I've decided that year-round driving in this car doesn't work for me. So if I'm going to have a dedicated Summer car, the Porsche is an option after all.

My friends are all telling me I'm nuts to make this move. The 350Z is a beautiful car. The performance is the same? But to go to a 993 will cost about 12K USD and there will be increased maintenance. I know... it's my money, I do what I want with it. But my friends are just trying to look out for me.

I'm figuring that what they are saying about the 350Z is true, but I think the Porsche will endure the test of time for looks & value better than the Z. Plus I am a bit of a sucker for the prestige too. Am I crazy???

I recognize this is a 993 forum and am prepared for biased opinions... Any objective observations would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

TheOtherEric

I'm confused on your intended use of the car. Daily driver? Year round? Track use? And what's the climate like where you live?

the_buch

I've driven them both. The Z is a fabulous sports car, particularly for the money. The P is a fabulous hand-built machine offering timeless beauty. Your call.

Lerxst

The plan is a daily driver in the Summer and parked indoors (unheated) for 5-6 months during the winter. I plan to go to the autoX 4 or 5 times this summer and take it to our local small track (0.9 miles) for about a total of 40 laps per year. I want to also go on a few adventures into the US of a 3-4 day duration. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada... In the Summer it's hot'n'dry... in the Winter it's VERY cold with enough snow to make driving unpleasant.

My call right now is to go with the P-car... I'm just bouncing the idea around to make sure I'm not completely nuts.

Dan V

If you love cars, you would be nuts not to own a 993 at least once in your lifetime.

ca993twin

If the proposed 993 is for summer use only, why are you only considering the AWD C4? A C2 or C2S may suit your intended use better (or just as well), and be a bit less expensive.

Monique

My take exactly.

ca993twin

Lerxst,

You said: "My call right now is to go with the P-car... I'm just bouncing the idea around to make sure I'm not completely nuts."

Let me be the first to say that being slighty (even completely) nuts is not unusual for us P-car owners. I'm happy to pay $200 for an oil change. That, my friend, is the very definition of lunacy.

mborkow

if you like the looks and performance of the 350z then i think you should stick with that.

Mark Wilson

There is no way to attach a financial justification to a Porsche. You own it because there is an fire in your heart that no other car can quench. Nothing else has the mix of performance, daily driveability and more importantly....passion. Buy it because you want it.

They photograph well too.

Reynard38

If you bought the 350Z new then surely you will experience significant depeciation. The Porsche on the other hand may well be cheaper to own in the long run as it will hold a great deal more of it's value.

Conekilr

The 993 is a competent autox car is the right hands....One won the 2005 SCCA A-Stock Nationals...

I autox mine in fairly stock form and have beaten a 500HP 350Z everytime he came out but then again I've been doing this for awhile ...

If you like Porsches, the 993 is a classic and you can't go wrong and yes, it will retain it's value better than a 350Z

OT - I know a couple Autox guys from Winnipeg...

tj90

Exactly reynard38 - I bought my p-car a year ago and I could have easily paid the same for 350z (I was actually looking at the infiniti G35). I ended up going with the P-car because of its timeless beauty, performance, passion and finally value! It is truly a unique vehicle - air cooled flat six - that can holds its own EVEN by todays standards. Suprisingly, insurance is low for the p-car where the other ones were very high. If you think about the demographic of guys that drive p-cars (few would be caught in a tuner car) it makes sense.

The current issue (or last months) of excellence magazine shows the depreciation curves for 993. Todays nissan product (owned by renault) cant match these trends. There is even a slight chance that you will be able to resale a 993 for more than you pay today - just look at the 3.2s. My brother in law was selling his 85 3.2 for 15k 6 years ago. If I was not stupid and bought the car, I probably would have made money!

Lerxst

I like the 350Z... but LOVE the 993.

There's a local C4 in good shape for a very competitive price to the C2s I've seen in the US, and there are VERY few 993s in Winnipeg, hence my interest in the C4.

As for the 500HP Z... that's kinda useless at an autoX. I blew the doors off of my buddy who had a Stillen S/C 350Z. AutoX comes down to driving and handling.


Thanks for the feedback everyone... it's actually helping me out.

MrRoboto

Having a food friend with a fairly modded Z, i'd have to say that the only upper hand the Z has over the 993 is the fact that it's a newer car and cheaper to maintain in the short term. Build quality wise there is no comparison. The 993 is a hand built car and it shows. It feels more solid and less plasticy than the Z. The Z's interior may have nice shapes and styling ques, but it's still a bit bland. Granded the 993 interior is not fancy, however, it works and will withstand the test of time as a classic interior.

Perfomance wise, i would have to say the 993 is significantly faster. 0-60 times may be similar, with a slight favor towards the 993, but high speed acceleration is clearly in favor of the 993. For some reason this car just keeps pulling at high speed. I used to have a modded 1995 M3 that was very similar in performance with my friends modded 350Z (dead even until 160 mph). Come to think of it he was in my draft the whole time so the M3 probably had an advantage over the Z as well. Anyhow, the 993 simply pulls harder than my old M3 and when driven correctly, would have left my M3 behind in the corners, which my friends Z cannot do.

Owning a 993 isn't a decision made with the finances in mind. It is a bit of lunacy that you have to enjoy in order to love the car and the ownership experience. Having said that, a decent 993 will have already lost most of its depreciation value whereas the Z will continue to depreciate due to it's relatively new age and mass production.

One more thing, there are a lot of little quirks of the 993 that you have to be willing to accept...things like valve guide wear, sqeaky windshields, etc. Do a complete research on common faulty areas and then decide whether or not you want to switch to a 993. A well taken cared of 993 will last a LONG time and be an enormous joy to drive, but you will have to give it proper maintenance, which will cost you.

Good luck!