350z BRMMMMMMMM!

[nath]

Also, what's a good reputable advanced driving school? One with skidplanes! Weeeeeee!

 

[Tom]

There are plenty of skidpans around but they're mostly to teach you the basics of car control on slippery surfaces. They're usually in old Sierras and the like. Well worth doing though, its usually a day or weekend course.

I'd advise either an IAM course or a ROSPA course. Worry about keeping out of trouble, rather than what to do if you're in it. The lessons you'll learn about not combining gearchanges while braking, not changing gear while turning the wheel, planning ahead, anticipation, roadcraft, and the whole COAST thing, may well save your life, regardless of what car you're in.

RWD cars aren't that scary. Unless you drive like a knob. Most people who lose a RWD car do so because they over-correct. The trick is, if you completely lose control, slam the anchors on and stamp on the clutch. That'll keep you sliding in a straight line, and not swerving madly around and shooting into the forest once the tyres regain traction.

 

[Bodhi]

I've borrowed a 3-series coupe for a month whilst my Punto is fucked. It is lovely, and a great introduction to RWD. You could get a cracker for your budget.

 

[nath]

I've not driven one but I really dislike BMW's. Hate the look and I've just never really liked them. Perhaps a bit silly but if I'm spending this much on a car I'd really like it to make me feel all funny when I think about it. The 350 does, BMW's never have (with the exception of the M6).

 

[Bodhi]

Give it 6 months there will be an M6 within your price range

 

[nath]

Am I winning the lottery in 6 months? And if so, I'm getting a Skyline GTR - those things give me a semi.

 

[Bodhi]

No, more that the values of M6's have plummeted recently. They're dipping below 30k now.

 

[nath]

Still, 8-10k for a 350z so they've got a bit of a way to go

 

[Scouse]

Front wheel drive .

Trust me - I've a mate who had an S2000 and I spaffed all over him at Donny

I nearly died so many times in my venture into rear wheel drive.

But, yeah

 

[DaGaffer]

I've borrowed a 3-series coupe for a month whilst my Punto is fucked. It is lovely, and a great introduction to RWD. You could get a cracker for your budget.

I had a 330Ci straight before I owned the Z. Fine car, but dull as ditchwater compared to the Nissan, and everyone hates you if you drive a BMW.

 

[old.user4556]

Driver skills.

I've not driven one but I really dislike BMW's. Hate the look and I've just never really liked them.

I hated them Nath, didn't understand the fuss, thought they were ugly. Then I bought one, then another, then another and I get another one in a month's time (which i'm very excited about). They're brilliant.

See Top Gear?

 

[old.user4556]

I had a 330Ci straight before I owned the Z. Fine car, but dull as ditchwater compared to the Nissan, and everyone hates you if you drive a BMW.

Saloon or roadster, not really comparable; but yes, everyone does hate you and noone lets you out. Ever.

 

[Bodhi]

I've been let out a couple of times in the 320 now, and I've only been in it a week. Mind you're they're enlightened folk round here now - they realise all the cocks drive Audis now

 

[Jis]

I only recently sold my 350z and I loved every minute of it!

I did lots of motorway driving and averaged 27-30 mpg in town you will get 15 – 20 mpg it has a huge petrol tank (90 litres ish) and I could get around 400 miles on average.

The only things I didn’t like were the run flat tyres so I changed all those to falken 452’s at a cost of around 80 quid a tyre (the run flats were around 200+ from Nissan).

Average running costs were quite good for me the pads were around 90 quid for a set, the major service was about 200 quid, all up rated discs and pads were around 400 quid, better suspension was a grand and I think the Nismo exhaust was 400+ quid.

I had no problems at all with it and for 8 grand they are a bargain

 

[DaGaffer]

Saloon or roadster, not really comparable; but yes, everyone does hate you and noone lets you out. Ever.

Well, big 3.0 six cyl rwd coupe versus smaller 3.5 six cyl rwd coupe, so yeah, fairly comparable tbh.

 

[old.user4556]

gaff that's nonsense, the 330 was either great or the 350Z sucked. I've driven a 330 many times and it felt barge like to every roadster i've ever driven

 

[DaGaffer]

gaff that's nonsense, the 330 was either great or the 350Z sucked. I've driven a 330 many times and it felt barge like to every roadster i've ever driven

Well the 350Z I had was the coupe not the roadster (I don't like the convertible Z, the roof looks like a 1950s pram), and the 330Ci was a very fine handling car (the sport version with the 18ins wheels and sports suspension mine had). The Z is NOT a delicate sports car, its an old-school, tail-out coupe, and its also pretty heavy; it weighed as much as the 330 but had 40-50 more horespower. The Z was a lot more fun, but the BMW had a more sophisticated chassis, no question. Funnily enough the one area I found the BMW to be decisively inferior was in the wet, but that may be because I had 19" Nismo rims and serious Yokohama rubber on the Z, whereas the BMW was on Michelin Pilots, which are crap.

 

[TdC]

god you guys have me looking again too