Originally posted by killerpickle:
I would have to guess that the 350z and rx8 are neck and neck in performance. I kinda like the z more, but I think the renesis engine wins over the 3.5
The Nissan VQ 3.5 is the best engine on the market today. It has the PERFECT combination of calmness for everyday driving and bruteness for performance driving. The engine has been in top 10 categories for well over 10 years.
As for the difference between the two cars, the nissan is faster by about .7-.8 seconds in the quarter. Like seneca describes, you turn off traction and you can hit blur-speed pretty damn quickly. Torque is available essentially anytime and in all gears.The 350Z is a true thoroughbred sportscar.
The RX-8 is alot more suttle performance wise but handles as well as anything out there. Like most mazda engines it requires you to stay high in the power band in order to drive fast. The fit and finish is superior in the 8.
Despite the 50 hp 100lbs difference between the two, i'd pick the 8 personally only because i prefer having an all out performer rather than a 04 version of a muscle car.