When I first saw that they had done such a test I was immediately interested because I am such a huge fan of the Nissan Z. However, I had already suspected that the BMW 135i would beat the Nissan 370Z on the grounds that as an overall package it would be 'more refined'.
Nissan 370Z (image from Edmunds.com InsideLine)
Then to my surprise, when I clicked the link it showed that the Nissan 370Z came out on top in 1st place!
Now this isn't because I don't have any confidence in the 370Z or Z cars in general, but let's be honest, BMW knows how to make good sports cars. The 135i is no exception. Aside from its looks that some absolutely do not like, the 135i undoubtedly has that suspension tuning and weight balance that BMW is famous for. Not only that, the 135i has the utterly beastly 3.0L twin-turbo straight six that churns out 300hp and 300 lb-ft of torque (which comes in fully at just 1400 rpm and stays throughout the rev range).
BMW 135i (image from Edmunds.com InsideLine)
With that said, and knowing the 135i's performance numbers, I knew that this would be a good fight, and I only suspected that BMW's trademark refinement and interior quality would have probably put it in first place in the end. But again, I was very wrong, and was happy to be.
To sum it up, the figures for the two cars are as follows (I've thrown in the numbers for the Porsche Cayman S as Nissan was using the Cayman as their performance benchmark):
Porsche Cayman S (image from Edmunds.com InsideLine)
Note: Nissan used the 2009 Porsche Cayman (non-S) as their benchmark, but I found numbers for the 2006 Porsche Cayman S as I'd expect the 2009 Porsche Cayman to come close, but still probably a bit short compared to the '06 Cayman S.
Prices as tested:
370Z: est. $34,635 (including options)
135i: $37,765 (including options)
Cayman S: $70,505 (including options. Side note: a base Cayman costs $49,400)
The Cayman S is, unsurprisingly, the most expensive of the group with the Bavarian coming in second place and the Z coming in $3,000 less than the BMW. When it comes to 'bang for the buck', it's clear the 370Z delivers very well, especially after you see the performance figures below.
Engine:
370Z: 3.7L N/A V6 (60 degree)
135i: 3.0L bi-turbo inline-6
Cayman S: 3.4L horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder
Not much to say here. Three very different engines doing their jobs in three different cars.
Horsepower/Torque:
370Z: 332 hp @ 7000 rpm / 270 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm
135i: 300 hp @ 5800 rpm / 300 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm
Cayman S: 295 @ 6250 rpm / 251 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
The 370Z comes on top with the most horsepower but the BMW's torque comes in the soonest and sticks around all throughout the rev range. The Cayman S is tuned as any Porsche is expected to: for sporty driving.
Weight:
370Z: 3,359 lbs.
135i: 3,372 lbs.
Cayman S: 2,954 lbs.
The only thing separating the 370Z's and the 135i's weight is some 13 pounds, almost negligible to some, but when looking at power to weight ratios, the 370Z comes out on top with less weight and more horsepower than the BMW. The Cayman S is the lightest of the group as it's smaller and was consciously built to conserve weight.
0-60mph acceleration, sec:
370Z: 5.1s
135i: 5.1s
Cayman S: 5.0s
Nearly a dead heat between the three cars. The 370Z and the 135i throw down the same times regardless of the Nissan's better power to weight ratio. This is likely because of the BMW's wider torque band. The Cayman does slightly better likely due to its overall lower weight. Gearing may play a role here as well, but I didn't look at the ratios (and honestly, I don't know much about interpreting them).
60-0mph braking, feet:
370Z: 101 ft.
135i: 108 ft.
Cayman S: 106 ft.
The 370Z stops the shortest here, even besting the Porsche 911 Turbo with an $8,800 ceramic brake package. The 370Z was consistent in braking and was very fade-resistant. The BMW fared worst here and I'm thinking it might be down to its slightly heavier weight and possibly worse brakes, but not by much, mind you. "Worse brakes" in this comparison would qualify as great brakes on any road car.
1/4 mile (time/trap speed):
370Z: 13.4s / 104.6 mph
135i: 13.4s / 103.5 mph
Cayman S: 13.2s / 105 mph
Essentially a dead heat between the 370Z and 135i. The trap times show that either the 370Z wasn't running out of steam at that speed and the BMW was, or that simply improving shift techniques could have produced better speeds. However, since these tests are professionally done, I'd say it's unlikely that shifting is too much of a concern here. The Cayman S comes out slightly faster and I'd say it's probably because a bit more of its weight is distributed to the back, giving its rear wheels more grip off the line.
600 ft. Slalom:
370Z: 69.8 mph
135i: 69.7 mph
Cayman S: 72.2 mph
The 370Z and 135i go through the slalom at speeds so close that it almost doesn't even matter. If it does, well, as you can see the Z goes through at a slightly faster 0.1 mph. The Cayman S though, does better. I'd say this is because of the positioning of the Cayman's engine - it's right behind the driver's/passenger's seats, thus making the Cayman S a mid-engine sports car (the Bimmer and the Nissan have their engines in the front). This makes the Cayman much better balanced and work better when it comes to weight transfer and transitions between turns and such. In fact, I firmly believe that if the Cayman got the '911 Turbo' treatment in terms of suspension, engine tuning, etc., it would be a better car than the 911 Turbo. That will be elaborated more though in a later blog entry.
Skidpad grip:
370Z: 0.97g
135i: 0.90g
Cayman S: 0.94g
When it comes to overall grip in what is essentially a big circle, weight transfer isn't as much of a big deal as how well the car can stay on track. The 370Z here throws up supercar-like numbers with 0.97g. This figure surprised me the most out of the rest because to get the kind of performance mentioned before plus such amazing grip is utterly amazing for a car with a price tag that starts around $30,000.
Conclusion:
Needless to say, I'd pick the Nissan 370Z out of the bunch if I had a choice. The Porsche is very tempting, however, if it were money out of my pocket, I can't justify a $25,000 premium for a car that performs slightly better in some ways, but slightly worse in others. If that's the case, what's the premium for? The brand? I'll be damned if I would pay that much more for a name. If you want to pull the "years of tradition card" on me, then I'll tell you this: The Z has been around longer than the Cayman. I can go more into my problems with the Cayman, but I'll save that for a later blog entry. And anyway, the base Cayman is still way more expensive and most certainly doesn't perform as well as the 370Z either, so going for the base Cayman isn't even an option if it came to trying to get the Porsche brand name.
As for the BMW 135i, it's a great car, for sure. It puts up impressive numbers and is likely the better daily-driver. However, again, it still costs more than the 370Z and from the sounds of it, isn't all that much better than the 370Z for daily driving. Given the BMW's and the Nissan's close performance numbers (aside from the skidpad), I'd still pick the 370Z for its cheaper price and because of personal preference (and arguably cheaper maintenance).
If I were to make my judgment based on looks alone, I'd say the BMW looks the worst of the bunch. It doesn't look bad, its competition just looks better. Between the 370Z and the Cayman, it's a tough call. I was skeptical about the 370Z at first, but I was pleasantly surprised when production photos of the car were revealed. In the end though, and this is purely subjective so some of you may think otherwise, I think the 370Z looks the best with the Cayman S coming in at a very close second place.
Overall, I'd go for the Nissan 370Z. It's a vehicle which delivers a whole lot of performance for relatively little money. And given the fact that it hangs with its competitors very well, it's tough to argue why you wouldn't get one, unless brand names are what you look at more, then admittedly the BMW and Porsche brands carry more weight. In the end though, I'd say you'd have to be silly to ignore the 370Z just because it came from a brand that isn't acknowledged as being as prestigious as its competition.
I should also make it clear that I have not driven any of the cars being discussed in this entry as I unfortunately do not have the right opportunities to (or connections). My opinions and speculation are based on professional reviews and to some extent, my own personal bias (of course).
Random note on the Gamer side of things: I finally have Final Fantasy VII working on PC again! Making a game that was built to run on Windows 95 and with WAY slower hardware is difficult! I'm glad to have it running though, especially since it's one of my all-time favorite games. I have the game on Playstation, but I like the PC experience because that's how I first played it.
-G&G Allen
To-Do List:
-Is Honda going the way of Toyota?
-Fanboys and their belief that they all have the best thing since sliced bread. Who's right?
-Why I think GM did it all wrong.
-Game copy protection, what I think is the best way
-The Porsche Cayman, why it's not that great of a car (even though I say it is... what?)
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