Anyone have a 350Z?

[Brian SD]

One thing struck me as uniquely awesome about the 350z and that is the center of gravity, which is the best I've felt for a front-engine car.

I can understand the criticisms of 350z's interior, but it's a bit different of an aesthetic from German. I find it has somewhat of a nice charm, although overall the materials are disappointing, especially for Nissan, who I'm always pleasantly surprised with.

 

[Lamo]

Originally Posted by SGladwell

That's a pretty clear step back. The gigantic, awful horsecollar was probably inevitable, no matter how incongruous it is with Thos. Freeman's original lines. Ditto the ugly current steering wheel, as opposed to the classic shaped hub of the TT's. But most glaring is the way the interior has been systematically denuded of the TT's charm. Compare:

As you can see, all of the signature TT details have been watered down to mediocrity. The side-butresses on the center console go from being attractive padded aluminum spires to cheap plastic walls. The instruments in those hoods look straight out of the Pontiac playbook, even though everyone knows Alfa Romeo was the first company to use them on a modern. The needles have even lost their little dimpled caps. The aluminum accents on the center stack (radio cover, inserts in the HVAC knobs) are all gone. Even the artful shifter trim ring has been gone and the cool slatted cylinder defroster vents have been replaced by a bland and ugly plastic box.

What do I like that's changed from the current TT? The headlights are nice. Actually the whole front end would be nice if Audi would just go back to regular bumpers. Beyond that, all I think this car does is cement the original TT as a once in a decade design icon by its comparative blandness.

i actually hate the new headlights. as for the new interior, it's nice. i agree, the instrument panel doesn't look that great and it isn't as original without the baseball-stitching but i've got no problems with it.