Peak 370

Very impractical but when the weather is nice, or as a track day car it's great. I am not particularly quick as a driver, nowadays, I have slowed down a fair bit compared to when I was 25, but the strengths of this little Caterham run to more than 0-60 or 0-90 as many think.

On short circuits another strength is being passed on the straight by an R8/911/GTR and simply re-taking them on the brakes.

450 kgs and brakes good enough for a car 1500 kgs mean you just watch them brake, count to 2 and brake, pretty much.

140 flat out sounds naff but is actually enough on road or track, unless it really does have very fast sections.

Quarter mile-wise it will do that 140 before the 440 yards is up. Probs 11@140?

The 2.4 5-pot derv is certainly a nice engine.

F Type R deffo on my want list when they have shed about £20,000 in value.

Not sure what they are fetching but a friend has an early SL65AMG. 6.0 twin turbo with 612 bhp and 738 lbs-ft.

If your mileage is low or if it is a 2nd car, that could just be a dream come true for many.

Not likely to lose much more value and DMS take that to 720/810.

SL55AMG a good call.

Running costs with that and say a M5/M6 V10 may have to be considered. My M5 often did 12 mpg.

My final comment on this.

For my sins, from everything I have read and heard, inc. those journos who have driven the 4C, it is overpriced, has a poor engine that would seem weak in a hot hatch, never mind a supercar/sports car and will likely let you down on reliability.

I have also spoken to two car journos today and yesterday regarding the 350-370 transition and the guy in Santa Barbara who I worked and drove with out there in the 90s said it best..."The 370s never gonna be a 911 or Cayman for sure, but when they gave it 12 more cubic inches they also made it lighter and faster. The styling is way better, just compare the lights/front end. The trans is better too, I love the 7 gear auto. Is it better than a 350? Shorter, wider, prettier, faster, more ponies and a better 'box? Man, you do the math! I love the 350. Nissan had balls to bring that thing out with 2 seats and a 3.5 V6 squeezed in for $30,000 when people were paying that for a Golf 1.6 But the 370 is the logical upgrade if you have a 350".

(Exactly.)

DMS remapped my 2008 135i from 302 bhp to 370 bhp. They are around from £15K I believe. Fantastic twin turbo straight six for Focus diesel money (new).

370 bhp with no lag in a 1 series equals fk*ng quick.

The world is your oyster as a buyer. As ever the answer is firstly ''what is your budget?''. That lays the foundations for the next questions.

As in, is it a daily driver/only car/second car?

Cars I have owned which may suit you:-

Vauxhall Monaro 6.0. From £10K.

Base Cayman. From 10K.

M3 V8. From £18K.

Focus RS MK2. From £15K.

M3 E46 From £8K.

XKR. From £12K.

Corvete C5. From £15K.

Higher prices:-

Aston Martin Vantage. From £30K.

Corvette C6 6.2. From £25K.

M6 V10. From £28K.

As a buyer you can have a field day on Autotrader and PH.

Which engine are you thinking of having? Petrol or diesel?

I had a 159 2.4 turbodiesel which had a Celtic Tuning re-map on it. I cannot remember the std figure but it had around 240 bhp after the work. Re-map and some exhaust system work.

Yes, a better car than the 156 (although a few folks will tell you that cannot be true...lol...)

Reliability will always be a bit hit and miss with Alfas but that one had done around 80,000 when I sold it with no huge bills that i know of.

I am game but it doesn't look like anyone is going mate!

Also, the buying older and cheaper argument is pointless. I am shortly going to buy a 2011-2012 Nissan GTR. One of the few sports cars/GTs/etc I have not owned to date. My budget is £40,000, maybe a fraction more.

I could go and buy a 2008 right now and have money left over but so what? We can't take it with us so I am getting the best my budget will allow.

Not sure what's so funny about (mainly) fact, docwra.

The 370 is shorter, wider, lighter, more powerful, more torquey, quicker and faster and (to most people) better looking than the 350.

Side by side the 350 looks dated and slightly ungainly.

Better gearbox too.

The first USA mag road test of the 370 I read said that Nissan ''had improved everything important in a sports GT''.

As a former car and bike road tester myself I would agree with that.

If you can hack LHD there are many great value American cars out there. That 1940s tech OHV V8 is still a peach to tune.

That said, the 350 IS a good buy now, if you are prepared to buy old. I may be buying one purely to sell on next week. (£5,800 i can have it for).

Hardly.

The 350 is no more engaging, slower, has a poorer gearbox and at £8k will generally be at an age where money needs spending on it regularly. It wouldn't look nearly as good, either. (Because they simply don't!) The styling of the 370Z is a big kick-on from the 350.

I am not against older cars, indeed I have a 1957 and a 2004, but the 370 was a big step up from the 350 in most aspects bar outright power.

It's usefully more grunty though and lighter.

Actually this 370Z is amazing value. I paid £18,000 in May for an 11 plate with 19,000 miles and one owner. 7 speed auto. Uprated Bose stereo. Nismo alloys.

Deffo great value.

£25,000 for a 350? Nooooooooooo!

The 370 was sitting cooling itself outside a rural pub today and a guy says to me ''is that your car''?

He was in an Aston Martin DB6.

He said what is it, is it Italian?

I said ''it's just a Nissan actually''.

''Well i love the look of it, I thought it was a Maserati'', he said!

I have to say the rear quarter view we had, with white paint and the dark glass looked special.

I had a 1969 with a 454 cubic inch motor. 4 speed manual. 504 bhp courtesy of 2 4-barrel Holley carbs 850cfm, totally built and balanced engine as they say, straight through exhaust, big cam.

It was me! You'd still be far better off with a 2011 Cayman S and £15,000 in your wallet, sorry purse.

docwra. My R500 is an early Superlight. Original Rover 1.8 blew up and was changed for a Ford 2.3.

Tuned with cams, HC and CAI to 265 bhp. It does 140 mph at 7,000rpm in 6th.

Golf R was 276 bhp.

Then 296 bhp. 4.9 to 60 with DSG.

R32 not vey quick. Lovely sound though.

I wonder what my Caterham would do in the quarter? 265 bhp. Just under 450kgs. 13" Minilites (down from 15s) to lower the gearing and also lower the driven weight.

At North Weald it was timed at 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and 0-100 in 6.7.

Weight. Emissions. Fuel consumption. Noise. Slow-ish compared with small HH rockets now.

Won't happen!

But I had a phase 2 Clio V6 in blue and it was lush.

Aftermarket pipes made it LOUD.

Nice car but seen off by many 2-litre HHs.

Come on what is the one weird thing?

Hi from Hope Valley.