Buddy might get a Cobra...

[NorCal66]

Went to a few dealerships today looking at cars for my friend. He's only 18, but due to a relative passing away and a car accident, he has quite a bit of money to spend on a new car. First we stopped by the nissan dealership to check out 350Zs. Personally, I don't really like em, but he liked the interior and size a lot. Then we stopped by good ole ford and checked out their cobras. His eyes lit up when he saw the engine, but the location of the shifter and the uncomfortable interior made him not too sure. What would you guys say would be some advantages/disadvantages of a 350Z vs. the 04 Cobra besides the fact the Cobra is faster and the Z will handle better? My other two friends drives ZXs...I can't be stuck rolling with 3 nissans!

 

[Penguin]

um... It's a Mustang Cobra with 390 hp. He can get an aftermarket shifter that would help with the position of it. It looks much better. The 350Z may handle better (a little, Cobra has IRS) but by the time it's done taking that corner all good the Cobra will have made it past the next 2 corners. The 350Z has, what, 280 hp or something? eh, if he wants to feel comfortable and nice he should get the 350Z. If he wants to dominate 90% of the cars he sees on the street, he should get the Cobra and not care about how his ass feels in the seat.

 

[SuperDave]

Hmmm..... Hate to tell you this but I don't believe there are any insurance companies that will write a policy on a 16 year old for such a car. On the odd chance you'd find one, I'm sure the premimum would be outrageous.

 

[NorCal66]

ahh good point SD. He is 18 not 16 though, with nothing on the record. I'm sure insurance will be pretty high none-the-less though. Hopefully he'll come to his senses and get a domestic over that ug 350z that looks like about 4 other cars on the road.

 

[SadbutTrue]

By all accounts I've heard is the Cobra handles pretty sweet... and tell him that ford badly underrate the engine, comes stock with more like 425 fwhp, and a grand in mods can give you that at the wheels .

 

[Fostang]

I personally feel it's not smart for him to get it, but to each his own. I would much rather invest my money. A new car will only go down in value and usually takes decades to regain value as the 03 cobra will.

 

[Penguin]

Oops... what was I thinking? He is 18... Insurance sucks... hm.. get a Mustang GT and modify it with the money he saves on price and insurance, but that's what I would do. If it's a daily driver he should just get the 350Z for his comfortableness, since he had time to complain about it in the Cobra... Did he even test drive it? I would have been too busy drooling to notice the interior.
Wait... I think the 350Z is the same as the Infiniti... G35 coupe or something? He should get that. It looks better than the 350Z. No Tonka toy door handles either.

 

[NorCal66]

Yea...personally I wouldn't spend all 35 grand on a car either. But he doesn't really have college plans or anything, so he's gonna do what he wants to do with it. I'm with you penguin...I like the g35 a whole lot bettern the 350, but he's pretty set on either that or a bimmer. Ah well, I tried, some people just can't appreciate a loss in a little comfort for a whole lot more muscle. Thanks for the input anyway.