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Re: Good #s on paper, feel is not super sporty (archive)
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Posted by Gibbles on May 28, 2001 at 08:13:06:

In Reply to: Thanks for the post--a couple more questions posted by Roburt on May 27, 2001 at 23:43:02:

The Z8's performance #s are excellent: sub 5.0 to 60, sub-13s in the 1/4; better than a 911 (but not anywhere near the Turbo). The Z8 just feels kind of heavy when turning, both suspension and steering wise. And -- this being relative, of couse -- you can feel the Z8's heft just a bit off the line. I like heavy steering, like what the 996 has, but Porsches somehow don't feel heavy when turning, but just feel sporty. The Z8 leans a bit in corners, and even zipping around a parking lot (be careful), you can feel how there's a lot of weight being transferred. These are slight differences, not huge, but ones that do leave a noticeable impression.

Keep in mind that the Z8 is not meant to be a sports car and it hits its target market / purpose head-on.

As to "what is a sports car?," well, there's an official definition out there somewhere, but I typically interpret it to mean, on a day to day level, to mean a 2 door, low slung, high performance, tossable performance car.

Feel to me is much more important than #s on paper, and the Porsche feels very sporty, whereas the Z8 is more of a touring car.



Gibbles:
In your post, you state that the Z8 is not a sports car. I haven't driven one, so I certainly can't respond. The only thing I don't understand is how, with the numbers reported by the car mags, it isn't a sports car. It seems to out-accelerate the 911s (other than the superb TT, of course) and its slalom and skid pad ratings would sham most cars (although a tick or two below the 911s). I guess what I'm wondering is "what is a sports car?" Does the Z8 not feel like a sports car b/c it is comfortable over bad roads? leans too much in corners? doesn't stop fast enough? breaks loose too easily in aggressive driving? Or, does it perform like a sports car and provide luxuries not normally associated with a sports car? I'm stumped. The big problem is, I don't know anyone with a Z8, so I can't drive one myself to find out. Any subjective feedback on this point would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. in advance.

-Roburt

I had a 996 C2 coupe, drove a family member's C2 Cab and Z8 extensively (hundreds of miles), and I got a 996TT yesterday. There were a couple of cars in-between the 2 Porsches I had.

A 911 is a firmer ride and the car feels much more nimble than a Z8. It's a real sports car. The Z8 is a fun cruising convertible. Nobody should be kidded into thinking the Z

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