Russ

The best and most effective way to sell a car when using the competition as a guideline is to recognize and become familiar with the STRENGTHS of the opposing platform, not so much their weaknesses.
I wouldn't see a need in bringing up the fact that the S2000 is a convertible and the 350Z isn't. Why would Nissan be designed a drop top if having a convertible is a negative?
Nine out 10 salespersons are simply not qualified to discuss vehicles not sold on their lot. They are spoon fed misleading comparo brochures and other fishwraps the company sends in an effort to push as many cars off the lot as possible.
I sold for Toyota in the early 90's. You couldn't find three salespersons at my dealership interested in reading any of the monthly car magazines to get non-Toyota info on competitors products. I see things haven't changed much. For instance, following my test drive of the S2000, the salesman (who came with me) went back into the showroom and told the sales manager, "holy Jesus, can that car handle! I never knew it could do that."
Any salesperson who sees an S2000 owner driving up to their lot with an interest in checking out the Z car should first off, recognize that the odds are fairly good the owner has spent more than a few minutes with sportscars. Insulting them with stupid "chest pounding, look at the newbie kid on the block" comments....is there a quicker way to clear the showroom?

steve c

Doesn't sound too realistic to me....

cdelena

Successful salespeople must know how to treat people to make a sale, knowledge of the products is secondary. Sounds like these were deficient in both areas.

s2kpdx01

OT-
I went and looked at Z today...didn't do much for me. I didn't get to drive, but first impression isn't bad...it's just ...hmmm...nothing special. I applaud Nissan for making a quick RWD car, but the lines remind me of some pseudo-futuristic design gone sorta wrong. I am not dissing the car, but i'm a little disappointed that's all. Oh well, guess i will just sell mine and save for the viper.

SilverFog

All this talk about some Nissan salesmen is exactly the same talk we had back when the S2000 was the hot new thing. Honda salesmen were, and continue to be jerks about the whole thing.

Good thing this has little to do with how excellent either car is.

They'll be cocky because they happen to have the current hot new thing. No surprise.

Good thing this has little to do with how excellent either car is.

Also -- what is the point of comparing your turbo'd or supercharged S2000 to the initial offering of the 350Z?

Lets compare what you get off the showroom floor as one conversation, and then explore what you can do to the car, and for how much, in another.

I assume that the sticker prices of most of these cars precludes all but grown-up boys talking about them from an ownership perspective.

So what if you can drop a few extra thousand into the car and make it better than stock of some other car? What do both cars start with, and where can you go with either?

Mr. Has-Turbo: your already exceptional car must have even more incredible specs now, thats great. However, I hope you're still around on this board in a few months to compare performance numbers when the tuner market has a mature turbo to bolt onto the 350Z, and even later when we know the weight and the torsional rigidity of the 350Z convertible. Maybe your S2000 gets spanked, maybe it doesn't -- but how great that there's finally something to compete with in the same price category!

I too want the best bang for my buck. You've added more buck, gotten more bang -- super. The 350Z starts out with a bit more bang, for about the same buck as the S2000.

I'm not threatened by the 350Z -- if anything, I am excited about what it will do to help revitalize the small sportscar market -- so lets compare stock to stock, modded to modded and not confuse people about what they can get with what they might.

Also, I realize that straight-line performance isn't everything, but would you humor us with your 0-60mph, 0-100mph and 1/4 mile times?

Please don't be threatened. I just like sportscars and live for this kind of data.

Chris S

Well said, SilverFog. I'm excited about having such a close competitor in the same price range. I won't make any conclusions about how it compares until I get a good test drive, but it will def. add some excitement to the market. I'm just happy as a consumer to have more great choices!

Rieger328Ci

SilverFog, as of right now I don't have any data on my turbo S2000, but will definely keep the board updated as this is only the early stage of the entire FI project. Also I would like to point out for those who neglected to read my previous post, that I had no intention on comparing the two cars. I was just at the Nissan dealership to check out the new Z and giving the local Nissan sales a heads up so they can stop trying to tell me how much faster the 350Z was faster than *MY* car.

ErikKlenke

They were totally out of line. You're stopping by to check out the 350Z is actually a demonstration of respect. There's a new playing in town and you respect it enough to want to go and check it out (I bet you didn't check out the new Tiburon when it came out.) The salesman should have showed you mutual repect by appreciating your car. Certainly they shouldn't have tried to insult you or put your car down. That totally unprofessional!

minboost

Am I missing something? I read a review of it in MT and they used an S2000 as one of the 3 other cars to measure against. The S2000 only lost the 1/4 accelleration portion but they had the S2000 at like 14.5 and the 350Z at like 14.1 or something??

It seems like no one has actually done a test on the board so what magazines are you guys reading?

DJSang

haha, I get the vibe that people think the Z is like some Porsche or something... it's a good car, but how can they even say that to an M3????