| 2010 Nissan 370Z vs 2010 Mazda RX-8 | November 2009 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| The RX-8 is unconventional to every sense of the term 'sports car'. It's the only available car in the US that uses a rotary engine, seats four, and actually has four doors instead of two. This is heresy in the sports car world (as it should be). The 370Z however, leaps forward with its design but steps back to its roots (the 1970 Datsun 240Z). | ||
| 2010 Nissan 370Z | vs | 2010 Mazda RX-8 |
 The 370Z's new front fascia is a new look for the 21st century. The L-shaped headlights and aggressive air intake is a step forward in (import) sports car design. |
 Sigh. Another iteration of Mazda's persistence in using a smiley face front fascia. It's more subdued than other Mazda models but it's still an abomination for a sports car. |
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| Both cars add a black upper lip to their front grills for some odd reason. Neither one looks good but its more apparent on the RX-8. The extruded front fenders on the RX-8 appear larger than the rear fenders. The rear doors can be seen on the RX-8 that can only open with the front doors opened first. Their purpose is to help entry/exit for rear seat passengers but the same feat could have been achieved with longer front doors. | ||
 It doesn't get any better than this for a fastback. Everything flows perfectly with no design flaws. The rear fenders are oversized but not too much and the fastback profile flows beautifully from A- to C-pillar. Even the rims look good. |
 The profile is where things go all wrong for the RX-8. In order to try to separate it from the crowd, Mazda decided to add extra doors and headroom for rear seat passengers. The result is a profile that is more hunchback than fastback. |
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| The RX-8's hunchback is more apparent from this angle. The C-pillar is also unusual for a sports car creating a curved rear window. Overall the RX-8 looks poorly proportioned. The Z looks good from every angle. | ||
 The L-shaped taillights mimic the headlights and they contour nicely to the oversized rear fenders. The spoiler could benefit from a redesign but the Z looks good without one. |
 The RX-8 doesn't look half bad from the rear. The taillights look nice but the rear profile doesn't say sports car. It looks like it would fit well on a regular sedan like the Mazda 3. |
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| This is where the 370Z falls behind. The Z's layout isn't as well sculpted as the RX-8 and crosses the line of looking cheap. The center stack isn't as well laid out as it should be. The RX-8 is outdated with the CD center piece but has a layout that ages well. | ||
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PROS +A leap forward in (import) sports car design +L-shaped headlights are unique and look good +Beautifully styled profile CONS -Black upper lip -Poorly designed interior |
PROS +Nice interior CONS -Where do I start? -Smiley face front fascia -Black upper lip -4 doors and sports car don't mix -Hunchback of Notre Dame profile |
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| Video Source: YouTube via Car and Driver |
| NOTES |
| If you want something sporty and room for 4 passengers,
get a sports sedan. That's what they're made for. If you want a rotary engine sports car, get an old RX-7. That's what they're made for (or wait for the next one if it ever comes out). The new Z is a lesson all automakers should learn: make cars lighter. The 370Z added about 200 pounds of safety equipment yet loses a few pounds compared to the 350Z. |
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