brembo brakes, lighter wheels, and spoilers are good ways to enhancing the Z's performance for the serious performance drivers, but i feel nissan could had taken the theme of the "track" model future and churn out a car that is even more of a serious performer, without having to up the price a single dollar (of $35K). here are some of my (hopefully realistic) ideas in what i think the "track" model should be:

1) weight reduction and removal of unnecessary comfort ammenties: chuck out the AC, the stereo, some sound deadening inserts, and whatever else is not moderately necessary for a serious driver.

2) mimimize computer/electronic interference: chuck out the traction control and vehical dynamic devices. most serious performance drivers prefer to control their car with their own steering, throttle, and braking inputs and would turn off those devices anyway, so just the lsd alone would suffice.

and with the money saved from the exclusion of the above mentioned:

3) slightly more power: freer flowing intake/exhaust is a start, but also massage the engine "mildly" to extract a little more potential out of it (via more aggressive cams, port & polish, etc...(just basic and minor stuff to prevent excessive cost).

4) enhanced handling: more aggressive tires (e.g. SO3's), more aggressive shock/springs, and more aggressive rollbars. (nothing too extreme, just whatever's possible to stay within the price target.)

5) add a pair of more supportive and hugging front seats.

notice my idea of the ideal "track" model is akin to honda's philosophy in designing their "type-R's". basically, the philosophy is to minimize the uncessary, while enhancing the vehicle's performance mildly/moderately without radically altering the car and/or add an exorbitant premium to the price tag.

so let me know what you all think...

 

1) Honestly, a car without AC or a stereo is... Weight reduction could have been done though.
2) Gotta agree with you there, but it could come handy in an emergency.
3) WERD!
4) WERD AGAIN!
5) I dunno, I think the seats are fine.

 

not neccesarily. remember, there are still other models that would keep people happy such as the touring, and performance models. all i'm saying is that the track should be more differentiated as a serious performance car from the other models, especially with the connotations that the name "track" carries... besides, the majority of Z buyers do not buy the track model (maybe cuz it's not enhanced enough to justify the price). most opt for the touring and peformanc models.

the way i look at it (and i know i may be biased), the major enhancement the current track model provides is more aesthetic than anything. the orange brembo caliber, the stylish volk wheels, and the chin/rear spoiler sure does make the car look better... i'm not saying the three component do not contribute to performance...it's just not enough to justify nissan's marketing pitch with the track model. supposedly, nissan is telling us that the track models is more ready for the track...compared to the other Z models...

 

I think that's a good idea, however, I also believe brembo brakes should've been offered as an option on the touring model to offset that. THen the track would've been an actual track model and the touring would've been almost like a track... I dunno about removing A/C, they could've put more lightweight materials however and kept the VSC, i'm sure that only adds like 10-15 lbs max..

 

i agree with the brembo options, but i feel it should be offered with the performance model and not the touring. the touring is aimed for those who want additional "cruising" pleasure, and thus the power leather seats with heat and 240watts stereo. the performance model is basically a touring without the the leather and stereo, and thus is more aimed for performance drivers (thus the name for that model, i guess) and more deserve the brembo option.

 

they probably are. most OEM tires are more expensive...probably due to more limited production. despite the OEM's being more expensive, the SO3's are by far a superior tire to the stock ones. bottom line is that price alone does not determine whether one tire is a better performer than the next. car manufacturs usually opt for tires that have better all around performance in different weather and road condtions as well as noise and ride comfort. this is best in general, but for serious performance drivers can be a huge compromise.

 

I dunno about that. I think touring is for people who want luxury as well as performance. If they wanted "cruising" pleasure the Z is not the car to go for, that would beh the G35C, the ride is too punishing on the Z to just cruise, esp. with the porpoising. The perf. model is basically a Z with some of the higher options, but at a cheaper price to make it affordable for people. If I had gotten a perf. (which i wish I did), I would've just bought my own aftermarket brakes.

 

The vast majority of Z's, of any model level will never come closer to a track than the parking lot.

A truely dedicated track version with no AC or noise dampening material would not do very well.


There aren't many people willing to spend over $30,000, actually, over $34,000 for a car without AC.

 

Good points. Even full on "Race cars" like the 360 Modena, M3 CSL, 911 turbo... They all have AC's, and radios too..

 

difference between track and touring is supposedly like 30lbs... the idea that they are in the rims is what makes it enticing. and the brakes, untill you learn they arent even made by brembo, and brembo is offereing a better set aftermarket. so who's really winning at the track? me thinks the enthusiast.(or base if you forgo all luxury)

as for the Type R bit. good idea, but honda doesnt even bring them over any longer, perhaps a sign that it doesnt work. and type R still had AC and radio.

as for better seat, rsx has the seats your talking about, I think the Z is just as good. from sitting in both.

no VDC, that weighs nothing, its electronics, maybe 5lbs in silicone. tho probably less than a pound. and it can be turned off. but I assume your only removing it to save cash for the other options.

as for better rubber. they already have their own rubber dont they? rear rims are a different size than all others, so they must have their own brand, why they chose that brand, I dont know, they must have reasons I guess....

weight reduction, I think they reduced everything they could to get it where it is.

 

The only reason I considered the Touring was for the seats, and the Track for the wheels. But there's just no way I'd pay that much more for a car that isn't either lighter or more powerful. I've strongly disliked the whole concept of trim levels from the first minute I read about the car.

 

If Nissan were to do the things you said, it would not only cost more, and would probably not sell as well. Nissan has been doing budget cuts for a while now, and their aim I think is to make costs as little as possible. That's why almost everyone of their cars is using the VQ engine. So, to have normal trim levels, and then a Track model that is drastically different from the other trims would add to their costs. Besides, if someone is a serious racer, they could remove the AC and stereo themselves, but the majority of people are not going to be driving this car only on the track. The only thing I wish was that the Touring model had the option of Brembo's and the Track wheels.

 

i dont think those cars are full-on racecars... off the top of my head, there are the nsx-r, 911 gt3, and maybe the csl. with that said, you don't buy those cars for their interior accommodations.

 

people, i know the "track" model i proposed above will not entice the average Z buyer. i am only suggesting that a car like that will fill a niche consisting of folks who feel the Z could be less "compromised" performance-wise. yes, i know a person can remove the AC, and stereo on his/her own, and can easily also turn off the VDC, but doing that would be wasteful and the money required to include those devices in the car during manufacturing could be better used on performance goodies desired by performance junkies who would be enticed by a "track" model to begin with. you're right, most folks will not take their Z to the track and/or drive their Z anywhere near their potential, but there are a few that would, and a Z like the one i proposed would satisfy these folks. remember, the "track" i propose will NOT be a pure racecar, but merely further performance enhanced. you still can add a stereo or an AC if you like, but it will be an additional cost because you absolutely WANT them and not forced on you. besides, like i said above, there are 4 other trim levels for the rest of the Z buyers to choose from if the "track" is too extreme for them. also, aside from being less wasteful, purchasing a car that is pre-modified by the manufacturer saves you the headache of warranty issues, cuz once you start turning bolts to remove this and that, you risk the possibility of voiding your warranty.

as for costs, the type of enhancements i proposed above should NOT jack up the price above that of the current "track" model. remember most of the enhancements are just bolt-ons and since a set of OEM shock/spring set, tires, or exhaust system will not cost much less than their aftermarket counterparts (presuming they opt for installing aftermarket parts instead of doing the r&d to produce their own as they have with the brembo brakes and volk wheels), substituting these parts should not increase cost too significantly. most of the additional cost will be from engine work, and the sum of all the additional cost should more or less be offset by the cost saved from excluding certain devices. remember, the integra type-R basically had similar enhancements like i've proposed, and msrp price difference between the ITR and the GSR is no more than $3500. the difference between the current track model from the performance model is already around $4000.

speaking of the ITR, the car DIDN'T come with AC, radio, or power windows when it debutted in the US in 1997. also, the reason honda opt not to bring their type-R's to the US, is NOT because there is not a market for them, but mainly due to the difficulty in getting the cars emmision legal (within reasonable costs) as well as low profit margins. an extreme "track" model Z will probably also result in a low profit margin for that model as well, but having such a car in its lineup can help enhance nissans image as an extremely serious performance capable and oriented company (which is what it's trying to achieve to some extent) and we all know that brand image goes a long way for a company's success. this is probably one of the main reasons why honda has the nsx, s2000, as well as type-R's (at least in their JDM market) in their lineup (despite the fact that they don't make much profit out of them). it helps to instill an image of high technology, innovation, and performance capable, instead of just a boring company that is green friendly and sells civics and accords (which is where they make most of their profits).

 

remember people buy the Z for different reasons. some buy them for the performance, others buy them for the looks and image. a person buying a Z for the purpose of cruising instead of performance driving is not that outrageous. why do you think some people buy their Z with automatics??

 

unless you are a serious performance driver who does threshold braking on a regular basis, then a set of brembos will not be more than a set of pretty orange calibers behind the wheels. and if you ARE a serious performance driver who does exercise threshold braking on a regular basis, then wouldn't you also be enticed by enhanced handling as well as power???