I still cant get over the fact of why the 350z is so heavy, especially the 06 . I can understand that it will be a bit heavier because of the larger displacement engine but for its size most people would expect it to be lighter. Im surprised Nissan didnt try putting it on a diet instead of increasing its hp. Although this may not be a good comparison but in contrast to the 350z the S2000 is more than 500lbs lighter. Although its only a 4cyl its still just as quick as the 350z. What makes the 350z so heavy anyways. I mean its only a sports coupe, not a 4 banger family sedan. Alright my rant is over....

Although it may be a heavy car I still wouldnt buy anything else....

 

the 06 has the same engine...the only difference is variable exhaust timing. displacement is the same. some of the extra weight came from bigger wheels/tires albeit not much. I suspect the extra weight came from interior sound deadning and the rest came from the exhaust valve stuff. 05 rev-up Z is still the best IMO

 

I don't see the Z as in the same size class as the s2000. It is more in the size class of the SL500 while the s2000 is in the size class of the SLK. After owning a 500 SL for many years, the S2000 and SLK just seemed small. Nevertheless, if the s2000 had not been so noisy, I would have gone with the Honda.

 

look under a z and you will see. s2k isn't extremely light either. it is tiny and weighs over 2,900 lbs. or look at the audi tt; smaller car but heavier, or the same. but i'm sure that thier weight is geared more towards thier inteiior.

 

The SLK's (previous and current models) actually weigh more than the new Z's; their folding hard top is a lot of that.

Probably the biggest reason the Z is so heavy is that it's based on a midsize car/SUV chassis (G35, FX35/45 all have the same chassis), rather than being a discrete chassis or based on a lighter car chassis.

We're hoping that the upcoming G37, Z and GTR will share a lighter, specialized chassis and lose a few hundred pounds.

 

Maybe this is too obvious, but I think it's heavy because that helps keep the price down.

 

I guess I'm lucky the curb weight of my '04 base is 3188 which is only a little over 300 pounds heavier than the s2000, and right on par with a lot of other sports cars. Maybe that explains why I always beat the s2000's when they want to race. You're right though, the '06 base is like 3339 which is over 200lbs heavier. That's probably thanks to the 18" rims... HID's... heated mirrors... and any of the other stuff they've added. It also comes with 13 more hp so go figure... the hp:weight ratio is almost identical. I'd still take the '06 base over the s2000.

 

They could of made the 350z lighter but I bet it would raised the price of the car quite a bit.

 

not sure if the 300hp engine actually makes the car faster. the revised cam and intake boosts HP but looses torque..

Is Nissan listing 0-60 time for the 300hp Z lower the the original 287hp Z?

 

The 350Z is lighter than some cars and heavier than others.

Location:
New Hampshire

BTW what do you drive?

 

the corvette z06 has a curb weight of 3147 pounds...a Z with a stripped down skeleton interiors like the lotus elise shouldn't weight more than 2900lbs.

 

The Z06 may have a big V8, but its also got an aluminum frame, which is about 100-150 lbs lighter than a steel frame like the one used on the Z. The Z also has many steel body panels, while the Z06's are all aluminum and a couple carbon fiber.

The Z weighs a lot because its mostly made out of steel, not aluminum, as its cheaper.

 

Yeah, it's the platform shared, porky pig chassis. The S2K has it's own space frame.

 

Look at the last gen Preludes who are at almost the same wieght as the the Z. But has 2 less cylnders, I think the power/wieght ratio isen't that bad on the Z.

TT or Supercharger will make you forget all about a diet.

 

I'm just wondering why steel would be more expensive than aluminum?
I thought aluminum was one of the most abundant element on earth.
Is it because processing Steel + Aluminum frame cost more than just steel?

 

stop making those midnight trips to taco bell while sleep driving man

 

Aluminum is one of the most abundant elements on earth, but getting it out of the clay is difficult, requiring vast amounts of electricity to get the molecules to seperate out of the clay and stick together. This high cost in electricity is one of the main reasons its more expensive, that and steel is easier to work. Oh History Channel, what don't you know?

And yes, chassis sharing is one of the big reasons the 350z costs so much less than the old 300z tt's (though of course they're still making a bundle on us because we HAVE to have one no matter the cost)


'04 Chrome Silver Touring - still stock until the bank account comes back up from the initial purchase

 

what's the poundage exactly on the '06 models?

 

You hit the name on the head. The 350Z, G35, FX45, all run on the FM platform which has been beefed up to handle the stresses of an SUV. What you get is a chassis that although heavy, is very structurally rigid and confidence inspiring. You all have probably noticed that the 350Z is a car you can get into and immediently feel like you can push it its limit without spending much time in it. The ultra-rigid chassis is a reason for that.

 

Our Engines