I've always thought Nissans V6 is the only reason that they are successful.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;...nes&sbid=lc02b

Besides the history of the Z, just another reason to keep it a 6.

 

My point with this thread is to show how Nissan can make a great product. It's just that the market doesn't usually want something in the middle. They want extremes (4 or 8 cylinder). Since the market wanted a strong, reliable, economical 4 cyl. then Honda sold more cars, and if people want hp they(americans) traditionally go with an 8. Is Nissan's hope of ever being the No. 1 automobile manufaturer of Japan doomed if they stick with the 6? It seems like Honda's main focus is the 4 and Nissan's is the 6.

 

I had a 1995 Maxima before the Z. It had the first VQ ever, the VQ30. The engine was literally bullet proof!!! I had it in a 5 spd, and that car was a total sleeper!!! 0-60 in 6.6 seconds for a mid 90's sedan. I put short ram intake and a mid pipe on it (stock muffler) and that thing really moved!! If I ever have kids and have to scrap the Z, I am getting another nissan/infiniti with the VQ V6 in it.

 

i agree...they are fantastic motors. my dad bought a 1997 infiniti i30 brand new back in the day and that thing was very strong

 

I've always loved their 6's. I had a Na 300ZX(late eighties model). It was so smooth and great torque. When the early 90's came around I drove a friends 93' Maxima and It made me remember how torquey and smooth Nissan's 6 cyl. engines are. I think that car was a VE and had 190hp and 190ft./lbs.

I just haven't had experience with Nissan's 4 cyl. engines, but Honda is kicking their a**s in this dept. anyone have experience with these?

 

Nissan has had some very strong 4 bangers as well but never really pushed there performance in the states. The SR20DE that was in the Sentra SE R was very strong and torquey and at 140 hp was running even with Hondas 160 hp civics of the day. Why they didn't give the US the SR20DETT is anybodies guess but they went with the more modern 2.5 they habe now. More modern not more performance. They had and I assume have various derivatives of those engines from the 1.6 on up. I haven't kept up with the new developments with newer 4 cylinders but I am willing to bet that if Mazda makes as big a splash with their 2.3 turbo that is in the MS6 and the upcoming MS3 then Honda and nissans next step will be interesting. I know they have had issues with octane and knocking in some parts of the country but we have 93 octane here and the engines are a dynomo. I suspect they will end up detuning both Mazdaspeed versions and the MS3 may already be. 246 bhp and 280 tq in a 3000 lb car is not bad. Honda and Nissan seem to have their work cut out for them in my opinion. You don't need to have that kind of performance from all your econo cars but you sell from the top down. How many Civics I wonder have sold on the basis that the SI was top dog. All of them were not SIs but they can sell the rest on the laurels of the top version .

 

Yeah great engines for sure. I learned how to drive at the age of 14 on my moms 1992 Nissan Stanza 5 speed manual. Her next car was a 95 Quest with the v6, very relaible. I moved on to my first car, a 1998 Maxima, put 75k on her and only had to replace a fan motor and one belt, sold it to my boy and ride in her all the time. As for the 03 Z I now drive, plans are to have it paid off within 3 years and be buying another Nissan 6, in the form of the M35 sport from Infiniti.