yeah, I dont understand why these car companies dont make their sports cars wider and shorter like ferrari's and such... that would be sick!

 

Here's a thought. How many car makers (other than Porsche/Ferrari/Lamborghini) have MULTIPLE sports cars in their line up? I can't think of any. Has anybody confirmed that the Z will even BE in production after the GTR comes out?

When the 350Z came out, what happened to the Silvia? GONE!

 

that would be super ghey if they axed the Z! The Camaro and Vette ran side by side for many years... Mazda has the RX8 and the MX5. Maybe Toyota will bring the Supra back, then I will jump ship...

 

In my opinion, the Camaro and Corvette are extremely different cars at extremely different price points. Same with the RX8 and Miata. The Z and GTR seem to be pretty similar, but at different price points, possibly extremely different price points. The Silvia and Z were completely different, yet they still discontinued the Silvia.

 

I think Nissan should discontinue being ghey and give us the Z we want with the service we want!

 

Wish in one hand and $hit in the other and see which one fills up first.

 

why the hell do people complain about interior?? It's a goddamn sports car, go buy a freakin mercedes if you want luxury.

PS- I really like my Z's interior, it's good quality

 

OK. Everyone is saying the corvette is a hell of a lot of car for 40K+ Dollars. This is true but the Z does not need to compete with that. It needs to be 3/4 the car at 3/4 the price. IMHO that will be sufficient when combined with current perceptions about japanese vs. domestic cars.

Talk of discontinuing the Z is rediculous. It's a bonafied hit, both in terms of sales and as a halo car.

So here's what we need:
-3.7 VQ - Nissan needs to give this engine a slight bump in power over the G37 340-350hp. The vette will be making 450+hp in the next couple of years.

-No bump in weight. Cars get heavier every year. Realistically Nissan is not going to make it much lighter if at all, to use a different platform would comprimise the Z from a cost standpoint. If Nissan reduces the weight of the Z by 100lbs i'll be impressed but realistically i'd be satisfied if it maintained th same weight as it has now.

-Styling. Nissan is a little bit ****ed in this department since the current car is such a Japanese styling icon. Ideally it'd be evolutionary but still beautiful a refinement of the car's current styling without dissapearing into annonyminity. The Z MUST be drop dead sexy. The livelihood of the car rests with it's styling.

-Dont go crazy on the interior. The whole reason the Z is as cheap as it is is because Nissan cuts corners in places. Performance and price is what they should be going after, other aspects should be slightly compromised in order to maintain a sub 30K starting point.

-Standard LSD on all models. C'mon this is basic.

-No FI. Sorry guys but the availability of an upmarket model dilutes everything. Even with FI the Z wont be able to compete with the Vette without major changes to the chassis, which would drive price up. Also who want's to have the Z with the basic engine? Not me...not most of you, but the reality is that most of us couldn't afford the FI option. If there was an FI option i think a part of me would say "man i'll take an evo over a Z with the crappy engine." One of the best things about the Z is that the performance comes standard. Sure you can add as much luxury as your wallet can take, but no matter what Z you get, you know it's going to be about as fast as any other one.

 

The current power is fine. Just reduce the weight by 500lbs and you'll have an instant classic.

 

Agreed my interior is just fine....buy a new G37 if you want a really great interior......and a back seat=(

 

When i say interior quality, I mean the fact that the plastic is showing wear and tear after one year in my car, and I considered it to be pampered. The dash has a wear spot above the first HVAC control ****, and below the volume **** where my knuckle rests when I adjust the volume... I don't have any rings or watches... Just my skin, and it rubbed off the black paint that covers the dash so now I have a silver blotch...

 

What year do you have? the 06+ Z's have a slightly nicer interior. Mine is still not showing any signs of wear.

 

A transmission that doesn't grind.
Windows that roll up and down (and stay clean).
A suspension that doesn't feather tires.
+50-75 more horse power (factory turbo).
A sticker price that's +10K.

 

All the moms and dads buying these cars for thier kids - and having to pay for the insurance.

 

reduced weight will champion over increased HP

 

I have to disagree on this one in part. When I look at current Z options/pricing, I cannot see buying the higher priced model when the base vette is not that much more basically because of the hp difference. I bought a lower end 350Z in 2003 because the performance was about the same regardless of price. Today, if I was going to spend close to 40K for a Z, I am going to compare it to other cars and this is the problem, the Vette is on another level for not much more.

Those that are happy with the existing VQ do not need to spend more money but if a FI was offered it would make me want to buy another Z. Without that option, I cannot get the performance I want with a warranty thus the Vette gets the nod.

 

I have an 06 that I bought brand new last august. It's my DD, but I spend hours every month waxing and detailing it and I never take food in it.

 

+1

The Z will most likely get the engine in the current G37 +/- minor differences, and therefore, significant changes/gains will only be made in 1) weight reduction, and 2) suspension upgrades (as so intelligently stated above).

Another potential gain: lighter wheels. The old Track version rims were about 18-19 pounds per. That was enough for a 0.2 advantage on the 0-60 runs, all other things being equal.

And, per Porsche, the Cayman S was spawned to steal buyers away from the Z (amongst other objectives), so if Nissan's marketing dept. is smart (?), they'd come back with a superior answer to the Cayman S.

 

it's not even fun over here.

 

Christ the new 37 makes it much worse....