Now believe me, I like the new Z, still have one on order...

But is anyone bothered by the fact that so much is shared with other Nissan/Infinity platforms? The engine being the VQ from the Altima,G35 (Maxima?)...the body style being so close to the G35 coupe (see post with side by side photos), the interior ***** and some other trim no doubt are or will be a lot of standard-issue Nissan...

The one thing that's bothered my about my A4 is that it's always confused with a Jetta, and the 1.8T is used all over the VW line. I was hoping for a little more uniqueness in my next car.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

I have never confused the A4 with a Jetta.....

 

I'm not bothered by the use of some common, well tested parts. There are plenty of unique parts on the Z are geared for performance (carbon fiber drive shaft, engine tweaks, exhaust manifold, forged wheels, etc). Nor am I bothered by Nissan releasing a similar coupe in its luxury line. The Z will always be something special.

 

The sharing of common components is meant to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce their cost. Remember the previous Z, everything there are uniquely developed and manufactured and the price of those Z are well beyond many folks in early '90. Nissan got into financial trouble because they don't know how to share to compete effectively. If you want Nissan to have everything unique in the Z, then you're looking for the price of Boxster S. So, take your pick. The 350Z achieved this cost point with this level of performance is due totally to the sharing of components with other platforms. This practice also improve the performance of their other cars. This way comsumer is benefit. Hope this help.

 

.....if the G35 was the performance leader of the two. But as Automobile magazine said in the June issue, the G35 "leaves the gunpowder for the Z to play with."

Doesn't that bring a smile to one's face!

 

Look at the new 911/Boxters. They share approx. 45% of the parts. Now, does anyone here EVER get a 911 confused with a Boxter?? I think not. Not trying to rag on you ... but this is how the auto industry works these days. Let me see ... Jaguars using Ford engines, Cadillacs looking like Cavalier's (past history ..remember the Cimmaron) . I'll stop here cause I could go on forever talking about this subject. The Z is unique and hope I never see one "Riced up" with all kinds of sh%t bolted on so that it looks different than a G35 Coupe.

 

Well okay...I feel a little better now.

I know I should just wait until the car is here before I make any assumptions, but it's just so dang HARD to be patient!

Ps...trolling the Nissan parking lot on my way to/from work...I'll have the digicam ready if I see anything...

 

I think the whole Nissan lineup will have similar styling cues and some shared parts, especially if the Z is a hit. It's the only way to keep the cost down these days. Even the Murano has similar guages, steering wheel, etc. As in any car company with numerous models, there's a family resemblance. It's the name of the game. I agree, though, that a resemblance is fine but seeing the exact same stuff in a mini-van as in my Z would be disconcerting.

Now, as to the guts of the car, I wouldn't worry too much. The G35 is geared towards touring; and, if it shared any parts with the skyline, you wouldn't see me complaining.

 

probably no one wants it to be like that

 

You know it has struck me of late that our new Z is a very clever use of the Nissan Parts Bin, with of course a unique body style. (BTW: I consider the Infiniti coupe as the copy and not the Z). There's a stigma about churning out cars from the parts bin and I believe this surfaced from Detroit's sometimes ill-conceived models. Where the Z is concerned, however, I see the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.

Advantage #1: Reliability - This stuff has been tested in the real world. I plan on keeping my car as long as my previous Nissan's, namely 10 years, so reliability is very important.

Advantage #2: The aftermarket is more likely to support a vehicle who's parts can be developed and sold for other models.

Advantage #3: As mentioned earlier, the PRICE is outstanding - better performance than the previous model, for a lot less money. And that's after six years of inflation!

Disadvantage #1: Handling, Performance - not likely an issue here.

Disadvantage #2: A slight loss in prestige, i.e. not owning a truly unique car. I was going to say Audi TT, but even the Audi TT shares the engine and drivetrain with the more humble A4.

I guess as the Audi TT proved, as long as you do a decent job with the interior and exterior, no one will care about the parts bin phenomena.

Just my 2c.

 

Actually a lot of folks confused the 911 and the Boxster. That's why they changed the headlights and front end on all the 911s (not just the Turbo's- which have always been different on the 996 models) in '02 to further distinguish the models.

Ethan