inTgr8r

iTrader: (1)

They're going to loose a LOT of business.
Me for sure.

Darthvol

Well, when and what else others do will also determine whether they lose my business or not. When and if is a Lexus F-coupe and/or hardtop 'vert. coming out? How much will it cost? How about the Supra? Will it be a hybrid? Will it fly? Will it be as fugly as the mag. pictures? Will it be as small as a Lotus Elise, in which I can't fit and use as a daily driver? At what price will the most inexpensive GT-R avail. in the US be offered (assuming more than one trim level)? How long will Chevy wait before coming out with a C7 'vette? By then, how much hp will they put in the base model? What kind of mileage are all these cars gonna get, if gas keeps going up through the roof? Will there be a "little Z," or Urge?

And of course, we all know about the much debated and unknown questions about the Z. While I'll probably trade by 2010 at the latest, I'm not sure. The bottom line is the next several years are gonna bring a lot of excitement for folks who like fast cars.

d2d2

How reliable is their source and where the heck did they get this info from?

JDMFairladyZ33

iTrader: (37)

Hey guys look on the bright side, we are not paying the $46k price tag ceiling right now that the Z32 was going for....yet.

Darthvol

Answers: Who knows, and who knows?

They can't reveal who told 'em what, or they won't get anymore supposed inside info. from their source. However, remember that job one for auto-journalists is to sell magazines and/or advertising for their website. If they don't report rumor and innuendo, they lose out to competitors who will. I also continue to believe that most if not all mfgs "float" rumors out to the press on purpose from time to time, to assess public reaction to a given idea.

It's all speculation, but it's fun to speculate about this stuff. When's the next-gen Z coming out? Engine displacement? hp? tq? Colors available? Wt? Size of nav. screen? Cupholder location? Ya know what the Brits would do? Take bets on all this stuff!

Peak350

iTrader: (6)

Its not a bad thing either, BMW is on 9-year model rotations with engine changes mid-cycle. The HR could represent the engine change, there was a face lift in 2006, so I really don't think this is a bad thing, helps stabilize resale value. I told one of my friends who works for BMWNA that I had read this and he said it would make sense, because they don't want the car to just quit selling, people still like them, they are still a good value, why ruin the resale on the brand by remodelling the car constantly.

JunkStory

I agree, lots of people still like the look of the 350Z.

RBull

I agree with all of this except: "constantly". It's been 5 model years now and 6 in a few months. Hardly what I would call constantly. A complete refresh is overdue.

Rampant

Because the upcoming competition is getting fierce (Camaro, Challenger, potential Supra, etc.) and the Z needs to keep up. Just dropping in the 3.7 won't be enough. However, I think they are really waiting to see what everyone else does first, as well as focusing on new products (GT-R, potential Silvia replacement).

Also, I can't see an OEM caring about resale value. They don't want people to buy old cars -- they want people to buy new cars. A dealer, maybe (they sell a car one way or another), but OEMs want to move new cars.

AroundMyHorn

iTrader: (9)

Z still looks good...whats the problem?

inTgr8r

iTrader: (1)

The problem???
Well for example.. I started in an '04 G35, my current car is an '06
When it comes time to buy again, (~'09) why would I consider a car that's relatively unchanged since '03.
It's like moving backwards in time!

AroundMyHorn

iTrader: (9)

lol...how about you not buy the car until a new one comes out!!!!

inTgr8r

iTrader: (1)

because I'll have a zillion miles on the odo by then

I am with Z

hey, the Z is going to get the 3.7 09 ,calm down

jasonkimberson

iTrader: (5)

i hope its true, makes me a happy camper!

Peak350

iTrader: (6)

I disagree with overdue. Look at successful sports cars, the Corvette ran from 1997-2004 as a single model (C5) from 1984 to 1996 before that. The 911 is on a long rotation cycle. E36/E39/E46 all 8 year rotation. The Viper even longer. These are cars that have holding value, yes less people want to buy new because it looks the same, so they bring new stuff out every year. Chevy adds performance to the Vette, BMW waits to bring out the M3, then brings out a performance package 3-er a couple years later that ups on the 330/335 but is still not an M3 to sell the bread and butter cars.

Nissan has had to redesign often to get their base market re-established after almost falling into bankruptcy. But if a car doesn't hold value (GTO) its not going to move off the lot and you don't re-earn your design costs. If you get on a longer rotation cycle for redesign you can fine tune the design more, invest more in the design, and ultimately produce a better car that not only lasts longer, but better fits the demands of the market.

The G37 is a great car but its still barely competitive in the market that its trying to compete in. It wins only in price at this point. The 350z needs more power and thats really it. The chasis has great response, a little too small a set of tires, and a little lack of power, but is otherwise superb. Why redesign a car that still sells great and gets lots of attention, especially when other sports cars don't see the same redesign cycles to justify it. Just build it better from the get go and make it more affordable by stretching the production length.

Miraclekidjr

iTrader: (3)

I hope they don't change the Z for 24 more years because I can't afford a new one and I'll still look up-to-date, but faster

RBull

You make some good points to consider. I see it a bit differently myself however.

You're comparing the Z to cars in a higher category, which typically have longer design cycles due to costs and smaller markets served and larger initial investments that you pay for.

Japanese cars have shorter design cycles. That's generally one of the reasons that N. American manufacturers suffered with sales because they were slow to invest and truly redesign their cars in the past. As well all manufacturers have dramatically reduced their time to market from concept to production so it makes it easier and cheaper to get newer cars to market now.

There are a large number of cars coming into the market now that could be cross shopped with the Z. Doing a good redesign now on the Z would boost sales. There are a lot of improvements that can be made besides adding some power. Anything over 6 or so years in a cycle on a car in this category is for me, too long. I wouldn't seriously consider buying an '08 '09 or '10 Z that hasn't had a serious makeover.

Peak350

iTrader: (6)

I understand your point. But my thoughts are .... Pontiac and Saturn just got the sky, its an OLD design, it comes from the Speedster GT (and GT turbo)....see Opul (sp). The miata is not competition or really redesigned for that matter, The S200 is again, smaller. The 350z's "biggest" competitor as far as performance and size would be a BMW Z4/Z4 coupe, but there really isn't a good comparison because you're cross shopping a BMW then. There is no Japanese equivalent, and the closest American competition is the Corvette (IMO of course). This is the reason I make that arguement. The 350z was the halo car for Nissan, just like the Vette was for Chevy back in its heyday. The GT-R is going to take that spot now, as the dream car people come to look at and drive off in a "insert generic car" (Versa, Sentra, Altima, Maxima, etc.). Because of the GT-R I would rather see more improvement of the Z33. A dual exhaust development, a better version of the Nismo Z or something to make the Z33 stand out in its last couple years of production. Those are the cars that returning 350Z buyers will buy without the company investing in a full redesign.

The idea then, is instead of spending billions in redesign and retooling before they have to, they can put the money to bettering their bread and butter products, and ultimately have more to spend on their sports cars when it comes time to redesign them. We see a better designed car, better performance that holds up longer against the competition, and the cars will hold their value better.

Chrysler has flooded the market with old E-class platformed tanks and made a fortune with what was a tossed out Mercedes design. The same can happen with any manufacturer, it just takes the desire to make subtle changes that anyone can tell the cars apart by, encouraging new car sales, without spending so much in a redesign and bankrupting the company.

ZinMiami

iTrader: (2)

That Vette is sweet. It well may be my next car. I love my Z and would like to go to the next model, but thats 4 years down the road. I was thinking about an 07 Z but not really worth it from an 04, IMHO.