I have seen the spy video of the next gen, (smaller) "350Z" testing at the Nürburgring.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=121314

from

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ight=spy+video

I have also read, in the fall 2007 issue of Nissan Sport, that " If you listen closely, you can hear the rumor drum pounding away on what may or may not be coming out of Japan. The buzz is still high about a lightweight sports car -smaller and lighter than the Z, but cheaper too."

Does anyone else think these two stories might be related?

Maybe that car in the video isn't a Z. Or at least not a Z as we think of it now.

 

 

Were they not talking about a 240sx replacement at one point?

 

Could be, but I also track politics a little and think automakers are (or at least, should be) keeping an eye on Washington. It's likely that the CAFE standards are going to be increased in the next few years. How much will depend on who gets elected in 08. If Nissan were to design a sports car platform that cut down on weight and accepted different motors, it would keep Nissan’s options open.

If a free-market president and congress get elected, CAFE will see little change. Most of the efforts to deal with energy/pollution will involve exploration for our own sources of energy, moving toward a nuclear power grid and incentives for the auto industry to build and market plug in hybrids and other related technology.

If this happens, Nissan could shoehorn the latest 3.x liter VQ into their new, lighter, platform. More power and less weight will add up to even greater performance and position Nissan well in the sports-car market.



On the other hand, if a more regulatory-minded president and congress are elected, CAFE standards could increase enough to end the HP wars we enthusiasts have enjoyed. Muscle cars, like the upcoming Camaro, would be sunk.

However, if this new "mini Z" platform is light enough, Nissan could install an aggressively tuned 4-cyl and still keep the power to weight ratio close to what we now enjoy.

It's just a guess, but I think Nissan may be keeping its options open so it can compete in a market that could change drastically in the next couple of years.