Had a chat with a Nissan designer today...
01-03-2008, 08:22 AM
#61
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I thought we would see the 370z or whatever they end up calling it at the Detroit Auto show on 1/20/08. Has anyone else heard this? The Silvia is also supposed to be unveiled...
01-03-2008, 09:14 PM
#66
Well, my designer friend and his wife (she does the focus group studies there) stopped in for a visit last night. They both swear the new Z will be unveiled at a major auto show THIS year and it will be available late in the year as a 2009 model. They said the design for the new Z was finished before the new Maxima, which will also be debuting as a 2009 model (no-one has seen anything about those, either... just like no-one saw anything about the new Murano until right before it is ready to drop).
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
01-04-2008, 05:01 AM
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Originally Posted by MustGoFastR
Well, my designer friend and his wife (she does the focus group studies there) stopped in for a visit last night. They both swear the new Z will be unveiled at a major auto show THIS year and it will be available late in the year as a 2009 model. They said the design for the new Z was finished before the new Maxima, which will also be debuting as a 2009 model (no-one has seen anything about those, either... just like no-one saw anything about the new Murano until right before it is ready to drop).
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
01-04-2008, 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by MustGoFastR
Well, my designer friend and his wife (she does the focus group studies there) stopped in for a visit last night. They both swear the new Z will be unveiled at a major auto show THIS year and it will be available late in the year as a 2009 model. They said the design for the new Z was finished before the new Maxima, which will also be debuting as a 2009 model (no-one has seen anything about those, either... just like no-one saw anything about the new Murano until right before it is ready to drop).
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
01-04-2008, 01:12 PM
#70
LOL, let's just say the person I know just laughed at this. 
Originally Posted by MustGoFastR
Well, my designer friend and his wife (she does the focus group studies there) stopped in for a visit last night. They both swear the new Z will be unveiled at a major auto show THIS year and it will be available late in the year as a 2009 model. They said the design for the new Z was finished before the new Maxima, which will also be debuting as a 2009 model (no-one has seen anything about those, either... just like no-one saw anything about the new Murano until right before it is ready to drop).
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
I happened to drive my Z down to the lot last night, so I had the opportunity to show it off to them and they were both very impressed with what I had done (really made my day considering who the comments were coming from). The wife said she would be calling me to participate in future Z design focus group studies and my new designer best bud in the world told me that they usually get a couple of prototype factroy first models in to do final tweaking and color testing on and he told me he could likely slip me in to get a first look at the new Z when they get them! I am freaking stoked!
01-04-2008, 01:13 PM
#71
Originally Posted by 5iVe
I like the sound of that. I believe your designer friend over that other guys. I'm sure that you'll keep us updated and let me say thank you for this info and all the other info that you will hopefully give us in the near future.
01-04-2008, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by SOLO-350Z
So you rather believe someone that is posting false info about it? Don't you think Nissan would have announced it in 2008 at a autoshow for a 2009 model year like ALL car manufactures do? They aren't going to suddenly bring it out in 2009 and show it in 2009. The car is going to come available in 2010 as a 2011 model.
yeah, but don't take it personally, I used to believe in the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, Santa Claus, and god... so I've been misled before and I'm sure it will happen again.
01-04-2008, 06:30 PM
#73
Originally Posted by SOLO-350Z
LOL, let's just say the person I know just laughed at this.
LOL. Makes no difference to me what anyone believes or not. I'm just reporting what I learned first hand from the guy in the corner of the picture on the lower left of the last page of every Nissan brochure out there. He was the Nissan Design representative being interviewed at the San Diego auto show last week. Now whether or not what he told me is entirely accurate, no-one can say; he may or may not have first hand knowledge of such things as a designer and nothing he told me can be considered official. One thing is for sure: the design for the new Z is totally done. If they hold off on it's release, it is for internal reasons. Personally, I don't see why they would. It's not like a new Z is going to steal any of the GTR's thunder. Plus, the Nismo Z, being a sort of "last hurrah" ltd. ed. will complete it's run in '08, paving the way for the new model, so I doubt they would keep producing the 350Z unchanged in '09 (maybe skip a year if they really wanted to wait?). Anyway, time will tell, I guess.
Oh, and I'm not sure who you're referring to as the person you know as having had to do with the design of the Z, but if you're talking about Ajay Panchal, the designer of the 350Z, my guys know and worked with him. They said he recently moved to France and had his Solar Orange '07 350Z shipped over there with him. I forget who they said he was working for over there.
Last edited by MustGoFastR; 01-04-2008 at 06:33 PM.
01-04-2008, 07:30 PM
#76
I have been requested to not mention his name. But he goes to every ZCCA convention and is one of the main speakers. And no it isn't that guy.
Originally Posted by MustGoFastR
LOL. Makes no difference to me what anyone believes or not. I'm just reporting what I learned first hand from the guy in the corner of the picture on the lower left of the last page of every Nissan brochure out there. He was the Nissan Design representative being interviewed at the San Diego auto show last week. Now whether or not what he told me is entirely accurate, no-one can say; he may or may not have first hand knowledge of such things as a designer and nothing he told me can be considered official. One thing is for sure: the design for the new Z is totally done. If they hold off on it's release, it is for internal reasons. Personally, I don't see why they would. It's not like a new Z is going to steal any of the GTR's thunder. Plus, the Nismo Z, being a sort of "last hurrah" ltd. ed. will complete it's run in '08, paving the way for the new model, so I doubt they would keep producing the 350Z unchanged in '09 (maybe skip a year if they really wanted to wait?). Anyway, time will tell, I guess.
Oh, and I'm not sure who you're referring to as the person you know as having had to do with the design of the Z, but if you're talking about Ajay Panchal, the designer of the 350Z, my guys know and worked with him. They said he recently moved to France and had his Solar Orange '07 350Z shipped over there with him. I forget who they said he was working for over there.
Oh, and I'm not sure who you're referring to as the person you know as having had to do with the design of the Z, but if you're talking about Ajay Panchal, the designer of the 350Z, my guys know and worked with him. They said he recently moved to France and had his Solar Orange '07 350Z shipped over there with him. I forget who they said he was working for over there.
01-05-2008, 04:01 AM
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Originally Posted by islandsnow
Can't imagine the new maxima looking like a GTR, can't wait to see that.
01-05-2008, 06:39 AM
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Here's a cautionary tale for you.
I'm into Buell motorcycles, and I frequently check in on a forum (very similar to this) for Buells.
The admintraror there allows Buell insiders to post anonymously (and exposes people trying to post anonymously who don't have a valid reason). The insiders offer great information for trouble shooting, mapping ECU's etc., but when it comes to future models, they're very evasive and always down-play rumors about new models coming out (so people will continue to buy the current models rather than waiting ).
I remember one very specific case in which, about a week before a dealer show, this photo popped up:
along with an article claiming Buell would unveil the bike with a 1200 cc engine that would out-perform the 984 cc engine that was, at that time, the top engine being offered and black frame to differentiate it from the silver frame on the XB9.
An anonymous poster scoffed at the article and said it was (paraphrasing) completely off and there wouldn't be any black frame.
A week later, we got the official photo from Buell and it was identical to the one posted (though the details showed the frame was actually dark gray rather than black ) other than that the article seemed pretty darn close to what was actually unveiled.
Bottom line is that the last thing true insiders want is for a model to be anticipated prior to its arrival. They want to be able to pull the cover off and go: "Ta-Da!" and surprise as many people as possible. They don't want people saying: "I'm not going to buy that model sitting on my dealer's lot because I've heard a new model will be coming out this year.
Bottom, bottom line: NO rumors coming from "insiders" can be trusted.
If an insider says a great new model is on the way, you have to ask yourself: "Why would that person who has reason to keep this secret be running their mouth? Are they stupid, irresponsible, lying about how much they know or all of the above?"
And when an insider says "don't expect anything soon", they could be telling the truth or they could be intentionally misleading - choosing the good of their company over giving jerks like us any real information.
So if we can't trust "insider information" where does that leave us?
I'm betting (based on model cycles, competition, the re-design of the G-37, lagging sales of the 350Z, the fact protoypes have been out running for quite some time and the fact that there were no real updates for 2008 and current dealer inventoreis seem sparse.) that a new 2009 model to be unveiled sometime this year is very realistic.
I'll put that possibility at a 60% chance with a 30% chance of a 2010 model to be unveiled at a 2009 show with a 10% chance of something later than that.
I'm into Buell motorcycles, and I frequently check in on a forum (very similar to this) for Buells.
The admintraror there allows Buell insiders to post anonymously (and exposes people trying to post anonymously who don't have a valid reason). The insiders offer great information for trouble shooting, mapping ECU's etc., but when it comes to future models, they're very evasive and always down-play rumors about new models coming out (so people will continue to buy the current models rather than waiting ).
I remember one very specific case in which, about a week before a dealer show, this photo popped up:
along with an article claiming Buell would unveil the bike with a 1200 cc engine that would out-perform the 984 cc engine that was, at that time, the top engine being offered and black frame to differentiate it from the silver frame on the XB9.
An anonymous poster scoffed at the article and said it was (paraphrasing) completely off and there wouldn't be any black frame.
A week later, we got the official photo from Buell and it was identical to the one posted (though the details showed the frame was actually dark gray rather than black ) other than that the article seemed pretty darn close to what was actually unveiled.
Bottom line is that the last thing true insiders want is for a model to be anticipated prior to its arrival. They want to be able to pull the cover off and go: "Ta-Da!" and surprise as many people as possible. They don't want people saying: "I'm not going to buy that model sitting on my dealer's lot because I've heard a new model will be coming out this year.
Bottom, bottom line: NO rumors coming from "insiders" can be trusted.
If an insider says a great new model is on the way, you have to ask yourself: "Why would that person who has reason to keep this secret be running their mouth? Are they stupid, irresponsible, lying about how much they know or all of the above?"
And when an insider says "don't expect anything soon", they could be telling the truth or they could be intentionally misleading - choosing the good of their company over giving jerks like us any real information.
So if we can't trust "insider information" where does that leave us?
I'm betting (based on model cycles, competition, the re-design of the G-37, lagging sales of the 350Z, the fact protoypes have been out running for quite some time and the fact that there were no real updates for 2008 and current dealer inventoreis seem sparse.) that a new 2009 model to be unveiled sometime this year is very realistic.
I'll put that possibility at a 60% chance with a 30% chance of a 2010 model to be unveiled at a 2009 show with a 10% chance of something later than that.
Last edited by ghoover; 01-05-2008 at 06:44 AM.