Quote:
Originally Posted by koeppelnissan
With the recent price increases on the 370Z, they may be trying to find a way to keep a sports car in the high 20's. At 45k for a Nismo or a loaded Touring, the Z is losing out on many customers.
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I think there are two reasons for this losing out.
1) I think at 45K, there are plenty of SRT-8 Challengers, Mustang GT(Boss, whatever trim is around there - probably GT with all the niceties) on the road. Why these over a Z? One big reason in today's market is they're usable daily cars with power (backseats, trunks) and the 370Z is not. This makes 45k for a sports car much more justifiable for many people. You could take a Challenger on a long road trip for an extended stay somewhere. Highly unlikely in any Z unless you're by yourself. Even then, packing for a 10 day trip by yourself is pushing the cargo capacity of a Z.
2) Power. Even though the Z can hang on the track with a GT Mustang (can hang, not saying it blows these cars away or anything before any V8 fans get their panties in a bunch), horsepower is the most marketable figure for a sports car. To the casual sports car buyer, at the price point, a guy is looking at a GT Mustang and seeing 400+ HP, and back at a Z and seeing 300+ HP.
I really think Nissan could see many more Zs on the road if the car was a 2+2 making 400 HP to compete alongside the pony cars a bit more nicely in today's market, but it may be too late to jump in there with the way the car market is going, in addition to having to sell against the pedigree of cars like the Mustang and Camaro.
On top of that, Nissan executives seem more fixated on 40 MPG than 400HP in anything save the GT-R. I half expect the next Z to come with some revolutionary "race-grade" CVT transmission as an option, at which point I will buy a Mustang out of spite or simply keep the last of the Mohicans in my 40th Anniversary Z. Seriously - these are managers that say the Juke is suitable competition to the Subarota twins
