Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic Bus
I don't think that it will lower the price of the car, as I highly doubt that they'd use the same manual transmission as in our current Z. So a new one would have to be developed, which would increase expenses for R&D and retooling of the assembly plant costs. Currently the Z, Q50/Q60 & GTR are assembled in the same plant in Japan and if they continue this business model. It's just seems much more cost efficient to use the same engines & trans as the Q cars. Plus add to the fact that Carlos Ghosn's M.O. is one of cost efficiency and it doesn't appear good for a MT option.
Chevrolet/GM and BMW, which come quickly to my mind, have multiple cars that will share a manual trans, thus making it much more cost efficient than a specially made transmission for a single low volume sales car. Hope I'm wrong, but at this point, with no manual trans for the Q60. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't come with one, or the manual trans will be an add on option with a higher cost than it's automatic sibling.
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I think this is the one situation where Ghosn will be forced to concede on the cost-efficiency option as far as transmission offerings.
The Z primarily sells to the Z cult following. If you eliminate the manual transmission, you had better hope that your potential conquest sales base is large enough to compensate for the Z cult buyers that will undoubtedly buy something else. A large chunk of the cult Z buyers have the buying power to move to something like a Porsche Cayman S or 911 to get their purist MT sports car. The Corvette also comes to mind.
They can dork with engine choices all they want. This was already tested when they abandoned the carburetor ... tested again when they boosted... tested again when they abandoned the straight six... tested again when they went back to NA. As long as it makes appropriate power, you'll keep the OGs. The way power can be made has certainly evolved since the carb'ed 240Z days. One might argue that the way power is put to the ground has evolved, but there's more at stake than efficiency here - we're talking about engagement with the driver. The Z is one car that has to go against the grain of automated numbnut machines being stamped out with CVTs and tempurpedic seats.