Quote:
Originally Posted by 280driver
That's the problem right there. But, they would sell more if they invested in R and D. How many new Mustangs have come out in the past 9 years while the Z has remained the same? For that matter, how many times have they redesigned the Altima, Sentra, Rogue etc. Why buy a new Z when you can buy identical used Z's all day long? Come on Nissan, keep,the Z fresh and it will sell!
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There's not that much to change on the z to be honest. The chassis design was miles ahead of the competition from the inception of the 350z, and the z34 improved upon it vastly. Back in 2004, no other car besides the s2000 had a chassis design capable of matching the Z in it's price range and I'd say 7/10 times the Z can beat a s2k where it matters. Cars like the Camaro and Mustang couldn't hold a candle to the z33 chassis. Even the German chassis were inferior apart from the total build quality and power. Not even the e46 and e92 chassis could compare in terms of design. It wasn't even until the latest Mustang chassis that ford could even compare to chassis design with the Z.
With the exception of bolt on parts like brakes, tires and engine packages. There is nothing really lacking underneath the surface. All of the subsequent upgrades would just make the msrp significantly higher for a car that is almost 100% unaccesary for the majority of the drivers on the road. And this is the ultimate flaw with the Z chassis. So much cost has gone into the chassis, there isn't much more you can add without driving up the cost for a one dimensional sport car. Atleast with cars like the mx5 and s2k, you have lightweight and a superior soft top design, and everything else has a backseat.
The convertible Z was a complete afterthought to the original purpose.
The majority of people just don't have the roads readily available to them to fully enjoy or understand the capability of the Z chassis.
The 3 liter turbo engine is probably the most sensible long term upgrade. If for no other reason to just stay current with engine trends and power figures. Will it breathe life back into the design for future buyers?
I doubt it. Rant over ..