Considering a 370Z Nismo
 

Hello to all,

I just joined the forum recently. I am sorta new to Nissan. I bought my first Nissan (a daily driver) about a year ago. I really like it. My parents have had a Nissan for many years so I decided to get one and leave GM behind.

I have always been a GM fanboy up until I bought my dd. I have owned Corvette for many years. I like NA HP. However, Vette pricing for the new Z06 is at GTR levels. I'm not spending six figures for a new ride anymore. My last one was a 2010 Z06 which was near six figures out the door.

I am considering a new ride and have settled on the Z nismo. I know that the Z is NA V6; my biggest concern is HP. Is there any bolt on's that can add HP without going FI???

I have liked the Z ever since it first appeared as the 350Z. I like the body style; it sorta evokes (the rear) Porsche. I never liked the style of P-car but for some reason I DO like the Z.

I have not pulled the trigger because I am wary of 350 hp. It seems like the Nissan engineers could get 400 'factory' hp from the 3.7L engine. If my buddy can get 682 hp from his GTR V6.....seems to me it's possible. Although FI....the new Z06 is FI as well (V8 FI 650 factory hp).

I know the new way of getting HP is through/by FI. Vette has gone there with the Z06 and the new mid-engine will debut next year. It is rumored to be a V6.....!!!

I am scheduled to go to the Nissan dealer on Saturday to look at a white nismo with auto and tech - ->(Nav?)

What is a good out the door price for a new nismo? It stickers for 48,600....

Thanks
Tim

A GTR is a twin turbo v6 not all motor thats why he has that power.

Bolting on the Z will add very minimal horsepower. Intake/Exhaust/Tune ETC..

Then you will hit a HP wall and the only way you will get more HP is with FI or Internal motor work.

What options beside the tech package did they add for it to be 48+? Mine was tech manual for sticker 46xxx and i went out with 43300

Lets put it this way, if you keep the Z NA, expect with full bolt ons, including hfc exhaust intakes tune around 300-315 hp WHP depending on dyno. The ZO6 is a definite upgrade over the Z. the Z however drives like a dream and going FI is blissful which id suggest if you would like Corvette power. try pushing for 44 k on Saturday

what im trying to say, you will definitely miss the power unless you put forth for a turbo and in that case id buy a base with sport.

Make sure you can set your expectation level to a lower horsepower car before you pull the trigger. It took me about a year getting used to my Z coming from a 10 second quarter mile sport bike but now my Z has plenty of power for what I want. If your intentions are just strictly straight line grunt then the Z may not meet your needs. Better yet get the new C7 (no Z06) for about 10k more. Ive been looking at those pretty hard over the last few months.

Well, my thoughts are that a 400ish hp car is the best all around for a dd/er. I want this next car to share dd duty with my other car. I have abandoned GM, as I "was" a GM fanboy ALL my life.

My last Z06, they really made angered me.....that's a whole other story.

I will always like Vette, but I'm moving on. Been there for many years and done that. I want a decent sports car that is not going to break the bank so to speak. I also want a "reliable" sports car. One that will take the occasional heavy foot, but not penalize me by dropping a valve and imploding the engine.

I'm thinking that Nissan builds a very solid car. I have not viewed any threads where guys are losing their engine. Sure, all cars have some issue. I've never seen one that doesn't.

I think if I settle for less power that I gain reliability with the Nissan. Is my thinking flawed?

Why is that? I was thinking that the Nismo would be a more sturdy car...? Is this flawed thinking?

What sort of internal work? Forging?

I went back and looked at their ad again since I read your post. I had the vert and the coupe mixed up. The vert is the 50k car, not the nismo...? that does not make much sense to me. Isn't the coupe faster?

The white nismo w/auto and no tech is 44,500. Happily, I'm wrong. Thanks for your post. The vert is 50k?

Add: I'm looking at the Nissan of McKinney (Texas) website at the 370Z area.

The Nismo is just a Base+Sport with a body kit, a suspension that plenty of Nismo owners upgrade anyway, a cat back and slightly better tune, and a set of sweet wheels. If you have extensive mod plans, the Nismo is kind of a waste unless you really love the body kit.

I do NOT want to mod it much, if any at all since I want it to share dd with my other car. I'm done with the cars that's only weekend, and then only if the weather is nice.

Since I want it to share dd duty, I want a solid car that offers some fun to drive and is reliable.

Would I get that with the Nismo. I like the way it looks but will settle for the sport model. I am also worried the nismo will bite the pavement on sharp inclines and end up destroying the front air dam.

Is this a problem dd this car (model)??

(dd=daily driving)

Pistons, Rods, Cams all that good ****

Never mind you're going from a V8 to V6 :rolleyes:

Most people think the Nismo is noticeably harsher than the sport. For a DD, the sweet spot IMO would be a touring+sport.

A Nismo is a waste??? Wow this always come from base and sport owners, find a Nismo owner that thinks there car is a waste, SMFH. It's about owning THAT car......... Just like M3 vs 335, SRT8 vs R/T, ZO6 vs Grand Sport or S Class vs AMG ect. You can mod anything to be faster, but some like myself just prefer to have the considered top tier version, just personal preference.

Yes, I am. I 'think' I'll be happy with a V6 as a fun car to drive and offer reliability for a daily driver. Should I look elsewhere, and stay with a V8?

Add: another reason I'm looking at V6 is fuel economy since I will daily drive this new car along with my other.....I do get reimbursed for mileage, but only at 42/mile....so, that alone rules out a V8 because of city driving, they still suck the fuel. I know fuel prices are down right now, but how long that will last is anybodies clue.....I'd be rich if I could predict that lol!!

I've compared the Z's (on paper, side by side) and the Nismo body is reinforced to make it stiffer overall. I like that so that is why I landed on nismo....

Here we go again. :rolleyes: Yes, if you plan on switching out suspension and modding the powertrain, you have tossed out pretty much everything that makes a Nismo special other than the body kit and wheels. Thus, unless you really love the body kit and wheels, or need the penis extension that a tiny little numbered plaque gives you, a Nismo is a waste if you plan on heavily modding the car. Since the OP isn't planning on that, let's drop it since a "Nismo VS Base" thread is right up there with "What oil should I use".

The only reinforcements are two body dampers you can bolt on to any model.

Thanks. Maybe I'll save myself a few thousand and look at the sport model to get the bigger brakes.

For this car, I want something that is fun to drive and reliable. I do not intend to let it sit in the garage. I'm done with that.

Apples to oranges. Nismo does not nearly offer the same improvements that the M3, SRT8, Z06 do over their lower tier models. M3 is a completely different car basically due to all the chassis stiffening and different engine.

I'm not hating on Nismos, I like the look, especially the new one. However, like others have said, if you plan to mod and unless you love the body kit, it doesn't make sense to go with the nismo.

Chuck nailed it, I'm just hoping you don't think the Z is gonna gun like the z06. The nismo is a beauty indeed, however if you plan on modding as others stated go the cheap route and save a some benjis for the mods!!

Im sorry but this argument is totally invalid. in all the cars you have listed above the top tier like the M/SRT/AMG all have worthy gain not just a body kit and wheels (though I might add is very beautiful on the Z)

I do not plan to mod unless I really need to. I wanted to dd this car along with my other. I'm done with paying a butt load of money for a car to sit in the garage. I want a car that I can drive in my work, be reliable, not cost me a lot for upkeep AND have some FUN factor.....not so dang boring..

Go ahead and plan for sway bars and a cat-back at the very, very least. Paint protection film for sure since Nissan paint sucks. And an oil cooler if you are in a warmer climate or drive spiritedly.

I do live in a HOT climate. I do like a spirited jaunt every once in a while to cut the boredom. Does the Nismo oil cooler need upgraded if all I do is street....some spirited?

Another concern is the front splitter. Will that be an issue if dd this car?

Oh, you're in Texas? Buy an oil cooler. A big-*** one. It's no big deal if you have to cover part of it in winter.

The splitter may be an issue depending on your usual commute, driveway, etc. It's a low car with a long nose. But you're coming from a Vette, so you should be used to that already.

Not to nitpick, but the 350Z is actually the 5th generation Z. Before it, there was the 240/260/280z (1969), 280zx (1978), 300zx (1984), 300zx (1989). They've always had the same basic shape to them, they just got a lot curvier beginning with the 350z ;)

Get the Nismo. My 2015 loaded tech is a daily driver and I love it. Go look at a 2015 Nismo next to a regular 2015 370Z and the Nismo blows it away visually. Recaro's are amazing. The body kit is sick and the suspension is amazing. I get stared at all day driving this car. No one knows what it is. Not many out there like a Corvette so you would be in a special group.

My local tuner shop says they can get at least another 30hp out of the Nismo with a tune and test pipes. So now your at 380hp. These guys know what they are doing so I believe them on the hp.

Go Nismo. You won't be disappointed. 380 hp for around $45k manual not bad. What is the vette like $60k for a decent pkg and 450hp?

You do not need an oil cooler unless you plan on tracking your car here in Texas.

Sounds like you are getting th Z OP. Pick your poison. Your best buy is the base with sport package. If you want leather and nav go with Sport. Nismo for the track monster. All good choices and drive them all.

Yes, the base Vette (Stingray).

I had the Z06....much more power and a LOT more money too. A new one today with track pkg IS six figures.

I know I have to get use to less power, and that's ok. I'm not spending that kind of money anymore on a car that depreciates. Been there, done that. More than once I might add. I coulda bought a really nice rental property what I've shelled out for Vettes that sit in the garage and depreciate.

This time, I'm spending less money and gonna drive the thing.....I'm resolute on that.

Yes, I was aware that they've been around since the 60's. However, I do NOT see the resemblance from the early cars.

If you're not go to mod your car then get the Nismo.

If in doubt drive both the Nismo and a Sport package and then decide. Either way you can't lose as a Z is a terrific DD.

OP - I will lend my two cents to your dilemma as I have daily driven my current Z for the last year and 19k miles and have owned 3 different Zs in my lifetime.

I currently own a 2013 Sport + Touring package. I have driven it every single day for the past year except for the occasional business trip. I enjoy the stereo, heated leather seats, and the homelink mirror the touring package offers. That being said, I'm very interested in picking up a 2015 Nismo, but will likely only be able to execute in spring of 2016 if I do it at all. The reasons for that are: 1) I'm a Z fanboy - have been for a long time, which leads me to 2) the visuals upgrades of the Z Nismo are staggeringly awesome to me - I feel it's the best looking Z ever released straight from the factory, and I would have no desire to add anything to the exterior of the car - no carbon fiber accents or spoilers or vinyl or anything. 3) the Recaro seats are a nice finishing touch. 4) contrary to what many people are saying, there are a couple other small upgrades for the manual version, the key of which is the shorter final drive (3.92?) vs whatever is in the rest of the Zs offer. There is no change for the automatic. I'm purely interested in the manual, though for some reason I'm curious about the automatic lately. 5) I'm getting less interested in modding my car and more interested in having a bunch of things out of the box - I enjoy driving more lately than getting into pissing contests with Camaros and Mustangs. The Nismo offers a lot of things that I want to add to my current car, and I'm finding that I'm comfortable with the power the Z has already anyway. I don't need a 500hp DD, and while I've had my fun modding cars and such, you always introduce more complexity when you mod. I find that I'm growing out of that as well. Everyone is different.

I can tell you, being in AL (hot AND humid), the factory oil cooler is just fine (you get it in 2012+ models) for daily driving with the occasional spirited push through some backroads. I have never gone into limp mode (happens at oil temp of 260 degrees), but the highest I have ever seen was on a 6 hour road trip (about hour five as I got into the Atlanta area) on a 105 degree day before heat factor - that temp was 240 degrees, however this was on my 2010. I have never seen higher than 220 on my 2013.

As a sport/touring owner, I can say that if you like music but not enough to go aftermarket, you'll want the tech package for bose audio. As a DD, you may also enjoy having heated side mirrors. My second Z did not have them and I found that I missed them if the car ended up outside overnight during the fall or winter. I'm not sure if the Nismo has those, but it's one of those small things you think about if you use the car as a DD.

The approach and departure angles of the Z can get you into trouble with weird driveways and such, though the 2015 Nismo's front bumper doesn't stick out as far as the previous Nismos. I don't know how it compares to my sport/touring, but it is very close. The Z is shorter than the Vette though, so on a test drive, you may find it easier to maneuver around stuff. There are still weird dips and speed bumps I avoid with mind, but I can mostly get around without a problem. I'm also on stock suspension, FYI.

As for reliability - I have never had a single issue. My first Z (2010) I put 40k on the clock (6MT). Only repair I had was a bad tire pressure sensor - covered under warranty, the other was the steering lock recall. My second Z I only put 8k miles on, but long story as to why I had to get rid of it. My current Z has been everything I expect from a Nissan so far - only oil changes and nearly 20k miles. There is the looming potential of CSC failure, but it seems less frequent in newer Zs and far more frequent in 09s and 10s. Should that happen, I'm prepared, but like you said, every car has its issues. Earlier models had steering lock issues, but they recalled against the older models and the newer models have the updated steering lock switch, so that's that. The VQ is solid - just keep your oil changed, stay out of it until the oil is at temperature, and you'll be just fine.

As for your desires in a car - I think you just need to drive it. You seem to have been around the block, so to speak, regarding your performance cars, and are looking for a blend of daily practicality and reliability yet a hefty dose of fun. You can get that in a Z, but only you can fully know that after a good test drive. If you weren't coming from a Vette, I would advise something like a G37/Q60 coupe to give you a trunk and some backseats for any extra stuff you may carry, but I feel your expectations are aligned fairly well in that regard. With respect to the arguments of ride quality/stiffness, I've never driven a Nismo, so I cannot attest to the difference in ride stiffness from my car, but I don't have a problem with how my car rides - I know that it's a sports car. However, since that is so subjective, you need to find that out for yourself on a test drive. Everyone has their own tolerances.

Sorry for the book, but I felt this was the input you were looking for. Hope to hear back from you after you've had a good test drive. I think you'll find things you like and don't like.

You buy the Nismo for handling. The dang car is on rails if you know how to drive. Just take off the 245/40 19's on the front and put on some 265/35 19's and you are good to go. It is more than enough for the street. The ride is great as long as you are not on an extremely bumpy road/interstate. I just drive in the fast lane where the ruts are not as bad. I think about changing up the suspension but I see no need, at the moment, to sink 3-5000 dollars in a better suspension setup. That's what it will take to beat it.



I need to hit a track day or 2. I just don't want to get addicted to another money pit of a hobby at the moment.

I'll repeat it, let a Nismo owner tell me there car is a waste. I had a M3 and currently own both a SRT8 and a Nismo and yes, I've modded them both. My Nismo was stripped of the stock wheels and tires, suspension, audio and some exhaust components in the first week of ownership and I never once thought it was a waste because I modded it to my liking, that makes no sense. That's like when the E92 M3 came out, guys were saying it was a waste because you can add a V1 or JB3 tune for $500 to a 335i and it be faster, but guys like myself like M3's and Nismo's and there's nothing wrong with that and as long as the buyer likes it, it's not a waste.

The NISMO is the correct choice if you are not making MAJOR modifications. I agree with most of what has been said in this thread so far, except the oil cooler bit. TX can be very unforgiving with heat. Spirited driving will cause issues in TX with regard to oil temp. Just make sure that you have a plan for the freak super cold winters...........

I'm happy as f@que with mine! You're either a nissan/nismo fanatic or you're not. Who cares if BMW offers more stuff.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...4571fca9ac.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...5713b529f9.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...b81f533dca.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...a9efcd936c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...a030fcd035.jpg

Take it out for a test drive. The Z is NOT going to be as powerful as the cars you've mentioned, but you will definately notice a unique driving experience. You will see where the Z shines, especially the Nismo when you throw it into corners. A fellow member recently posted his review of the car and stated that he felt the Z was "on rails" going into corners.

JuanP216, your Nismo looks good man, More pics please.