370Z hybrid?
 

I know the idea has gotten kicked around in the rags and all that, but what do you think? I know some of you keep a LOT more in tune with Nissan than I do. I have kept in-tune with GM. I LOL'ed when people mentioned TT V6 and all that, because that's not what GM is going to do. Are you guys LOL'ing at the hybrid/diesel thing, or is Nissan serious?

Just curious as I have my sights on the new Z, whenever that happens. Apparently for 2012 there are no changes. Not even a different shade of grey that I noticed.

Who knows at this point. I was LOL'ing the hybrid EVO idea when that was being discussed...

From what I know. 2 years ago it was being considered, then Nissan came to the conclusion that it might not be beneficial with the current car. They are not completely against the idea for future Z's.
I think the hybrid battery in a sports car would be good for a couple things. That would be to power the electrical components, ecu, A/C etc. I figure by doing this, it will give back some horsepower to the rear wheels considering the battery pulls a lot of power from the engine to power the car.
Another way to put the hybrid to good use is with cruise control and idling. That would save a lot of gas. The only thing is, this technology would have to work in hundreths of a second. For example, you are idling at a red light and hybrid power steps in. No one wants a 1 second delay on an accelerator due to the switch of power when the accelerator is touched. That would diminish sporting intentions. I would guess a sport mode can bypass this hybrid idle mode etc.
I know when we think hybrid, we think prius n think it would kill all the fun. But if hybrid technology can be used in sports cars for other functions than accelerating the car like the ones I suggested? Then it might be beneficial?
As far as added weight. If the mazda rx9 can be less than 3,000lbs then the Z can make it in at 3,000lbs with a hybrid if redesigned with one.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Nissan's hybrid on the Altima is sourced from Toyota. Do they even have their own system yet?

My opinion is that I'm ok with a hybrid Z as long as performance isn't negatively impacted or price artificially inflated.

I don't care how the power is delivered if the car is a reasonably priced true performer. That's what a Z should be imo.

Correct, and its dropped for the 12 model yr Alti.

You know they've got a couple mules running around with the turbo six, right? It may not make it to production, but they're definitely trying to get it going.

Have you guys seen the new Nissan commercial? It has been been airing on Versus TV since Nissan is a major sponsor for the Tour de France. Anyway, it's the commercial where it starts out with a convertible crossover. At the end of the commercial there's a car that has "Z" like qualities and the narration that says "if going electric could feel...electric".

Makes me think that they're still throwing around the idea. Full electric or hybrid? Could be interesting. I don't know much about the technology other than what i've read about the Leaf, Prius, and Volt.

Well if all these hybrid and electric supercars are any indication, the tech is there. the pricing however isn't. Like looking at that porsche 918 its possible to make a hybrid a droooooool worthy piece of bad@$$ery. but the price tag that goes with hybrid tech just isn't worth it yet IMHO. give it a couple years, it will be another sports car dark ages. then about 10 years down the road or so we will another sports car rent-assaince. followed by sports car golden years. etc etc etc

The car in that commercial is the Nissan Esflow concept, which we had many threads on some months ago. It is definitely a concept that evokes an "evolved Z" look, and it is electric iirc.

Ahh.. so it has a name. Thanks for the info. :tiphat:

Once again, the tech doesn't belong to Nissan yet. They can't even make their own system, they had to source it from Toyota on the Altima...

^ I was referring to hybrid sports cars in general. Once a technology comes out, its only a matter of time before its in common use by competitors. I am just trying to promote hope in the impending death of the all gasoline powered sports car.

Yes, nissan has just completed itts own hybrid system. It was introduced last year in the infiniti M. Its called the infiniti direct response hybrid. Its the hybrid system that everybody thought is going into the Z. It will be in the altima with the altimas redesign as a 2013 model, as well as in a couple of future hybrids that nissan is planning on building in the near future.

I consider the Altima a Z car with slightly rounder edges. I bet a version of it does go in the Z at some point.

Interesting info. Thanks unknown!

Ah ,just read this about the Infiniti Hybrid:

Yeah, Nissan porks up the 370Z by 265# it's not going to fly. They may do something, but it better not be this. They already have one morbidly obese sports car, they don't need another.

:iagree:

Plus, the Z is heavy enough on its own. What's it 3200 lbs without driver?

buy a miata if you are so obsess about weight

An Exige might also fit that bill.

I'm not "obsessed" about weight, but it would be cool if they could adapt the hybrid tech without adding 500 lbs or so.

I prefer flingable sports cars to muscle cars. The Z straddles that line.

Have you ever driven an Exige? The car is not comfortable and borderline dangerous on the track and on the street. Modern cars have a lot of safety equipment, everything adds up. Sports package adds nearly 100lbs to the Z, it doesn't stop people from not getting it.

I've not driven an exige, but I've driven Miatas, Z4's, S2k's, Fieros, and a Fiat Spider. I like lightness. I almost bought an MX5 over the Z. This is the most powerful car I've ever driven.

I like lighter cars, and that's just one man's opinion. I hate that modern performance cars are all horsepower because safety standards (some of which are hypocritical) have bulked cars up to the point where 2-tons is considered the norm.

Batteries are f***kin heavy :hello:

A lot of that 100# is in the tires/rims, no? Kindof a necessary evil if you're going to actually plant the power/weight in the corners.

Where else are you getting that 100# from, though?

spoilers, bigger brakes, limited slip diff, all of which enhance performance.

No, but I have driven a 1995 Trans AM and a 1988 Mustang GT with comparable suspension setups and the 1988GT was MUCH more agile feeling even though the steering wheel weighted up about as well as a grand marquis's. My Z06 is much more agile, yet, although a lot of that is superior suspension.

Weight is such a bastard when it comes to enjoying the feel of a car. To make up for weight, you have to add a ton of stiffness, and the car gets all jittery and washboard rough riding.

Much past 3200#, and I lose interest.

How much is a spoiler 5-7#? How much are the bigger brakes? How much is the LSD?

I am just not buying 100#.

Maybe it is, but I'm just not seeing it.

Nissan has the weight of the base coupe at 3,232 and the NISMO at 3,300, including that hidious body-kit and the slightly wider rims/tires on the NISMO (not included in sport package, thank-god.) Probably more like 40-50# difference the way I am seeing it.

I think you're probably about right, but if you add a little more weight for touring and nav options, (heated leather seats, enhanced audio, more electronic gadgetry), it may get closer to the 100# figure, maybe not.

Touring package and NAV do not = Sport package. I was expressing disbelief that tires an inch or so wider and slightly larger brakes and a little spoiler over the arse would = 100#.

I am honestly considering down-sizing and buying a 370Z in a year or two and a house. The Z06 is fun, but the reality is that WHATEVER you drive, it will feel slow to you after a while, and I love the look/interior of the 370Z's. I'm just holding out to see if the C7 can't inspire me or Nissan add another 50-75bhp to the Z.\

Would like to buy the first or second year of a "new" Z, because Nissan doesn't fix problems, and they don't make improvements, so if you buy the first production year--for better or worse--you have about the same car as the last production year.

Ford and GM constantly make improvements and leave you feeling like *DAMMIT! SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT NEXT YEARS!*

Good point about sport pkg.

As for getting a Z later on, obviously I'm biased and I like the car a lot, but you may miss a lot of that low-end grunt that makes the Chevy so special. But you can always cross that bridge when you come to it, and you strike me as a guy who'll do all your homework before pulling the trigger.

I drove a 370Z and to me, it felt identical to my 2001 WS6. Yeah, it's not going to get up and go like my Z06, but the gearing and tq curve really negated the lack of displacement when compared to an LS1/LS2.
EDIT TO ADD:
Looking at C&D's test data, the 1998 Z28 had a 5-60 of 5.6 seconds. The 370Z did the same in 5.5 seconds in one test, and 5.8 in another (I think the first test was when it was new, as I belive it was the same car tested, that they used for their long-term eval).

Like I said, they felt the same to me.

my car hit the scale with a full tank stock at 3349lbs. 100lbs was a rough figure, you are right it is closer to 75, but definitely over 50

19 rims and tires prbably add around 20lbs
brakes and rotors are prbably around 25 heavier
lsd and its axles are probably around 10lbs
srm/bodykit at 10lbs

my prius is 350lbs lighter than the z, it doesnt handle nearly as well. its just a number at the end of the day. its great to be light and small, but you can overcome it with technologies or better parts. my c6 was slightly lighter than my 370, the 370 feels way more nimble.

To expound on unknowns comment, Nissan already has their own tech in production, as evidenced by the Infiniti M35h.

There's supposedly a few Z test mules with this same powertrain tooling about in the continental United States currently.

More on the VQ35HR coupled with two eletric engines (one for each rear wheel) generating approx 350+hp and 375+ tq:
Infiniti M Review: 2012 Infiniti M35h Hybrid First Drive ? Car and Driver

Yes, but if you've got two cars with the same tech, the lighter one accelerates, corners, and brakes with less effort. Basic laws of momentum apply.

Of course hybrid tech will add weight if all you do is add batteries to a 370. But perhaps there are other answers, or perhaps lighter batteries come along later.

Whatever the case may be, I will always like Z's, no matter how the power is delivered, but I hope they can remain relatively nimble, whether that's achieved by weight savings or tech.

But I'll never be in favor of bulking up vehicles. It's not a panacea.

i had said correct me if i am wrong prior to that too. technically the system is exclusive to infiniti, so nothing for nissan ye t:ughdance: