Era of the Muscle Car is over

sensi09

Some people consider the Z as the "muscle car" of Japan compared to the likes of a RX8.

Chan Chee Hoe

Oh,the Mazda RX-8 'drinks' more fuel than the 370z,but only produced 231 bhp,the only advantage is lower road tax[only in S'pore] & can sits 4 persons.

sensi09

Regardless of fuel consumption, the Z was generally considered "a japanese muscle car" between the likes of say a RX-8 and S2000 more in terms of power and driving characteristics.

BrokenVow

I've got a major case of second hand embarrassment.

NotmyGTR

The RX-8 isnt even drift worthy in Japan. The 7 on the other hand is a demon. But, muscle,in Japan........thats a tough call. Depends on what shop you are getting your work done, and what your goal is. Concerning speed on the track Im not sure many (if any) can beat a well tuned R-32/33/34. 1/4 mile is a different ballgame because of the weight difference. A 700hp Supra will give a 600hp R-34 fits in the 1/4, but get its azz handed to it by a 450hp S-14. Change the course to high speed runs........now the field is wide open. JUN auto has a Z33 that will do over 200mph all day. Top Secret has a R-34/JZA-80 Supra/Z-32 that will all go over 200mph. With the exception of Power House Amuse, HKS in Kansai, and Midori Sebi Center, the majority of the shops dont care what the car is or if its a Toyota or Nissan, they build up an RB-26 and drop into whatever as the basis for the power plant. But Z as the muscle of Japan...........no sir, that title is reserved for the GT-R. Im not saying that because I have had 3 of them either. I lived there from 1991-2006. It is what it is. Dont get me wrong, the Z is loved and cherished, but not titled as the muscle.

As for the posts about Ford this Chevy that.........Really? Im sorry, I didnt catch that....was that another RE-Invention commercial on TV. Oh, O.K. that wasnt for Nissan, my bad.

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1996 Skyline GT-R LM fully tuned by Mines/2006 Nissan Titan 5.6 SE Texas Edition/2009 370 Base w Sport Pkg

370Z Purist

As a prospective engineer, and one who just spends hours on researching cars, it somehow never fails to impress me when you have cars with massive displacement being destroyed by cars like the 370Z, light, aerodynamic, and ... smaller displacement.

Talking to a friend who is currently an automotive engineering major, he essentially tells me it is now the age of tuners, at least in a performance light. I just wonder how cars like the '66 Chevelle had only four gears, torque that would blast off the line, yet after reaching a peak speed of 120 mph, be easily destroyed by some random Japanese tuner with a much higher maximum speed.

m4a1mustang

lol this is madness.

The Mustang isn't going anywhere... and I know not to mess with them because if you run across a boosted mod motor you're toast. Those things are sick.

I'm sure you guys haven't been paying attention (and why would you?) but the 2010 GT500 is putting down 490rwhp and 511 lb-ft STOCK.

Take a stock GT500 and swap the factory blower out for a 2.8L Kenne Bell and its 752 rwhp and 681 lb-ft. And the car will take it over and over and over.

Don't get me wrong... I love my Z. It's an awesome sports car and it's great what it can do with only 3.7 liters (and it's a boost monster, too!)... but I bleed Ford Blue. There's nothing like driving a v8 Muscle Car. Nothing. It's one of the best things in the world... I can't wait 'til I'm able to have the best of both worlds.

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370Z Purist

But GT500's aren't even stock to begin with!

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-Phil

"Since one of my brake light bulbs just went out, the forum told me that my piston rings are about to blow."

m4a1mustang

LOL if it comes from the factory that way, it's stock!

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NeedforZ

You're right, I haven't really been paying close attention to what Ford is doing. The retro styling thing kinda lost me. My first Mustang was a 97' GT with a whopping 215hp. Ford wasn't getting any love with the early mod motor. Really liked the car but it didn't have any guts.

m4a1mustang

Yeah, the first go at the mod motor was pretty weak. Not until the 99-04 models did we really begin to see what kind of potential these cars had.

With only 260 hp and 302 lb-ft stock they weren't too formidable (could run a 13.9 with a great driver)... but everyone quickly found out they loved some gear. My NA '03 4.6L ran a 13.6 with 4.10s in place of the stock 3.27s... crazy!

Then the '03 Cobras came along to really fire home the fact that the mod motor demands boost.

The 3-valve 4.6L in the 05's and up is just awesome. Like the Z, the car is "detuned" out of the factory. Restrictive exhaust, intake, and very conservative tune. With bolt ons and a canned tune they run 12s easy.

Add in a helping of boost and you've got a 500+ rwhp daily driver that you can count on to last you forever. Hell, the 2010s even have an optional factory FRPP blower... so it's conceivable that the brand new "stock" '10 GT is packing a little more than 315 hp... more like 500-600!

Like I said before... can't wait 'til I can park a 2010+ GT next to my Z. I'll be in car-guy heaven!

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Sardis

I see a lot of upside in all of this. We are seeing evidence of it now. BMW giving us a 300 hp 3 series that can be easily boosted for nasty power. Next gen M3 will most likely use a turbo engine, M5 M6 most likely as well and lightened. If all this noise brings us back to lighter weight, that for me at least, is a huge win.

I love the current M3, but honestly I loved the E36 2700 pound M3 for. It was just a far more balanced enjoyable car. If we go back to lighter weight and engines that can handle boost, we get the best of both worlds.

Looking at F1.. They constantly try to slow these cars down, dropping displacement, all kinds of rules. The engineers are always a step ahead and can usually or in some places exceed prior years times by advancements in other things besides raw HP.

Audi has talked about dropping weight, just about everyone is. I am stoked. I have never been into Muscle Cars, I would like to see them around.

I find it pretty cool the Americans can produce something like a CTS V, which has the fastest 4 door production time around the 'ring amidst bankruptcy. I can only wonder how their current situation would differ if they would have been doing this kind of engineering all along

m4a1mustang

Check out this bit of fun on Ford's new "EcoBoost" engine program.

Jalopnik - EcoBoost Goes Drag: Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS Hit The Strip - Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

So yeah... M6 drivers who can't drive... don't mess with Grandpa in the 13-second Lincoln!

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RCZ

Yes hybrids are taking over the common car and I personally think that is a really really good thing. I don't see why we have to think the two are mutually exclusive though. 95% of drivers don't really care how many liters their engine has, they just need to get from point a to point b. The car is a tool so it is OK for them to drive hybrids; more gasoline left for the rest of us to burn . The other 5% include all of us who are reading this and frankly I don't think it is the end of the muscle/sports/super car at all. Mercedes Benz is still making 650hp 6+ Liter twin turbo monster daily drivers and people are still buying them. I see new supercars coming out of the woodwork these days. Even McLaren is coming out with replacements for their F1 and a new car to compete with Ferrari and Porsche. Zonda is still in business with 7.3L V12's. Le Mans still has 50+ cars.

This whole "green initiative" is going to become just part of everyday life as time goes by and all the rage becomes normality..

I dont know...Im not all that worried...

SiXK

I enjoy your post RCZ, but I respectfully disagree here.

1) It is a bad thing because once most people start to drive hybrids the govt will try and regulate/tax the rest of us into them. It will get very expensive to drive sports cars/gas guzzlers. Most people will not drive hybrids until forced to do so by economics. Its true most people are not into sportscars, but people love SUVs, trucks, etc...

2) More gas for the rest of us to burn? There is no gas shortage. There is no oil shortage. There is an intelligence shortage in Washington where they won't allow us to drill our own oil for our own use.

3) Hybrids and their batteries are a far bigger environmental threat (specifically their manufacture and disposal) than our internal combustion engines and their exhaust. Electric cars with batteries will never be viable options IMO. Tesla will not be the answer.

4) Global warming is BS.

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Magnetic Black 2009 370Z / Pearl Yellow 1991 300ZXTT