370Z = old technology?

Originally Posted by jcosta79

Variable valve timing, lift, and all it's variations, is not new technology by any stretch of the imagination. If the next gen Z car does not have direct injection, it will definitely be considered old technology.

Originally Posted by jza

Here's an article that talks about possible reasons not to use DI (read: cost). Although considering the price of the Z, they probably should be using it by now

Originally Posted by alcheng

Of cos the 370z is "=" old technology.....

It has a 4-stroke gasoline engine, which has been exist for 80+ years.

Change direction through a steering column.... a day 1 technology since automobile is invented.

Use wheels/tires to transfer the kinetic energy into motion... this is also since day 1...

Use friction to stop the vehicle..... that's old school method too....

Change gear manually, well, we choose to do that.....

Look.. they even have roadster at that time:



so... what's wrong with our Z???

We like our Z, so we drive one regardless....

Originally Posted by UNKNOWN_370

l lol... Luv it!!!

Repped! The thread should be closed on your note.

Originally Posted by 11Thumper

Sure, there are cars out there with more modern tech. No doubt about that. It depends on what you really want. I'm not sure why the OP even brought this up. It's not like Nissan claimed DI for this car and then people found out they were scammed after buying it. Buy the car that fits your own needs/interests/budget. I do think Nissan failed some with allowing their bean counters to be too involved with product development (no oil cooler in '09-'11 models for example) but hey, the majority of drivers don't push the car enough to require it anyway so why make everyone pay for this feature. Allow people to upgrade on their own. The fuel economy could (and should) be better for this car but if you can't afford the gas this isn't the right car anyway.

I own an aircraft that was built in 1951 and the technology (other than electronics) hasn't changed a whole lot in 61 years. Even in modern airplanes I still have to adjust the fuel mixture manually to compenstate for power setting and altitude.

Nothing seems to evolve as quickly as sportbikes when it comes to technology. The '09 I have is totally outdated by the super fast ZX123456 model. Oh well...

Originally Posted by NissanGuy23

I wouldn't say the Z is old in any respect at all, infact its a hell of alot more modern than its American rivals!

Originally Posted by 11Thumper

Dude, the Camaro can transform...

Originally Posted by Rockhound

I would hesitate to classify it as strictly “old technology” – as that carries an unnecessarily negative connotation. I mean, there’s plenty of truly old technology out there that still can achieve impressive performance (think pushrod V8s and live rear axles).

That’s not to say that Nissan couldn’t incorporate some technologies such as direct injection for potential gains, but the Z’s performance is mostly a matter of its power/weight ratio. Same with the examples you mentioned. The new Accord Coupe was tested by Motor Trend to get to 60 MPH in 5.6 seconds, with a 14 sec 1/4mi @ 101.4 MPH.

C & D’s first 370Z instrumented test resulted in a 4.9 second 0-60 and 13.5 sec 1/4mi @ 106 MPH. Weight between the two is very close (as tested in those two tests the Accord Coupe was 3367lb and the Z was 3373lb). Roadholding was of course much better for the Z at 0.97g versus only 0.83g for the purposely softer Accord.

I guess what I’m getting at is that shaving considerable time off of your acceleration figures once you’re in the sub-5 second range is a matter of diminishing returns. Look at the Nismo, for instance, with an additional 18hp and 6lb-ft and yet I think the normal 7AT Z still turns in the best 0-60 times.

The bottom line is that performance cars have less room to improve than normal sedans and crossovers, so this isn’t just a conversation for the Z. Heck, base Corvettes (430hp 6.2L V8) achieve a 4.5sec 0-60 - just 1.1 second faster than an Accord Coupe.