Next gen turbo Z? Possible

edeeZee

I doubt the Z-car will go upmarket, because that along with the overvalued yen is what killed the Z32. I think Nissan and all the other Japanese car manufacturers learned their lessons from the mid 90's.

You know why the 300ZX had an "X" right? It implied "luxury." This deviated from the original concept of 'affordable sports car' that Datsun intended for Z-car enthusiasts.

tvfreakazoid

They are going to make a hybrid and if they do a tt, then it maybe a 4cynlinder engine.

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Mudders milk

need4speed

I can 90% agree with u but even the japanese have there halo cars to the brand.
The z has a history of increased displacement. Its japanese heritage car.
240z 2.4L 280z 2.8L 300zx 3.0L 350Z 3.5L. 370z 3.7L

As you can see we been through to gas crisis. The war on emissions is 30 years plus and the Z displacement continues growing. 40 years of tradition.

The Z is not the only car to see increased displacement from japan either. But being this is a Z forum. This suits best.

havasuwiley

with goverment fuel mandates we'll probally get a 4500 lb z hybird lol

Push370zzz

I doubt that they will put a twin in a similar motor to what they have now, if they did at all it would probably be around a 3.0L V6 that pushes 350-370 hp for fuel economy, along with a nice power bump...and keeping it under $40k. I would seriously doubt Nissan would create two models that directly compete with each other performance-wise when one would be considerably cheaper than the other. That is why the AWD G37 Coupe is kept down on HP...

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Range Rover Sport Supercharged
Nissan 370z Touring + Sport

Spikuh

While I would love to see a TT version of the 370z, the best we will probably see is a hybrid model. Truth be told, I honestly feel this is the best route to take and in the best interest of both Nissan as a brand and for the 370z as a car. My reasoning is this.

The 370z is listed at 332hp out of a N/A 3.7L engine and gets between 19 and 26 mpg(if memory serves). Pricing is $30k - $40k. RWD platform. The GTR (Nissan's flagship vehicle) is listed at 480hp out of a TT 3.8L engine and gets between 18 and 21 mpg. Pricing is in the $80k neighborhood and I'm leaving out the V-spec model (is there a NISMO model?). AWD platform. Nothing new here, we have all known this for a long time.

So on one hand you have Nissan's more affordable sports car, the 370z, and on the other hand you have Nissan's less affordable sports car, the GTR. This is where the problem starts because both cars are pure-bred sports cars (GTR less so imo, but I'm not arguing over a definition ), so they are aimed at the same general market share (those interested in sports cars).

Quick business 101 lesson, its business suicide to have 2 in-house products competing with each other for the same market share as they cut into the companies profit margins. I know most of us here understand this concept, but some do not, so there it is.

Anyway, Nissan's saving grace and why they are able to offer the market 2 pure-bred sports cars revolves around the TT engine of the GTR. Think about it. How much hp would that 3.8L engine make WITHOUT the TT's? 350hp? Maybe 370hp? I honestly couldn't tell you because I am not educated in these things, but how many people out there would buy the GTR with its $80k price tag if it only produced 370hp? How many would buy it for $70k? $60k? See what's happening? The GTR is losing its luster and appeal, all the while coming closer to the 370z in price and competing for the same customers as the 370z.

In the end, Nissan loses money this way and one car will chopped from the line-up. So!!! The solution is put a TT on the GTR, bump it to having almost 500hp, charge $80k for it while marketing the GTR as a super-car killer for half the price of a super-car and boom, the GTR and 370z are in separate market segments due to pricing while still appealing to the general "I love sports cars" market segment.

Quick tangent here and I may be wrong. This may be the partial reason for Nissan discontinuing the S family...

Anyway, back on point, this is partly why we will probably never see a TT model 370z. However, if by some miracle Nissan upgrades the GTR's powerplant to a V-8, and probably 550hp, while bringing the GTR's current V-6 into the Z line to replace the VQ engine (please, PLEASE do this Nissan), I think we could see one. On a similar note, if Nissan DID release a TT model 370z, chances are they would be capping the engine output (I am assuming they would keep the 3.7L VQ) to probably no more than 400hp and who wouldn’t be upset about that when you consider they also have a 3.8L engine pushing 480hp with a similar setup? It would just be frustrating… However, if they didn’t bump the price much (I am thinking fully loaded ending up like $45k MSRP because remember, it has to stay in the “affordable” category) it could work.
That’s enough TT talk, so I will move onto why I think the hybrid idea is the way to go.

Hybrid technology is probably going to be coming to “maturity” pretty soon and considering how obsessed the world has become with the whole “Go green” concept (and rightly so imo) it is a cash cow marketing idea to get in on the forefront. After seeing the article about a potential hybrid 370z in 2011, I think Nissan is on the right track with this one.
If they manage to successfully combine the current 370z with electric technology as they want to do, everyone wins and reaps the benefits. The responsible side of us gets to sleep easy at night knowing we got great gas mileage because of our electric motors while contributing very little to pollution and the child side of us gets to wake up happy in the morning knowing that outside we have a wonderful toy to play with that is even faster because of the electric motors.

There are some other points I could bring up supporting the idea of a hybrid z, but this is already too long for my liking so my apologies for the wall of text.

[EDIT] I failed at copying this back from Microsoft Word.

need4speed

The HP reduction on the G37 is not a competition marketing scheme... lol
Its purely technical. With a new awd system under the car changes have to be made in the cars underbody including a more restrictive exhaust set up, which makes for a different ECU program. Not to mention now power is being introduced to 4 wheels instead of 2 which makes power numbers distribute differently. Another factor is weight. The awd is heavier so weight to displacement you will find another smaller drop in horsepower. You can easily restore the power lost in the awd in the aftermarket. But for nissan to replace partts and keep numbers the same would bring price up to less desireable numbers.
Besides all those numbers on the vq are so slightly spread. What u r saying doesn't make much sense in a marketing sense.
370z 332hp. G37coupe 330hp. G37 sedan 328hp. G37awd is like what 320-325hp? A difference of 12hp. All these cars have the same exact engines. They are programmed slightly differently for different functions and have different exhausts as stated B4

need4speed

One other thing. The GT-R and Z no matter the price are NOT COMPETITORS.
370 IS A 2 SEAT SPORTS CAR.
GT-R is a 2+2 GRAND TOURING CAR.
YOU GUYS SEE THE NUMBERS ONLY. ITS LIKE TO MOST OF YOU, DRIVING DYNAMICS HAVE NO BEARING ON WATS COMPETITION N WHAT ISN'T.
YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE DEDICATED GT ENTHUSIASTS THAT WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD IN A 2 SEATER AND VICE-VERSA. AND STILL.
ITS FUNNY HOW PEOPLE ARE STUCK ON THE POWER BEING CLOSE BUT NEVER STOPPED TO THINK ON THIS VERY OBVIOUS ALTERNATIVE ISSUE. Its like comparing a truck and a van. Both are big. Both haul, but both are of a different breed. N bought for different reasons.
The gt is the long term endurance car.
The sports car is a shorter term track car.

On the civilian side if u r a road tripper. And still want your sports car power while sacrificing about 10% of overall performance. (Not always true but the general consensus) You buy a gt. You can cram up to 3 people in it n u usually have a small but useable trunk. Enough for 2 suitcases n a small duffel.
A sports car is usually your "chillen car". 1 extra seat. Tighter wheelbase. Almost no trunk(mostly not always) no room for long trip storage and short on luxury features a GT would usually have. (Not always true these days.) Tighter suspension set up. Lower to ground. Way smaller overall.

The sports car and the GT are both very engaging excellent handling cars BUT there is an obvious
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO. THEY DO NOT! DIRECTLY COMPETE.

need4speed

One other thing. The GT-R and Z no matter the price are NOT COMPETITORS.
370 IS A 2 SEAT SPORTS CAR.
GT-R is a 2+2 GRAND TOURING CAR.
YOU GUYS SEE THE NUMBERS ONLY. ITS LIKE TO MOST OF YOU, DRIVING DYNAMICS HAVE NO BEARING ON WATS COMPETITION N WHAT ISN'T.
YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE DEDICATED GT ENTHUSIASTS THAT WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD IN A 2 SEATER AND VICE-VERSA. AND STILL.
ITS FUNNY HOW PEOPLE ARE STUCK ON THE POWER BEING CLOSE BUT NEVER STOPPED TO THINK ON THIS VERY OBVIOUS ALTERNATIVE ISSUE. Its like comparing a truck and a van. Both are big. Both haul, but both are of a different breed. N bought for different reasons.
The gt is the long term endurance car.
The sports car is a shorter term track car.

On the civilian side if u r a road tripper. And still want your sports car power while sacrificing about 10% of overall performance. (Not always true but the general consensus) You buy a gt. You can cram up to 3 people in it n u usually have a small but useable trunk. Enough for 2 suitcases n a small duffel.
A sports car is usually your "chillen car". 1 extra seat. Tighter wheelbase. Almost no trunk(mostly not always) no room for long trip storage and short on luxury features a GT would usually have. (Not always true these days.) Tighter suspension set up. Lower to ground. Way smaller overall.

The sports car and the GT are both very engaging excellent handling cars BUT there is an obvious
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO. THEY DO NOT! DIRECTLY COMPETE.

need4speed

Oh kool. That I didn't kno and always wondered y the X was added. I figured it was when they started putting back seats but what u say makes sense cuz there were 2 seater ZX's. But I knew my concocted theory was flawed n kept it to myself till now.

BUt. I would luv to believe that car companies and all companies learn lessons.
In a beautiful world that would be true. But greed is a mutha.
The Z started in 2003 at $25,630 in '03 dest. Inc.. In 6 years it went up to 30.6k
And now we can expect this Z34 around for a similar amount of years.
The numbers follow a trend I previously stated in another thread. The 1st 2 years of a new model. The car stays tight in price. The last 4 years it goes up 1,000 a year. So in 6 years at minimum
This Z on its last model year will be around $36k to start.
Then comes the Z35. Inflation goes up like the space shuttle. Salaries and minimum wages stagger along the most pathetic of lines of poverty. Lol They way the economy is people won't be able to afford this car at base. They are trying to make the easily attainable car pricepoint 30 to 45k while most of america are still only able to afford around 20 to 35k.
The Z is going upmarket as we speak. Lol
I just don't think they will put the exaggerated prices of the 90's but probably by then will be more than what its worth, which is still similar to the 90's and BMW, there other benchmark competitor aside from porsche.
Hyundai is working on a 2 seat coupe version of the genesis coupe.
Maybe hyundai will keep nissan in check on prices though?
Only time will tell.

edeeZee

Inflation is typically 3% per year in the U.S. 300ZX Twin Turbo's costed $45,000+ back in '95 when they stopped sales in the U.S.

1.03^14=1.51 or 1.5x as expensive now. That $45K Z32 TT in today's money =$68,000 car. The Z32 TT in '95 was about a $70,000 car in 2009 money. When it was first introduced in August of '89, it was about $35,000; here's the math 1.03^20=1.8-->1.8x as expensive then, thus $35,000 x 1.8 = $63,000 car in 2009 money.

In the mid 90's the Japanese yen was "overvalued" to the U.S. dollar, thus all the twin turbo Japanese sports cars were hitting over $40K to even $50,000. The MK IV Supra TT was $52,000. Keep in mind, these are "1990's dollar figures."

I know all these things...because as a high school student then, I used to gawk at these cars @ the dealerships.

Spikuh

Wait a sec....if the GTR and 370z produced similar numbers, how would they NOT be competitors?

Your argument makes no sense to me because both vehicles appeal to the same general category of car people. Yes there are GT people who wouldn't be caught dead in a 2 seater and vise versa, but the majority of customers have no such excentricities.