Next Nissan Z Scooped

ZBro16

I called it in another thread - the Z is getting a hybrid option.

Nissan R-Hybrid Trademark Badge

You'll notice the R-Hybrid badge also includes Nissan's Pure Drive. This is Nissan's designation for whatever carries this meeting the future CAFE standard that has been forced on automakers selling in America.

You may argue that it isn't the case because of the badge font is just like the GT-R font, but this nameplate could work for its entire sports car lineup. These trademarks aren't typically grabbed so far in advance of a new model (the R36 isn't due until MY2016 or 2017), so I will bet that Nissan will slap this on the next Z in one trim.

As for a turbo four? The only opposition I have to it is if it's built on the QR motor. Older QRs are starting to show their age with things going wrong. The engineers I know at Nissan HATE those motors because of the headaches they have caused.

A Z going back to turbo is a fantastic idea. When you look at cars like the Mazdaspeed3, Subaru WRX, and Focus ST and backing for all of those by tuning companies like Cobb and Perrin and look at the bang for the buck modding money, you will get so many more people back in Z cars. The 370 is expensive as hell to mod correctly. All cars have their cheap exhausts, but look at exhausts that are higher end like FI and HKS and you're 2 grand deep in a catback that might make 10hp. Slap a Cobb Accessport on an MS3 and you're looking at 30hp for $500. You might argue that Mustangs are roughly the same cost to mod, etc, but we all know that V8s respond much more to breathing mods than V6s do, which enhances the bang-for-the-buck principle. The current Z is really not great dollar for hp, and Nissan would be foolish to ignore that in light of the target market it is pursuing.

If Nissan does it right, I'll dump my 370 for a newer one.

As for the inline 6 - the issue for engineers is the space an I6 takes. When you're designing a whole car to the safety standards of today and tailoring it for a performance model, an I6 is dated and there are too many cons to the pros. Center of gravity on the overall chassis of the vehicle is one of the things affected, especially when you're trying to make it pass the updated NHTSA testing. An I6 doesn't allow for as much versatility in that design compared to a V6. It also requires longer noses in the body of a car as opposed to a V6, and with more material to make that happen comes more weight. Weight distribution and balance is another thing affected, namely symmetry of weight from driver to passenger sides of the vehicle as well as fore and aft.

Say goodbye to the I6. The ones left making them are the ones emphasizing their R&D elsewhere.