Jan 19, 2014 article: next 370Z

cinellipro

If you’ve been keeping up with progress in the automobile industry, you will note that we are in another protracted transition period that is being heavily influenced by developing technologies along with the need to create cars that are more fuel efficient and earth gentle. With lots of great looking designs integrating user-friendly technologies and small displacement engines while keeping the planet green, all excellent goals to meet the needs of the masses. Let me repeat, the MASSES. However, Nissan should really think hard about their next steps in the development of the Z. If they shrink it and place a smaller displacement engine (even with higher HP & TQ) to meet these current but transitional trends, it can hurt the mark. And playing with the integrity of the design may shift it from icon to commodity. Nissan should take a lesson from the pages of the 911, Land Rover and Corvette, which have their own criticisms in driving style, reliability, quality, but they remain enduring iconic designs that have a strong following, like the Z. With the current design of the Z, it can continue to fall in the same category as the aforementioned names. Just tweak the current design.
Nissan, think long-term. Don’t shrink or radicalize the design it to make it competitive with cars that are not its competition, up or down the scale. If Land Rover just lopped 800 pounds off their current Range Rover by using lighter metals, can’t you reduce a couple of hundred pounds with the Z? Don’t mess with the engine displacement. We Americans like big displacement engines, which in today’s world includes 3.7L V-6’s. Keep the major design elements, increase the displacement, update the interior a bit, and keep the manual transmission.
Please note that this is my singular and Z biased opinion.