:iagree:

Nissan...anybody home? You will soon have the only car in its segment still languishing in the mid 300bhp range besides Mazda's 1.3L...

*Anxious to see what next gen 370Z will be!*

It's quite a statement on engine development that we now consider mid-300's "slow", but I'm with you on that.

I'm curious about the next 4-5 years. What will become of the Z? What will become of the GTR? Will we get a sported-up Leaf? Honestly, I couldn't be more excited about the possibilities. I think Nissan will stay the course and offer innovative performance vehicles, but what will they be?

2013 GT-R's getting bumped up to 570+ HP. The R36 should be out in like 2-3 years and will probably have 600 HP or more by then. Gives Nissan some room to bump up the Z's performance :p

hmmm, do I trade Chiana for a 450Z? :stirthepot:

Like one guy mentioned, the car will probably be close to or over 40k with this since a 3.8 Gen Coupe is around 30k+ with some options. They can keep it. I sure hope the Z keeps changing for the better but as it stands right now with close to 100hp less then some of its competition I think it holds its own very well.

Not to sound like a fanboy, but completely agree. The 370z does hold its own for the most part. Engine specs and power rating are great for bragging rights , but doesn't necessarily mean a faster/better car. Just look at the Porsche Cayman S vs 370z comparsions. On paper, the specs give the Z the advantage. In the real world however, most would agree that the Porsche is the better car (more balanced). You don't see Porsche trying to stuff a V8 in the Cayman because Ford came out with more powerful Mustang. Nissan should follow in that same regard by building an even more refined Z with a modest bump in power. Direct Injection alone should be able to push it close to the mid-high 300hp's. No doubt Nissan will play around with the VVEL as well so I really don't think going with forced induction is really necessary to be competitive.

That's because (1) Porsche isn't competing with the Mustang, and (2) they don't want to eat up 911 sales.

Anyway, balance is all fine and good, but we're starting to sound like RX-8 drivers now. It's not a good sign when "balance" is all you can point to over the competition.

Well, as much as we all love the Z, the brand might be dead as we currently view the car. Will the letter Z continue on? Yes, but most likely as something new & different soon. Nissan clearly is focusing on the R35 development as its halo car against competition and the Z is just a left over.

That's kind of my point. Of course Porsche isn't going say "we are competing with the Mustang"...or 370z for that matter, but they are in the mix. Granted there are other factors, but it is not always about having the most powerful engine and never has been with the Z. Heck, comparing a Z to a Mustang or Camaro was pratically unheard of before the 350z/370z. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that a lot high performace cars nowadays are trying to be less of a one trick pony, so its a fair comparison when you talk about performace alone. They compared the M3 to the Boss 302, and the M3 to the Cayman, so why is a Cayman/Mustang comparison so farfetched? Having a more balanced car makes for a faster car around a track, something they focused greatly when designed the 370z. It's not the only thing to "point to over the competition," its what makes for great sports car. It's what makes the GT-R or 458 Italia so great, how is that a negative? Not the most powerful cars out there, but they hold there own because they work great when you look at the whole package.

I see your point, CMike. In fact, if power was all an enthusiast cared about, the Miata would have died in the 90's.

It is about the driving experience for me, not just the stat sheet.

:werd:

The stat sheet actually matters very little in terms of what makes a good car.

But is the only thing that matters in the art of bench racing. One of the most prevalent forms of trolling on automotive forums :roflpuke2:

this is truth.... Miata's are a blast to drive, and when you DO put more power in.. it gets redonkulous.. much like the s2k.. which I still love to this day

this is also true..


it's why I test drive new cars as often as possible... lol