Nissan 350Z

blueguydotcom

The interior, while the car spun on a platform, looked fine and the DV I shot of it with my camcorder got me in pretty close. Did it look to be of BMW/MB/VW quality? No. Never seen a Japanese car that looks that nice, but the Z's interior was not the bargain basement level of the Altima or a Ford/GM/Mopar. The leather looked pretty nice, but again I couldn't physically touch it.

zielinw

So, soon I can trade my 1992 240sx convertible for a 350z convertible. Hope the 240sx will hold up that long. I heard from the dealer that the 350z convertible will have a retractable hard top. Has anyone seen photos of it yet?

charliemike

Believe me it's not worth getting worked up about him ... He's one of those guys that has nothing better to do than go to various car forums and be a troll.

I've seen him in at least two other forums posting negative comments about cars he neither owns/nor wants to own.

obiwankenobi1

...I am surprised that Mr. Shiftright hasn't come in here and booted some of these posts!

Man! That Shifty is ALWAYS after me! Well, lately, I have toned things down.

HOWEVER!

It is TRULY possible to have owned a 240, 260 & 280Z in one lifetime!

So, yes, Rezo is wrong.

jimxo

WOW! What a sweet ride! That's to say the least. First of all the silver color was perfect. Similar to the silver on the VW Jetta that has been so popular. If I were to buy the silver would be the only color for me. The design was smooth and elegant, yet looked very tuff. The 18" wheel's is just what this car needs. The interior instrument panel looked so much better than the photo's on Nissan's web site. I think the tag line for this car should be "must see to appreciate".

drivebywire

Jim, Are they allowing to sit inside? I know for sure NAIAS (detroit), didnt.

jimxo

No, the Z was on a spinning platform with the drivers door open. A Nissan spokes person explained the new Z in detail, however most of the information was spec's we already knew.

cyber_x

jimxo -

I just spoke with a friend who went to the Detroit auto show, and he said pretty much the same thing - that the 350Z looks bad-*** in person. He loved the instrument panel layout as well.

He (as I'm sure you did as well) also saw the Evolution VII and RX-8, and said the 350Z looked the best of the bunch (he actually liked the entire Nissan lineup). I was personally planning to just wait for the Evolution VII, but now it looks like I may have to reconsider the 350Z when it comes out.

cyranno99

I'd have to say that you really toned down lately... maybe you got too lazy to reply

It seems to me that the Z crowd would buy the car more for looks than for performance, am I right?

obiwankenobi1

Nah!

I have just been too busy at my new job (that's right, I no longer am doing the auto broker thing.). I have to share an office with my boss! :-/

He is a cool guy, but would get mad if I posted all day. At night I am just too lazy.

If I see something that rattles my cage, you KNOW you guys will here from me! ;-)

Obi

cyranno99

in that case, your Maxima is not as good a handler as the new Altima

drivebywire

blueguydotcom

Good grief that's hideous. Reminds me of the civics and integras roaming around Orange County and Mira Mesa.

wishnhigh1

It all looks quite functional. Maybe a bit over the top and exagerated especially for a street car, but at least the stuff looks like it does what its supposed to, unlike most body kits.

1990bonnievile

this thing is overpriced, a mid 90's camaro would dust it for a lot less cash..what a rice ride.

cyranno99

that car looks like it has been in a crash...

well, a camaro or a mustang might be faster than the Z, but they won't be as comfortable... it really depends on what kind of ride you want.

nyccarguy

but I'm not about to start the Mustang/Camaro/Trans Am vs. New Z argument.

obiwankenobi1

Maybe. It would be a tough call, but I am up for the challenge.

Remember, just because the Altima has an IRS, doesn't mean it is going to handle better. Ride better, yes, handle better, maybe. The Maxima's multi-link beam is pretty tried and true. Over bumps it sucks, but I still think it will outhandle the Altima.

We are going to need some tests!

Obi

cyranno99

carguy - yup, it's an old argument, but it can be fun when the Z finally comes out though.

obi - yeah.. just grab one of the guys in the Altima thread with the SE version and head to a race track! Just don't tell him you hate the plasticky interior of the Altima.

cyber_x

That kit looks pretty nice to me - not personally feeling the gold rims (I like silver better) and front bumper (looks too much like the 300Z kits for my tastes), but it looks good overall. The spoiler, although maybe a tiny bit high, looks better than the factory spoiler IMO.

cyber_x

I wouldn't say that. The Z's performance may not necessarily be as high as some other cars (obviously no one knows at this point, but I feel fairly confident in saying the Evo VII will put down more impressive numbers), but it probably won't be a pansy. And for most people, a car's appearance is also an important consideration. I personally wouldn't buy a car *strictly* for performance without any regard for how it looks.

For those who somehow think I'm flaming the Z (I'm sure someone will interpret my post as such), refer to post #508.

cyranno99

I just want to know the preference of these potential owners... not trying to incite a flame. Although, I can do that very effectively

I got this observation mainly from the previous Z. That car was more of a tourer as compared to the Supra & the RX-7. It's a very nice looking car that you can drive without beating you up like a Mustang, for example. I don't know about the Evo VII, but I've read that it will be tuned down quite a bit for the US market. Anyway, the Infiniti G35 coupe might steal some sales away from the Z and I think that should be ok for Nissan. As long as Nissan is profitable then that should not be an issue.... for the dealers that would be another story.

novcenthusiast

some people on this board seem to be a tad sensitive.

Cyber_x didn' you recently buy a last gen. Supra? How soon are you looking at buying a new car (when would you try to pick up a Z or Evo)?

cyber_x

It's all good - I didn't see your post as a flame.

I agree with your assessment of the 300Z - it did seem more of a tourer compared to the Supra and RX-7, although I don't feel that it's that far off from the Supra. One of the major differences is how much easier and cheaper it is to extract additional aftermarket power from the Supra. If left stock, there some noticeable differences, but they're fairly similar. The RX-7 IMO is sort of different from either the 300Z or Supra.

The rumors that I've been hearing about the Evo VII are that it will probably be detuned to 250 HP for the US - that wouldn't be too bad in my book...a loss of 26 peak HP that can hopefully be easily regained.

I think the G35 may steal a few sales from the 350Z (and vice-versa), but I don't think it will be too significant. My guess is that a lot of 350Z buyers will be die-hard Z fans who have owned one before, or who (like me) longed to own one in their teenage years and now finally have the money to do so. I think the G35 might appeal to a wider demographic than the 350Z.

I'll be honest - up until recently, I wasn't too excited about the 350Z, but after my friend's first-hand accounts (I trust his opinion), I'm giving it some serious consideration and will probably head to the dealer when it comes out this summer to give it a good hard look. If it's as good-looking as he says it is, that might be the deciding factor.

revdrluv

Downtuned Evo! Where did you hear that? Why would they go and do a thing like that? If it is a cost thing I think they shouldn't worry so much about making a good return on this car. I think the boost it would give to the mitsubishi brand name in the US would be important enough. If only north american Pro-Rally would get more popular a lot faster we wouldn't have to settle for detuned products of this genre.

cyber_x

Yeah, I did just pick up a '95 Supra a few months ago. I was originally planning to wait until next year and get the Evo VII when it comes out, but if the 350Z lives up to the hype, then I may end up getting one up this summer or fall (assuming I can find one I like for MSRP).

If that happens, I'll either sell one of my cars (probably the Galant) and/or finance the 350Z (my two current cars are paid in full). I'm also interested in the RX-8 and maybe G35, so all this is contingent on how the cars are when they actually come out.

badtoy

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I love the the bodykit shown above. It accentuates the sharp lines of the stock car, and I like that kind of thing anyway (you can say whatever you wish about my taste, I'm used to it!).

As for the performnce, it should offer exactly what Nissan intended -- superior performance, handling and style at a price point that will give Toyota, Acura and Mitsu fits. The Camaro is a non-issue -- it won't be here to compete in the first place, and people who buy Mustangs will probably continue to do so.

As much as I loved the 300ZX, I prefer the 350Z, as it is much closer to the original concept -- like my 70 240Z, which was one of the finest cars I ever owned.

blueguydotcom

I was one of the teens drooling over the 1990 and up 300zx. What a car. Something about it appealled to my ideas of power, luxury and performance. I loved the old RX of the 90's too, but it was a much purer sports car.

I'm now considering getting the G35 but we'll see.

cyranno99

I've no doubt that the new Z will be a head turner. I would bet that the RX-8 might be better in terms of performance. But if you are interested in pure 2 seaters then the 350Z is a hard to beat bargain. However, if you have a lot of patience then the RX-7 might return and so will a Supra replacement. I think that would probably be the best time to choose.

Beauty is absolutely in the eye of the beer can holder....

wishnhigh1

I don't mind that kit...at least it looks more functional than the rest of the crap out there, but it still seems over the top for a street car.

drivebywire

Camaro or related cars may be high in HPs but when it comes to track and handling on high speed they dont perform so good.

One issue that car manufacturer faces is the higher the HP/Torque ratio goes up, heavier the car gets and therefore need heavier chasis designed for that.

Porsche, on the other hand has taken the engineering to its limits by extracting very high HPs and yet still managed to keep car light and in control.

It would be nice to see if 350 comes out @ 300HP!

novcenthusiast

the high performance cars that are just arriving or will arrive soon (within 6mos.) I think the Z wins on looks, although something about the rear end bothers me.

It will be interesting to see how the G35 coupe affects sales of the Z. I guess it depends on one's desire to have rear seats and how close the G35 comes in terms of performance. It might be close if the 350Z is more of a tourer than pure sports car.

Has anyone seen any info about the return of the RX-7?

An aside: That the first drawing of the "kitted" Z looks like a whale-taled 911.

drivebywire

I was kind a shocked too when I saw this. You will see various reactions to that (both + & -).

Seriously guys, I am no joking... it is real C-West kit.

check it out yourself: http://www.c-west.co.jp/

Little japanese knowledge will help you browse this page!

In my opinion, I like it.

mikekabrisky1

Someone posted this. Click on the links:

http://zcar.com/forums/read.php?f=5&i=31798&t=31798

mikekabrisky1

Alot has been said about the Z's performance. I don't think the Z will be the best performer(if u compare with Boxster,S2000, etc). I do believe with the combination of looks, performance, and price, the Z pretty much tops it all.

badtoy

it won't beat the Boxster S and S2000, but it will be far cheaper and much more reliable than the Porsche, and both cheaper and easier to drive than the Honda. It will also have a better power to weight ratio than the upcoming RX8.

I have a feeling that Nissan won't leave the car alone, either -- they probably have a hotter version in the pipe already.

wishnhigh1

Cheaper than the Porsche, no doubt. More reliable would be hard to believe though. Porsches are built solid as rocks...it takes some serious effort to break them.

blueguydotcom

The Boxster and the 911 are both pretty darn reliable cars.

I'm sure the Z will be a good car, but like all Nissans I worry about quickly failing brakes.

cyber_x

Hopefully Nissan does have a "hotter" version of the Z planned. The one scheduled for release is pretty darn nice already, but IMO it'd be even better with some kind of forced induction.

cyranno99

Porsche maybe reliable cars, but they are definitely cost more to maintain.

As much as I like the Z, I would pick the RX since I have spent several long trips in the last generation RX-7. Although, the Z will outsell the RX-7 and RX-8 in the future... as in the past....

cyber_x

Hopefully the RX-8 will have a little more leeway than the RX-7 when it comes to maintenance. The RX-7 is an awesome car, and I absolutely would've bought one, if not for the extremely high and careful maintenance required. Mazda dealers also need to learn more about working on rotary engines, because most of them aren't too good with the RX-7.

cyranno99

yeah, the rotary engine's uniqueness seems to confuse many a tech, but they have less moving parts than most engines. My brother's RX-7 had almost 70k miles when he sold it. The only issue was the turbo.

cyber_x

I'm far from a mechanic (I'm probably closer to an anti-mechanic than a mechanic) but I've heard the same thing - that the rotary isn't that bad once you get used to it. A lot of Mazda mechanics seem pretty inexperienced with them, though - most RX-7 folks I know take their cars to independent shops. There's a handful of reputable Mazda mechanics that everyone takes their RX-7s to, but that's it.

As far as I know, the turbos on FD RX-7s are okay, right? They don't seem to die any quicker than the turbos on any other similar car.

cyranno99

I cannot confirm how reliable the turbo on the RX-7 is. I just know that I would avoid turbos since most stock cars can get by fine without force induction. I am looking forward to the RX-8 because it is normally aspirated. The problem that I have with the 350Z is that it is a little nose heavy for a sportscar... just like the Corvette is heavy relative to the RX-7. Still, I won't make a conclusion until I have test driven the thing.

759397

drives a Twin Tubo Rx7 and the brakes were an issue to have work done on. I don't know if that is common though. Figured I would throw that out there.

nyccarguy

Forced Induction (Turbos & Superchargers) has come a long way since even the late '80s & early '90s. People have problems with Turbos (ie: Blown Turbo) when they start adding aftermarket equipment improperly. Like when people "chip" their car to add boost, the stock exhaust, pistons, air/fuel regualtor, intercooler are not equipped to deal with the added boost.

cyranno99

yeah.. those crazy sports car.... they eat too much rubber and brake pads...

cyranno99

that might be true, but my brother's car was stock.. except for window tints I still prefer normally aspirated engines as I would prefer gas engines over diesel engines.

cyber_x

Looks like you and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum - I love turbo cars. The whole reason I'm not too into the RX-8 (normal aspiration) is the same reason you like it. I long for the heyday of turbo cars, when the RX-7, Supra, and 300Z were offered.

cyranno99

yeah, I suppose people like you would enjoy the thrill of turbo rush.... whatever floats your boat. I like high-revving engines. Turbos can be fun, but you would definitely grimace when they don't work.