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Nissan 350Z

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Comments

  • sailing216sailing216 Member Posts: 98
    A page or 2 back, someone wrote they saw a pic of a convertible Z in the March issue of one of the car magazines (motortrend/C&D ect page 56). Please post the pic if you can. Thanks---
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Now that I've put 1,700 miles on my new 2002 S-2000, I feel I can be a little more articulate on the subject of handling.

    I'm still not sure what the Nissan marketers mean when they are shooting for more "mature" handling than the S-2000. I'm 44 w/ wife and 2 kids and have never been an "immature" racer type. Perhaps Nissan is going after my dad? The S-2000 has, IMO, the best scapel like handling and steering this side of a $100,000+ exotic. This is accomplished, by the way, with an extraordinary chassis and almost ordinary 16" wheels and 55/50 series tires.

    I would be really concerned if the S2000 ISN'T one of the Z's targets with respect to handling. It is not "bone jarring" by any means. It is exceptionally tight and, as with any true sports car, there is a lot of feedback. But, I would reserve the term bone jarring to those cars with less capable chassis that need to go to 18+ inch wheels and 35/40 series tires to achieve a comparable level of handling that the S2000 achieves with it's very well balanced approach.

    I will be greatly interested in driving the new Z when it comes out. But marketing hype aside, I have not seen much consistency coming out of Nissan as to what their real goals are. A pure sports car ala the original 240Z? A "mature" GT? A something for everybody sports coupe? All this at 400 lbs more than the S2000/Boxter S?

    We'll just have to see.
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    Can't a pic on the web, but Motor Trend has a picture of the 350Z convertible and it REALLY looks sharp. Check it out at your newstand.
  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
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  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    That convertible is hot!
  • msaralnomsaralno Member Posts: 9
    I too preordered my Silverstone Enthusiast Model 6-speed at MSRP, so the point is moot at least for me.

    However, while debating whether to pay MSRP or not (something I am generally adverse to), I wondered the following:

    What if Nissan enjoys tremendous success with the Z and starts to nudge the base price upwards? Could it be that by the time dealers are dealing below MSRP, the MSRP may have risen a similar amount?

    Perhaps such concern is not realistic, I don't know. Admittedly, I had my goal set on getting the new Z, and I was going to justify it any way I could. :)
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    If Nissan enjoys long lines at the dealers I would expect that very little discounting will take place the first year. It's very unlikely there will be a price increase the first or second model year, however a few hundred dollars may be the worst case. Lets keep in mind that we still no very little about this car including fit and finish and performance numbers. The 04 model will be the soonest I will jump in assuming the Z is a mechanical success.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    "mechnical success"...

    It's based on a platform that's out and doing fine in Japan. The VQ engine is rock solid. The only question mark is the new 6 speed. That's it. The rest of the car comes from old designs and materials.
  • mikekabrisky1mikekabrisky1 Member Posts: 28
    from different dealers around town is that if the Z becomes popular, the prices will not decrease,but not necessarily increase that much either. Nissan doesn't want the 'younger'(20ish) crowd to buy this car. They want a bit older group of men( mid 30s) for this market. Also, i heard that even if popularity increases alot, supply will increase only slightly. They don't want to mass produce this car until several more years. Not sure if all this is true, but that's what they told me.
  • rezo00rezo00 Member Posts: 103
    this car is going to kick the mustangs [non-permissible content removed].
  • revdrluvrevdrluv Member Posts: 417
    The current one yes, but the next one sounds like it might be really good. Even with the V8 I think the weight is comparable.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    someone said that the GT-R might be using the 4.5L V8. That would kick more than a Mustang... maybe keep up with a regular Vette....
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    Either the V8 or a blown 3.5L VQ, the next GT-R will be a monster with an Infiniti badge.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    They're not even meant to compete. Mustangs are the low-brow brute-force mentality of car design. The Z's supposed to be a sports car, not some hideous american monster.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    that would definitely make the Infiniti brand more recognized among car nuts!
  • revdrluvrevdrluv Member Posts: 417
    I think they will be made to compete. Ford is changing the whole formula for the next Mustang. The simple fact that they are switching to an IRS and keeping the rear-wheel drive format says a lot. These are going to be the only two cars of this format and in this price-range. I think they will see the Z as major competiton and that will be considered during engineering.

    The GT-R is another story. If they can keep up the performance of the last ones and manage to sell them globaly that will be incredible. I look forward to it.
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    Infiniti needs a boost in the arm, Lexus and Acura are eating their lunch. Hopefully the upcoming new products (G35,GT-R,FX) will at least get people to the showrooms.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Mustang -
    Like it or not, the new Z is designed to be affordable so that means it really targets the Mustang. Although, Nissan want you to believe that it would not stoop to that level and the Z would compete against the Porsche Boxster. It really doesn't matter as long as you like the car!

    Speedracer - it didn't help when Infiniti came out with those strange ads way back then either! :) I am not sure that I like the direction that the Q is going. It was designed to be a BMW 5 series competitor. Now, it seems that it is more of a high-tech toy..... way too heavy, but it is faster than the previous Qs. A sporty image is what the Infinity brand had in mind at the beginning. It should be fun to see how Nissan competes against the BMW this time...
  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
    For you guys out there, please share some knowledge if you have placed orders or need to learn some more in the group "NISSAN 350 PREORDER TRACKER".

    If you have order or about to order, maybe we can get to know our journey better for months to come :)
  • brew1974brew1974 Member Posts: 18
    I noticed the that size/HP/weight on the 350Z is almost exactly the same as the Acura NSX.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    Hard performance figures for this car? Everyone keeps "guessing" what is should be. Any firm figures on this yet?

    I have the R&D that shows their seat of the pants figures but nothing firm.

    I would be hesitant to buy a performance car without really knowing what the performance figures are.
  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
    Its a "Z" thing.... you won't understand.

    If you have owned Z before, you will probably know what I mean. :)
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    Is there really such thing as "firm" performance figures? I think we all can come up with good estimates, which is good enough in my eyes, because most car magazines come up with differing results anyway.

    My guess is that the 350Z will be a little slower 0-60(Nissans have been doing this lately, good for them) but will have higher 50-70 and quarter mile times than expected.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    My father had a 240, 260, and 280zx, so I do understand. I was just trying to figure out what performance can be expected from this vehicle.

    Maybe the word "firm" is open for interpretation. Has their been a final HP figure for the US version? Or is everyone assuming that it will be the same 280 that the Japanese version has.

    The figures that I see thrown around are 6.0 secs to sixty and about a 14.5 1/4 mile. I'm wondering if that is correct because for it's weight and power I would have expected better.

    Thoughts?
  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    Just curious - why do you say that Nissan is aiming for a target demographic in the mid-30s, and does not want the "younger crowd" to buy the 350Z? Have they (or their dealers) explicitly mentioned that?
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Since Nissan wants the Z to compete against the Boxster then I would imagine that they try to make it better than the Boxster. Oh, they might not tweak the engine for the first year, but they might do it a few years down the road.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    their best foot forward? Do they think the Boxster will not improve in the next few years? Why wouldn't they offer their best normally aspirated version right off the bat?

    I also assume that you mean Nissan is targeting the performance of the Boxster not the same buyers, right? I can see some crossover but whoever is going to pay $50k for a Boxster will most likely not be looking at a $28k Nissan. Not that there is anything wrong with the Z.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    like any car makers... evolutionary designs.... you can see that in the Maxima....

    yes, I mean Boxster performance for the price of a Nissa... you should check out nissandriven.com soon....
  • mikekabrisky1mikekabrisky1 Member Posts: 28
    The salesguy told me that Nissan was trying to target this age group. Whether it's true or not, i don't know for sure. He said Nissan wanted a more 'mature' group of men. Also, he said this is to separate the younger group(ones who buy the Integras, RSX, etc. and customize their cars) from the 350z crowd.
  • rezo00rezo00 Member Posts: 103
    "My father had a 240, 260, and 280zx"

    gee thats a lot of Z's...sounds like BS.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    I appreciate your concern, but he had them consecutively not at once. Then traded the 280 for a 1984 Supra. Now he is thinking about a new 350 for his 60th B-Day.

    Again, I do appreciate you worrying about the veracity of my statements.
  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    Thanks - I was just wondering where you heard it from, since that's the first time I've heard that (and of course being 20-something myself, I have somewhat of a vested interest in it). Hopefully the Nissan salespeople won't be saying the same thing to very many younger 350Z shoppers that show up on their lots.
  • brew1974brew1974 Member Posts: 18
    First of all, I wouldn't exactly think some jerky at a dealership knows Nissan's big picture demographics for the 350Z. I mean they don't train these guys very much.

    Nissan has verified 280+ HP. I take the "+" as more than 280. Duh. At an auto show in December (which they weren't featuring anything about the 350Z, but I kept bugging them about it), a factory rep told me it would be much closer to 300 (or 300) than 280+ HP. He also said 0-60 would be definitely less than 6 seconds (as Nissan has said),the mid to high 5s. Quarter of a mile in less than 14 secs.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Those are very similar numbers to what a wrung out S2000 would put out. So, is anyone thinking about cross-shopping these two cars? The styling is similar. One has more torque, but is porkier. One has fewer amenities but is convertible. Both are basically sitting at the same price point. And the majority of both will probably be silver.

    And on a different note, the Z does not and will not compete directly with a Boxster until its top goes down too. I for one am very interested in the 350Z convertible. The design looks nice. The '03 SVT Mustang Convertible from the other thread also looks very desirable. There are some fantastic convertibles coming down the road around the $35k price point.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    things have come full circle as far as the 'verts go. A few years ago it was a Miata or Sebring. Now there are so many drop tops, and overall they are a solid group.
  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
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  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    Although it looks like a Porsche 911 rear-ended an Audi TT.

    I wonder what the interior quality is like for $30k. That looks like a lot of performance for the price. Basically it has the potential to do better than my current M Roadster. However, I would like to see the quality first.
  • jay_75jay_75 Member Posts: 10
    That's pretty disrespectful to make a statement like that. If you think someone is lying, then feel free to discount anything they say as BS, but keep it to yourself.

    One of my friend's brothers (25 years old) owned 2 280Z's.....so it is totaly reasonable that a 50+ year old man could have owned 3 Z cars already.
  • 759397759397 Member Posts: 79
    Thanks.

    I felt it wasn't to out of the ordinary for my father to have owned 3 Datsuns in his life time. If someone feels that is BS so be it.

    Then again to each his own.

    It also wouldn't be crazy to own all three now. I wish I had three classics like that is reasonable condition. Although in High School I inherited the 1984 MkII Supra, that was fun.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Hello room and what a pleasure to watch Nissan make a comeback with all this great new product. Increasing car prices is death these days in a deflationary pricing environment for cars. As the Japanese currency keeps falling the profit on Japenese cars skyrocket for the manufacturers. Their profits surge because the dollar keeps rising relative to the yen. As a matter of fact it looks like Japan is heading or in a deflationary depression now. So I do not look for significant price increases for the Z any time in the next couple of years. What we will see is incredible feature content on Japanese cars in the future for less and less money. This is going to make it very difficult for Detroit. Let hope that tarriffs are not increased on this beautiful Z. This is a great time to be a car enthusiast, maybe the best time ever.
  • mikekabrisky1mikekabrisky1 Member Posts: 28
    It really comes down to $ wouldn't it.If u have the $ to buy, i don't any car salesman would care if u were 20yrs old or 50yrs old. I'm sure they would want your $ and mine. :)
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    Grow up man. That was a dumb remark.
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    Nissan will release the Z earlier than expected. I will keep you posted.
  • brew1974brew1974 Member Posts: 18
    My dealership told me as early as late June when I ordered two weeks ago. But I haven't said anything because I didn't hear it from any other source.
  • rezo00rezo00 Member Posts: 103
    YOUR BOUTH FULL OF BS.
  • teraxxteraxx Member Posts: 2
    Just an FYI- Went to my local Nissan dealer in Santa Cruz, California a couple of days ago. They are allocated only 5 350Z's and 2 are sold already and a third is being tabbed by the owner of the dealership. The salesman also said the two remaining would be sold for 5k over MSRP. Get ready for some summertime Z gouging...Very unfortunate, considering I was going to possibly buy this vehicle. Not with a huge markup I won't though.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    You are full of BS. Go take your gun under your seat and blow your head off.
  • jay_75jay_75 Member Posts: 10
    oooooooooooh........the maturity level in here just sky-rocketed.

    If you ever say something intelligent, I'll respond to it rezo00.....but for now I'll let everyone else laugh at you and leave it at that.
  • badtoybadtoy Member Posts: 343
    Re "hey JAY WISHNHIGH -- YOUR BOUTH FULL OF BS."

    It's "You're both full of BS."

    (If you're going to insult someone, at least spell it right!)

    sheeshh......

    As for owning 3 Zs, I see nothing at all unusual about that. My brother-in-law bought his-and hers Zs twice in a row, so that makes 4 in 4 years. I owned 4 Alfas in 6 years, starting with my first one at age 18.
  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    I don't think any of you are liars. I don't want any of you to violently commit suicide. We are just talking cars here not abortion or euthanasia Just thought I'd state that before I got started.
    Like a lot of you I am excited about the 350Z. It looks great and it promises great performance at low cost. But...I just got finished reading an article in Automobile by Jamie Kitman on the head of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn. This guy is notorious as a "cost-cutter" wherever he goes. The criticism of the Altima and its Achilles heel seems to be the cheapo interior materials. Kitman raises a concern about quality. If Ghosn cuts too deep quality will suffer. I'm hoping the Z won't be too good to be true. I feel confident about the engine, but I don't want a corner cutting car when it comes to the interior. Would those of you who have seen the car at auto shows comment on what you thought of the quality and build of the car, especially the interior. If you don't know where I'm coming from you ought to read the article for which I'm referencing. It's on the last page of the March 2002 issue.
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