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Nissan 350Z

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Comments

  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    I am sure you heard the saying "the is no replacement for displacement". I think Turbos are cool (Skyline GT-R comes to mind), but from I reliability stand point I'd rather have a car with a powerful normally aspired engine.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    I was actually never a fan of Turbo cars (I was in AWE of VTEC when it came out in the early '90s), until I bought my Saab. Granted it is no 300ZX TT, RX7, or Supra TT, but it hauls you know what. I love Turbos now, but will not limit my vehicle choice. I'm also a big fan of normally aspirated engines. Did you ever drive a 300ZX or a Supra or a 3000 GT w/o Turbos? My Mom had a '95 Dodge Stealth R/T (Normally Aspirated/Slushbox). It was a wonderful car to drive. The 24v High RPM power V6 lagged a bit, but then pinned you back into your seat.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    I like high-revving engines (like many of the Japanese 4-cylinders) and powerful, large displacement engines as well (only thing is, there aren't too many V8 sports cars that I like overall). I love a lot of the normally-aspirated 6-cylinders (NSX and BMW come to mind), too. But if given the choice, and all else being equal, I'm personally inclined to go with the turbo - the adrenaline rush when it comes on is great, and you get 8-cylinder power from a 6-cylinder for the upper part of the power band, without too much added weight.

    As far as reliability, it's not that big of an issue for me...turbos are always going to wear out and need replacement, that just comes with the territory. On my Supra, I have a boost gauge so I can keep an eye on how strong the turbos are boosting. When the stock sequential turbos die, I'm looking at it as an opportunity to go single turbo and have some real fun.

    I'm really hoping Nissan decides, at some point, to offer a turbocharger for the 350Z - if not as a factory option, then at least through Nismo. I'm sure the aftermarket will provide either a supercharger or turbocharger, but I'd rather go with something from Nissan itself for warranty reasons.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Did you ever think of replacing the stock sequential turbos (when they die) with 2 smaller Turbos (similar to the Audi S4)? I don't even know if that setup is possible in the Supra. What year is your SUpra TT? What color?

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    No...never thought of that - what benefit would it provide? Only thing I can think of is reduction in turbo lag, which there already isn't much of with the stock configuration. It's a white '95 Supra TT.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    It would reduce turbo lag dramatically. I've never driven your car so I didn't know, I just assumed because it had twin-sequentials that there would be lag. That is the only benefit. My Saab has a Small Turbocharger and Lag is virtually Non-Existent.

    White...VERY NICE! Hot CAR!

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    Thanks =)

    I'd imagine it'd reduce turbo lag...I neglected to mention it originally, but the reason I wanted to go single turbo (probably T66) is because the car may become a track-only drag racer once I get a new one (possibly the 350Z). I'm also thinking about adding a small 25- or 50-shot of nitrous to help out the low-end power.

    I've driven a S4, but never a Saab. I've heard from some co-workers that they're pretty fun and underrated, though.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Well, that's a different story. You'd want a big Turbo that will give you more boost for more high RPM power at the track. Be careful with that nitrous.

    The S4 is awesome!

    My Saab is lots of fun to drive.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
    Bob Lutz is a Vice Chairman at GM. Carpoint did an article where they took his comments as he walked through an auto show.

    At a display of the Nissan Fairlady Z—the Japanese version of the upcoming Nissan 350Z—Lutz stood in silence and watched the silver sport coupe make a few slow twirls on the turntable. "This is the first time I've seen it in silver and on a nice turntable and everything," he said. "I find myself rather liking it despite some really strange, some strange lines to it. But overall, it has a lot of visual interest."

    Still, Lutz seemed to struggle with something. What, exactly, could be so distracting about this eye candy of a car? Something the uninitiated to car design might not even notice—the slope of the roofline. "I think maybe this is the view [of the 350Z] that takes the most getting used to, with that very severe hump right at the top of the driver's door and then the sort of long, flat roofline," Lutz finally said.

    "It is a bit Audi TT-esque," Lutz said. "But very interesting. It has interesting surfaces. It certainly doesn't look like anything else on the road."
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    I drove a Dodge Stealth. That car was very noisy, compare to the quietness of the RX-7, and wasn't fast in the base engine (very weak engine, not the middle version). It was a pretty heavy sportscar.. errr.. not a true sportscar since it was FWD. Only the turbo model came with AWD. I'd say that the normally aspirated Z had good speed, but it would not be enough for serious driving....
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    The base engine was a 12V V6 rated at 160 something horsepower.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    yup.. the next one up is around 200hp. Still NVH on the Stealth/3000 GT was not up to par.

    Yeah, the normally aspirated Z version would feel fast if you have never been in the turbo version...
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    was a 222hp DOHC 24V V6. NVH was pretty bad actually.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    I saw the 350Z in Silver while watching the golf tournament sponsored by Nissan over the weekend. It looked awesome. I'm also trying to revive this topic as its getting slow. I guess we are all waiting to see some real performance numbers and reviews.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    While waiting for some more thoughts on the Z I wanted to respond to the comments on the Stealth RT. With a 222 horsepower engine I have to say it was one of the best built cars that I have ever owned. I sold it with 115,000 miles in 2000 with the original clutch and brakes and I got almost 100,000 miles on the original tires. It was assembled in Japan but the design was by Chrysler. And I have owned Lexus and other fine quality Japanese cars. NVH was also far above average for vehicles designed in that generation. Consumer Reports also gave the car great marks for reliability. When I see the Mitsibishi 3000 GT on the road today the design still turns my head after 13 years of that design. If anyone is considering buying one of these cars used my hightest recommendation. The Z looks like it may have styling that will also wear well. Except for those elephant ear door handles, LOL.
  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    Yeah, the door handles are the only thing that I don't like about the car. Some recessed side grab handles body colored would have been better.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    I still like the styling of the last Z so I am sure that the new Z will grow on me as well. The new door handle will set it apart from most cars for sure. Maybe it should have been horizontal instead.

    Of course, I'd prefer the styling of the 3000GT over the twin Stealth.
  • revdrluvrevdrluv Member Posts: 417
    I used to like the last Z, but it just looks old and awkward to me now. Of course it doesn't help that there are so many examples driving around with faded paint and chipped bumpers.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    yeah, I know quite a few owners who scrapped their front bumpers because the thing was so low to the ground. More on the Z than other sportscar... just weird.
  • hammer19hammer19 Member Posts: 31
    I was at the Toronto Int. Auto Show last week and spoke with a Nissan rep. about the car....here's the bad news. The car(s) in all of the ads and in all the promotional stuff are PLASTIC prototypes of what the car "may" look like off the production line - they are "combinations" of the earlier prototype show-cars, not the actual production versions which have yet to be finalized. There are only two current prototypes in existance, a silver one and a gold one, neither of which actual colours will be available to the public at production time (they are $10,000.00 custom paint-jobs for the shows only). There will also only be a very limited number of first-year cars built, promoting a real opportunity for the dealers to gouge you if you want one (he said the largest Nissan dealer in Canada was only getting 10 cars for the whole year, and that most of them had already been pre-ordered!). The sales rep. actually told me, and I quote:"....if you order one now and take delivery in August or September, you'll be able to turn around and sell the car for at least twice what you paid for it...". Up in Canada here they're supposed to be priced in 3 model levels, between $44,900.00 and $46,900.00 per car, but it appears that only the "highest bidder" will actually get one. While my wife and I love the car, we have no intention of involving ourselves in an "auction" to get one. Not to mention the fact that all those folks out there pre-ordering their cars now are laying out money for a car that may not actually be as it currently appears at production time. They're not even getting an opportunity to test-drive the car, but relying on video and print media as their only source of information. Not this guy!!
    I hope it doesn't turn out bad for you guys that have already laid out down-payments, but this guy doesn't believe in wasting my hard-earned money on a leap of faith. Have a nice day.
  • badtoybadtoy Member Posts: 343
    Now for a little reality -- the car will be produced almost exactly as you've seen it in the pictures. The body and engine will be as advertised on nissandriven.com, and the first cars to be produced will be those pre-ordered by those lucky people who get their orders in quickly. Roll-out will be gradual, but that's exactly what Lexus and Toyota have done with the MR2 and SC430, and I think it's a good idea.

    Dunno who your "Nissan rep" weas, but most likely it was someone from corporate who didn't have a clue -- not as rare as you might think. When I worked at Toyota HQ, 90% of the people who worked there couldn't care less about the cars -- they were just there because it was a job, and their lack of knowledge about their own company's products was appalling. I'm sure the same holds true for Nissan and other car companies as well.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Hate to disagree, but I don't think the 350Z is nearly as finalized as it is made out to be, either. The fact that they're advertising like all heck but can't even tell us the HP rating of the car makes me feel like, well, like Intel reaching the 1GHz plateau with their chips through marketing and industry samples, even though the actual chips didn't arrive until six months later.
  • hambone32hambone32 Member Posts: 68
    I will not believe that the design of the Z is finalized until I see a horsepower rating for it. This car has potential, but who knows what it will be like when it hits the market. If it is anything like the previous model, I am going to have to buy one. BUT, I'm going to drive it before I pass judgement.
  • badtoybadtoy Member Posts: 343
    that the only thing preventing Nissan from releasing a final hp figure is emmissions testing, and Nissan says the MINIMUM the engine will produce is 280. How much more than that depends on what they can squeeze out of it while maintaining an acceptable emmissions level.

    It is quite common for new models such as this to undergo testing right up to the last minute. Toyota did the same thing with the Celica GT-S. Remember the C&D article where they tested a pre-production car and found the acceleration disappointing? Just a few months later, the car was in the showrooms with an engine that produced 0-60 times a full second faster than the car C&D tested.

    Really, folks -- not everything in life is a conspiracy. But if people withhold judgement (and money) until the car is actually out on the road, I can certainly understand it. You just have to wait a little longer for your fix!
  • novcenthusiastnovcenthusiast Member Posts: 80
    I saw another one on eBay about a month ago. The bid was for a down payment/deposit on apre-ordered Z. I believe it was in Atlanta.
  • drivebywiredrivebywire Member Posts: 20
    Emisson testing is based on total number of a car in a given year. Every car manufacturer is supposed to turn in their total number of sales and the emission data to EPA (at least in US). EPA then calculate the air quality. Selling 18000 units in one year will definetly kicks up the polution.
    On the other hand American BIG three are continuing making worse economical vehical called SUV or trucks which does not classify in car catogary.... i guess it is called "Lobbying"!
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Hi Folks- You'll now find a direct link to Edmunds' New Vehicle pricing information for the 2003 Nissan Z350 on the left side of this page. Also, keep your eyes open for other related features, articles, and discussions to be linked to that area.

    Btw, anyone have a 350Z on order? We look forward to seeing your "Reviews and Ratings" in our new Consumer Opinions section. Thanks for your participation.

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
  • z4mez4me Member Posts: 2
    I just pre-ordered my 350z, touring model in chrome silver, with charcoal leather interior and 6spd. manual transmission. I have never owned a nissan or pre-ordered a vehicle. Bottom line I didn't want to take the chance that I would miss getting mine!
  • lswaidzlswaidz Member Posts: 92
    I don't know if any of you have noticed but Nissan released pricing and option packages for the Z a few weeks back... it's all on their website now, as well as edmunds, car prices, and carpoint... The 5 models are nice, I think that the Touring package is what I'll be getting, but the Track package sure is nice though - I want that oranage interior on the dark silver car though... hehehe... check it out.

    ~Lance
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    if the base model had an LSD that would be interesting.

    of course, they probably expect to sell a few base models that will be modified with parts from the nismo catalog.

    -Colin
  • lswaidzlswaidz Member Posts: 92
    I was at Gerald Nissan here in Naperville, IL a few weeks back and I was told that a T-top model would shortly follow the coupe, and then a convertible a year later... anyone know about this? My old car had t-tops and I thought it was the best trade-off between open-air motoring and strong, stiff handling...

    ~Lance
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Thanks for sharing your pre-order info. Sounds really nice. Do you have any idea when you'll be taking delivery? We look forward to hearing more....

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
  • z4mez4me Member Posts: 2
    Mid-August.I am supposed to be updated via email by Nissan, as to the progress on my car. I will keep you updated as I get more info.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    know of any test drive reviews or anything that comments on the handling?
  • revdrluvrevdrluv Member Posts: 417
    "Initial impressions are of excellent handling, thanks to the structurally rigid rear-wheel-drive chassis," and "The Z corners with benign understeer and a bit of suspension compliance, giving way to a high-grip neutrality. Lift the throttle mid-corner, though, and the tail moves out of line. This supple suspension means the car won't crash or skate over bumpy surfaces. All we'd ask for is a quicker turn-in and better on-center feel."

    This is what Car magazine had to say.
  • phillyguy3phillyguy3 Member Posts: 88
    I put a $200 deposit on mine 6 weeks ago at a fixed MSRP published by Nissan with no dealer add ons. I trust my dealer since I have purchased 7 cars from him (mine,wife's,kids). I did see orders at higher prices in the sold rack. There is no obligation to take car when it arrives(mid August). See it,drive it, check it out thorougly first. I get notifications each month as to progress.Anyway, Z looks sharp. We'll see
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    When do they (dis)appear on the lots? Is there a date yet?
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Is the release date.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    Is there a dealer allotment? For example, would all dealers get only x amount of 350Zs? I know demand is incredible right now...there are preorders flying out of windows. Will there be enough that dealer gouging will be negligable?
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    "All we'd ask for is a quicker turn-in and better on-center feel."

    I don't like the sound of that. The key to a sports car is the responsive feel. I'll reserve judgement until more reviews are in or I can actually drive one myself but my one reservation about this car is that it might be a little "soft". I hope not.
  • novcenthusiastnovcenthusiast Member Posts: 80
    I share your reservation. In an R & T article someone from Nissan, I don't remember who, stated that they wanted the car to have more "mature" handling than an S2000.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    they should leave the "mature" handling to the G35 coupe, and keep the 350Z sport.
  • tmc1688tmc1688 Member Posts: 28
    Hi folks, what looks better the G-35 coupe or nissan 350z? I personally like the G-35. It looks more mature. I have a feeling that the G-35 coupe will ride more comfortably.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    They both look nice but I am partial towards the G35's styling. It would be very hard to pick a CL-S over such a beautiful coupe, plus it reminds me of my old Prelude in a lot of ways, just smoother.
  • cyber_xcyber_x Member Posts: 37
    Based on looks alone, I prefer the G35 Coupe over the 350Z. I hope it rides as well as it looks. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of handling prowess for a more luxurious ride.
  • dannym11dannym11 Member Posts: 18
    I like them both - I think they're meant to be used for different things though. Kind of an apples and oranges thing. I'll take the Z, and my girlfriend can get the G35 :)
  • laysmackdownlaysmackdown Member Posts: 19
    Dig the prices on both cars! HATE the taillights on the G35. G35 is better value 'cus of the warranty/service/luxury. The Z is the stud! But like the G too. Heard the stupid place for the seat controls (under driver's right thigh) gets on your nerves after a while.
  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    ... the Z wins over the Skyline (G35). However, I'm ready to sign up for the pre-order for the Silvia/240SX and/or Skyline GT-R when they come over (or return, in the case of the Silvia).

    I understand the Z has had the most following, but personally, I'd prefer a new Silvia/SX. The S15 Silvia sold in Japan right now is so hot looking... www.nissan.co.jp is the site to check it out!

    That said, the Z and G35 will beat the RX-8 in the looks and gotta-have categories when Mazda brings it out later this year.
  • speculativespeculative Member Posts: 36
    did any car mag or rag do a 0-60 or 1/4 mi yet?
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