A lot of it probably has to do with internal politics as well.
When the 370Z flopped (from a project perspective), it becomes harder for the "let's build something sporty" faction to get funding.
The GTR was a huge success, which has resulted in more funding--some of which has gone to upgrades, most of which has gone to press. You'll see a next-gen GTR because it had a huge positive to Nissan's bottom-line.
Ford's doing big things with the Mustang because when they packaged more performance, they sold more. People (like me) who would have never bought a Mustang, bought one...and loved it.
When Nissan packed more performance in the Z, they sold less. It had more to do with the fact that their release timing was terrible, but internal politics is tough. Drop the ball on a project, and you have to wait before you get fat NP funding again.
Get it right (like the guys at Ford did), and you get a higher credit limit.
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