And you can drop an entire new TT engine in a 300zx for around $1700.

The things are pretty much disposable fun these days... If I only had a bigger garage. :)

Just looked at the pricing for new 370's and it's not that bad. (Although the jump between "sport" and "sport tech" wth?)

literally jaLOLpnik. A place where people usually talk **** about cars they don't own so they feel good about their own purchases (or simply themselves).

Objectively speaking, our car is outdated. We all know that. It was new-feeling for like...2 years? Overpriced is each to their own. I'll admit, I wasn't looking at a new example at all. I can keep mum about my subtle mods to keep warranty, but meh.

I'm not trying to flex with my Z. I'm just enjoying it. But apparently some kids and some pedestrians still stop and stare. It still springs up conversation even if I really don't care to talk about it. You'll end up as the token "sports car guy" in many situations. And I guarantee there's always going to be a loser who silently envies you, thinks you should've saved up for a Cayman, gets all critical about magazine numbers, all because they're pitted with an Accord Coupe they thought was "sporty".

One of the main reason I love my Z is because of its unique characteristics.

Outdated - or trying desperately to remain true to form?

I actually think the Z is still pushing the envelope -just on the other side of the curve; it feels a bit like Nissan is desperately trying to figure out what they can still do, as a real sports car, and still sneak into places like California...

• NA cars are going the way of the dodo because of pollution controls.
• Computerized nannies are on everything because Joe Sixpack figures putting his foot in it 30 seconds after startup is okay, or that the car should tell him when to have an idiot at jippy lube "change" the oil.
• Cars get heavier and bulkier because of crash standards. (It's actually hard to put the required number of airbags in a 2-door...)
• More electronics get installed because people can't be arsed to look before changing lanes or put down the phone before backing up.
• Electric steering is essential because the car is expected to avoid accidents, not the driver.
• There's even a problem with putting a high-performance engine in a car, because you need the driver to buy high-test - and they wont because it costs an extra quarter.

So I don't think it's so much Nissan missing the boat on the new hotness - I think they're dragging their feet because they really can't make a Z-car in this day and age without it costing $80K...

Fully agree with you.
Besides coming up with a new platform that will be the next innovative
car that everyone will want to copy(hey,thats what happen after the z33 came out,right?),there are price categories to deal with.
The market is now flooded with Z lookalikes.
I'd sure like to see a Z that goes back to it's roots. Very light,smaller
engine that offers a great power weight ratio.
Some critical factors in going light are,light costs money. The use of
composite materials like carbon fiber,lighter wheels etc will add to the price.

Looking at the trends of the current market,plunking in huge HP with
not much thought on the weight is what is being offered.

I'm right there with ya. I'd love another 240Z - but with modern reliability...

When I was shopping cars and bought the 370Z, I was honestly looking really hard at the new Fiat 124 Spyder Abarth as it ticks a lot of those 240Z boxes: light, nimble, long bonnet, rear drive...

My only gripe was that you get your choice of ragtop, or ragtop... The UV here in Colorado, with a mile less atmosphere to contend with, means cloth tops have a life expectancy of about 2 years.

That and I already have an Abarth massaged 1.4L turbo...

The 370Z has been exactly what I was looking for - so pleased. :)

Why write an article about a car whose replacement is being debuted - in show car form - in about 9 months?

As a former 370 owner, I too am anxiously looking forward to the new Z. While I loved the car, I did tire of the poor visibility caused by the cowl and the mirrors, and frankly, it wasn't the prettiest car out there.

I also had a 7-AT as it was the only thing available at the time - post Japanese tsunami in mid-2011. I won't make that mistake this time.

I was more a fan of the 350Z exterior styling.

I drove a then new 280Z while in college, and would love to see the Z35 come closer to that package. Doubtful we'll see any weight reduction, but I would like to see some cleaner lines.

The Q60 gives me hope. Love the interior of that car, and we know the Z will mimic it to some extent.

If it turns out the Z35 isn't what I was hoping for, I'll pick up a final year Nismo at probably a nice discount.

While I listed a few dislikes above, understand that I still love the car. I almost pulled the trigger on a new Nismo last month, but decided to wait once the Z35 was announced to debut in Tokyo this October.

One way or another, my decision on how to move forward will be made by events in Tokyo soon.

As I mentioned in a earlier post,besides my z34,I have a z33 Touring that I
bought new(actually had to order)in 2002. Still like the 33 as it is more
like the original 240z. More no non-sense stuff. Have not done mods on my 34 anywhere near what I have done on my z33. I looked very strongly on
buying a GTR. The styling just did not work for me.
Been a car guy for quite awhile. I still have a 70' Lotus Europa. Sure could see the new Z following the design of the Lotus,super -light.
Due to today's safety standards,you will never get a car to pass regulations
with the weight of the Lotus. My Europa in stock form weighed 1,250 lbs.
Thats with the original Renault R-16 engine that offered about 100 hp.
I did a swap to a Lotus twin-cam with Webers and a few other tweaks.
It upped the hp to near 175. Weight went to about 1,500 lbs.
Not a safe car to drive.
A mid engined Z ,sort of a lower priced Cayman would be interesting.

I really do not see some type of new innovative Z35 being shown in October.
Maybe I am wrong. Just does not seem that Nissan is that interested in
a major evolution of the Z.
Maybe they will put the Z "To sleep" for awhile. Much like Toyota dis with the
Supra. Come back with a world beater.

If they can get the smaller/lighter thing right, we may be able to get the power/weight ratio we want from the new 3.0.

Meh, haters gonna hate. I don't really care who loves or hates the Z. By the end of the day, I love my car and that's all that matters to me. Recently drove a bunch of different cars, including a 435 and I couldn't imagine giving up the Z for any of them.

Are there faster cars out there today? Absolutely. But they're also full of so much tech and gizmos and they totally take away from the driving feel. The Z still feels connected to the road and to me. That I cannot put a price on.

Are there nicer, more luxurious cars out there today? Sure. But that's not what I bought a Z for. The fact the car has Bluetooth and Navi is far more than I'll ever need. Hell, I wouldn't even need Bluetooth if it wasn't for the laws.

You know what's dated? The manual transmission. And I'll keep this one until I'm absolutely forced to get into some kind of DCT/CVT/Autotragic.