Jalopnik 370z article-REFRESH needed
 

Any others catch this piece posted on Jalopnik.com?

Rather negative in nature.
Bottom line was-the Z is in dire need for a REFRESH.
In addition,was very over priced.

Got to say ,as a old time Z guy(owned a 240Z&a Z33),I have to agree.

What the article and numerous posts did not address is what can be done
before Nissan decides on what a new Z will look like.
IMO,the Z34&very affordable Z33 cars can be had for fire sale prices on the used market.To be sure,they do not offer the latest in auto technology.
But,parts are available to both upgrade the performance and looks of the Z at
reasonable prices. I upgraded my Z33 with carbon fiber to give it a more
today look.
Yes,I sure would not plunk down close to 50K on a new Z34 roadster.
In fact,regular Z34's sold new would not be my choice for the asking price.
Used Z's are indeed bargains for what you get.

Link to said article?

Only thing I saw was the old one where they drove the convertible, Link.

Was it this one?

Comment Of The Day: There's A New Old Nissan In Town

To me, old school feel and connection of the driver to the road is what makes the Z great. Every mod I do seems to take my car further away from what the so-called experts seem to think of as modernizing. Personally, I don't need any nanny watching my how hard I press my foot down, I don't need bluetooth, I don't need a USB port, I don't need navigation, I don't need a super fancy radio. All I really want is more power, better handling, better road feel. I love the wrap around cockpit feel of the Z but I sure wish I could put a 5 point in it without modding the interior.

:iagree:

Of course Jalipnik doesn't like it, it's not a brown manual diesel wagon


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Yep--thanks for the link

Was not surprised on the Z negatives in the Jalopnik article.
Of course,Jalopnik pretty much keeps up with everything new.
Our Z in their eyes has gotten a bit dated to many.

I for one is waiting for a new Z. Nissan and Datsun before has followed the same pattern of bring out a innovative cost effective vehicle then follows
by adding excessive styling touches and extra weight.
I still have my 350Z I bought in 2002. Much modified in power and
styling .For sure,have put in the bucks but I get comments daily if its
the new Z. Have not totally warmed up to my z34. Actually like the 33
better.

here is the response I posted; of course it got censored by the article editor, so much for freedom of speech.

"The design and the car is dated, but the fact remains - this is the only affordable porsche cayman fighter out there.

It sits in such a position where its filling the gap between the FRS and the Camaro/Mustang.

You are shopping for a dedicated sports car, and want something lighter than the mustang that handles good but is more powerful than the FT86.

You can pick up a base 370z right between the price point of the two cars listed above,

Yes it’s dated, in the same sense that the A10 warthog or sliced bread is dated, the Z has no ‘true’ competitor. The closest car in its class is the porshe cayman, which is in a different realm from the price point.

If you go into used market you can get a very clean example for much cheaper than a new FT86,

it puts down a respectable 0-60 even today (4.8sec is nothing to scoff at),

Its not the fastest thing on the road (but its not the slowest either)- and its not mean to be fast in a straight line, if you want an all in one good handling package from japan that has some oomph, you go for the 370z simple as that.

Sure the car has some flaws, but so do all the other cars out there.

This is exactly the reason why the used clean examples are holding such good value.

When nissan does come out with the next gen, the 370 will still remain an awesome bargain proposition.

-as far as ‘dated’ technology; can you point on what is dated in it besides the design?? (which is still so rare on the streets that it somehow remains fresh)

-let’s see; carbon fiber drive shaft, BBK, synchro rev matching, proven stout powerplant, lighter than the 350z, enough power to hold its own, fun to drive.

None of those things above seem dated to me, if anything is dated is the new STi, what did it bring to the table besides a new body?"

There's a reason I stopped reading their articles.


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This.

I've owned / built several Mustangs now and went looking for a new daily driver a new GT Premium was also at the top of my list, until I drove one. The 370 is much more fun car to drive "out of the box", and the handling is the primary reason.

Everyone seems to thinks it needs to be cheaper, it needs to have more power, it needs to be faster, etc. Right now it's in a unique spot, and that's part of what makes it' unique. If they make it lighter, faster, etc, it will be more exspensive, and they will sell even less than they do now.

Lets say theoretically they can actually make lighter, faster, etc, AND cheaper. It's not possible, but they've made every one happy right? Except now they have the new Mustang / Camaro killer and now everyone needs one. Now the cars are no longer unique, which will give some Z owners new things to gripe about. However cheaper aftermarket parts might finally arrive?

There is no pleasing everyone. Anyways, time to go enjoy my car the way it is.

That is exactly what my first thoughts were when I test drove the (my) 2016 370 last spring. I was instantly taken back to the days I enjoyed my 78 280z some 23 years ago. It is better in every way but still kept that feeling that the 280 left me with and while modern was somehow still reminiscent. The same car I test drove with 62km on the clock was in my driveway the very next day.

Oh and just to set it straight the 2016 BASE comes with Bluetooth and USB port for what it's worth. The factory stereo and speakers were gone inside a week anyways though.

Quality vs price
 

AGREE-a Z A z33 or z34 is fantastic "right out of the box"

Have to say that Nissan cheaped out to keep the price down on some materials.

Both my z33&z34 have suffered from scratches on the inside door barrel coves.
Easy fix.
Got a Z brother that runs ZCFcovers that offers carbon fiber covers for them
barrel coves. I bought mine for about 50 bucks shipped.
Sells on ebay.
Upgrades the Z too.

For me , i was looking for a two seater roadster.

Looked at the BMW Z4, 350z, Boxster, Miata, and the 370Z

I liked the handling and the power in the 370Z best

Also the Boxster and the Z4 would have been alot more expensive to customize and install high performance parts in


Didnt want a camaro or mustang, they are everywhere....

I completely hate the nanny gadgets the 370z has. I just can't stand them. It is down right annoying. I am more of a 300zxtt guy. I loved that car. If I want to do a donut, done. If I want to step the car out in the rear, done. etc.

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.