Hope Nissan is watching this...

Red__Zed

I'll never understand why everyone on this forum is so sensitive when anyone says something negative about the 370...

ImportConvert

Exactly. I love the car and would buy it in a heartbeat over a corvette. I am more wishing than knocking the car. Yes, I am knocking Nissan for producing the weakest sports car in it's class by 100whp, but the car itself is very nice. If Nissan evolved its powerplant a little, I would buy.

Here is the problem:

My Ws6 was paid for and put 300whp to the ground.
I have no twisties where I live.
I don't care about Nav systems and heated seats.

Why pay $600/mo just so I can enjoy a newer car with features I don't care about that won't do anything my WS6 wouldn't do, when I can pay $950 a month for a Z06 that will do WORLDS more than my WS6 ever dreamed of?

$350 a month isn't a big deal.

HOWEVER---the Z06 isn't as "solid" feeling as the 370Z. It does't have nearly the nice interior (seat support? What support...) as the 370Z. I could give up 100whp and the $350 more a month note for the much nicer experience of the 370Z, but I can't give up $600 a month for the nicer experience of the Z over the identically performing WS6 that I owned free and clear.

_________________

The question:

Why can't Nissan put a brawnier engine in the car? I understand weight/V8, but Porsche pulls 385hp out of their 6-cylinder. Porsche followed Nissan's lead from the GT-R with all the DCT, torque sensing diff, etc. and incorporated it into the 911TT. Why can't Nissan follow Prosche's lead with regard to engine smoothness/output?

Again, if they offered a 400bhp 370 for $45K, I would buy. Not knocking the car at all, I just can't see why Nissan stuck would could be a world-class sports car into the pony-car class by virtue of its powerplant when the style/suspension/interior all reek of a $50K+ car.

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I am stuck with:

Spend $600 a month more than you used to for the same thing in a different (albeit nicer) wrapper.

-or-

Spend $950 a month for something most people only dream about, that does 0-60 in under 4 seconds, lapped the 'ring without overheating (and in record time at one point), and still gets 24mpg with a 100K mile warranty to boot.

shadoquad

I can completely understand it. If you have just spent considerable money on a car, or are considering dropping it, or are just a big fan of it, there may be some emotional bond there.

I'm a performance car enthusiast, so I'm not afraid to admit that my car has flaws or that others are faster. But I could definitely see why this car inspires emotional connection.

CBRich

I'm not sensitive at all. I actually gave him some input and had a convo with him on his original thread. I understand the flaws of the 370 thoroughly but this thread looks like it's heading towards the gutter.

Red__Zed

not necessarily directed at you, just in general. Several members have been in here overreacting...

CBRich

No problem Dan. I just had to see a thread go to crap because a few people want to argue about automotive superiority.

ImportConvert, many of us have chosen the Z for a ton of reasons, power being just one. There's no need to argue about the power output. It is what it is and apparently everyone who bought one wasn't put off enough by the stock output to NOT purchase the vehicle.

ImportConvert

Very true. The same can be said for all the F-bodies on the road and their interior. They outsold the Z by a wide margin and still got the chopping block.

My point is, Nissan shoved a $20K car's engine into a $50K car, while GM shoved a $50K car's engine into a $20K car. Coming from GM's $50K car engine to Nissan's $20K car engine isn't made up for by the "intangibles" in my case.

I can only day-dream that they offer an engine that matches the rest of the car. If they do, I will buy.

That being said, I used to make fun of the Z's when the 350 was around. The 370 is completely different and other than the engine, I have nothing ill to say of them. They difinitely inspire a connection!

optiontrader

The Z is a great car at the $30-$40K price point.

Yes, the Mustang is a great car for cheaper, and has more power (nice BIG engine). But given greater displacement, of course it can be more powerful. Looking at specific output, the Z puts out more (89hp/L versus 82hp/L - hopefully I did the math correct in my head; correct me if I'm wrong). But I wouldn't buy one, even if it's cheaper - the live axle doesn't do it for me. For straight line driving - sure. But I like the twisties (even the on-ramps! ).

If this Gen Coupe pushes more power than a GT, I'll be looking for a chance to take it for a spin.

I'd argue that the Porsche six cylinder is the $50K engine, NOT the Mustangs. I agree: the Porsche Carrera S has 385hp, but I'm not gonna drop the $90K+ dough for it.

Again, at $30-$40K, the Z is a great car. ImportConvert, you've admitted that. But it's clear you want more power and don't want to mod it. It'll be interesting to see if Nissan does drop a 8cyl engine into the Z (or a turbocharged six). I'm sure it'll be great. But until then, why are we even having this discussion?

And yes, I'd drive a 458 in a heartbeat. But I ain't gonna buy one.

__________________

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m4a1mustang

I could come in here and post specifics about how the live axle is just as good as the 370's IRS in the twisties, but instead, I'll just wave to a fellow market guy.

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cmdjing

I think the fundamental problem of the 370Z is a matter of timing. Nissan could not have picked a worse time than early 2009 to release a new sports car. Considering overall car sales were down nearly 40% on average, two seater discretionary vehicles at the 30k price point were going to get creamed even more.

In 2008 it would have been competitive. Things all went pear shaped though with the arrival of the new Camaro, Genesis Coupe, and most importantly of all the 2011 5.0L Mustang GT. Z fans may say that they are not really comparable but they most certainly are. The majority of people shop on a budget will compare equivalently priced vehicles even if stylistically they are somewhat different. The 332 hp from the 3.7L V6 is still respectable and better than the competition, but the competition is considerably cheaper and two of the three are packing 400+ hp V8's.

I agree with the earlier post in that the biggest hindrance to the 370Z lies in the engine which may or may not be deliberate. If the engine is upgraded, it diminishes from Nissan's halo car, the GT-R. To keep the vehicle competitive with the other vehicles given Nissan's desired pricing, the 370Z will need an engine upgrade within one or two years at the most.

To keep the Z and the GT-R both on track, both will need engine upgrades soon. The VQ-37HR will need to be downsized to a smaller displacement direct injected turbocharged engine. The VQ engines have gotten coarser as they have grown and Nissan needs to realize that this is a problem. Downsizing to a 3.5 or even a 3.0L with direct injection and even a single twin scroll turbo can yield equivalent or better power than presently with better fuel economy. A scaled down VR series engine would be beastly, but it maybe too expensive.

The GT-R will need to head in the opposite direction to keep competitive. Given it's portly weight, the 3.8L V6 will simply not be enough as there is a limit to how much power you can squeeze from it and it really should move up to a twin turbo V8 to retain its supercar status and differentiate itself from the souped up Z.

wilsonp

You say the intangibles aren't important, but you are complaining about the Z06 seats? May be you need a value reset, the Z has trade-offs, the Z06 has trade-offs. If you can find a car that has the features and "intangibles" of the Z with the performance of the Z06, you should buy it, bit I'm guessing you are not in the market for a Ferrari 458.

__________________
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Was 1991 NSX Auto Black/Black

ImportConvert

I am. My pay-check isn't.

m4a1mustang

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Cmike2780

So basically you want the 458 Italia performace with a Nissan badge for $30k? Sign me up!

If you compare the performance of the 370 against exotics from say a few decades ago, they do match or exceed them. You will have to wait a while before the Z catches up to 458 levels however. It the end, drive what makes you happy. If you only plan on going real fast in a straight line, going with American muscle is probably better suited.

On a separate note, I can't believe people still downplay how well the GT-R performs. To get the 370Z to GT-R levels will push your budget beyond what it cost to purchase a GT-R.

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m4a1mustang

The GT-R is one of those cars that makes you ask, "how?" Yes they are big, yes they are heavy, but hot damn somehow they figured out how to bend the laws of physics. It's an impressive car, and it's VERY beastly when modded. AAM has a street driven GT-R that's going to make a run at a 9 second quarter mile in the next couple of weeks.

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