Hope Nissan is watching this...

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.

__________________

40th Anniversary Z - 3M Paint Protection Film, CA Legal Tint! (70/40)

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.

__________________
- Steve

Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!)
LIKE us on Facebook!

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.

280z/300zx

Very well put and I couldn't agree more. Nissan needs to downsize the engine of the Z and go back to FI. My next car will be a Corvette unless Nissan gets back to FI. Don't get me wrong, I love my 370z, but being only 2 years old I feel it's outdated in the performance area considering the 5.0 and whats on the horizon.

As for the GTR I disagree slightly. I think they would do better shrinking the cars size and weight rather than messing with the engine. The motor is quite capable of going into the 600hp range in the future but they would do better making the car smaller and lighter. There is no need for the GTR to be as massive as it is.