The Complete Package?

Jeffblue

135i isn't getting 475 whp without upgraded turbos, meth, race gas, and full bolt ons. your friend is full of it. do your own research on it. he just wants to make you feel bad. tell him the n55 is shittier for modifying/power than the previous n54 engine if you want to get back at him.

your friend sounds like a very impulsive car owner. usually people who lease cars are like that. they think their car is the best until they see something better and it immediately becomes a slow pile of junk. If i had a nickle for every time i heard someone say 'i wanna buy a ______ and drop a ______ in it, i'd have a lot of nickles.

That's what happens when they have to keep the costs down, as well has not cannibalize the GTR. Nissan has clearly marked the GTR as the superior, vehicle. it costs a lot more, has its very own, purpose built engine, and every year get gets about a 50hp/tq bump. meanwhile the 370z gets heated sideview mirrors, and eventually an oil cooler. It is by no means their flagship car, and as a result, gets much less attention from their engineers.

It's pretty logical if you think about it.
1990-1996, the skyline GTR was NOT imported to the US, and nissan sold a TON of Z's. Additionally they had a higher end model with an overhauled engine with forced induction from the factory. Yes, it was expensive, but the car got the attention it deserved from engineers and they really put lot of effort into building an amazing car. but eventually got too expensive and they stopped importing them to the US.

1996-2002, when the Z was not produced, Nissan came out with the R33, and R34 skyline GT-Rs, and those were amazing cars. during this time nissan stopped importing Z's to the US, and from 1999 to 2002 totally stopped producing Z's completely. So, they only had to concentrate on one car.

2003-2008 Nissan had figured out a way to make the Z a cheaper, more budget friendly sports car. Instead of its own motor it got to share the VQ with the other high end trim packages on nissan/infiniti cars. However, the 350z sold like hotcakes. There was no GTR to compete with.

2008+ Nissan GTR is released, gets its own purpose built motor, 485bhp, eventually becomes 550bhp. Meanwhile the 370z comes out, gets a very nice redesign, but is more or less the same car as the 350z. It is improved from a looks/interior quality perspective. Each model year that comes out has very marginal improvements over the previous year. At the same time the GTR gets more and more power. Then after 3 years of complaining, they finally put an oil cooler in the 370z. however, little has been done to improve the Z year in, year out, and it still share the same engine with the maxima, murano, g37,m37, fx, altima, etc. good job nissan

It's pretty obvious that Nissan is like a child with ADD. They simply cannot concentrate on two very good, good selling performance cars at the same time. The only time the Z was successful (good sales high, performance) was when the GTR wasn't around in some way (not being imported, not being produced). as long as the GTR is around, and being imported to the US, you can look forward to the Z not selling that well, and hardly getting any improvements year after year.

Mt Tam I am

I want the GTR with a manual. I do not care how much less the car performs. I can get around a track faster when I let Michael Schumacher drive too. The deal is I want to drive myself.

If I could fit in the Viper comfortably, I'd own one of those instead.

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

kenchan

me too! but will probably not happen.

Mt Tam I am

Sad but true.

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Nissan Motorsports 34R Oil Cooler. Stillen CBE. Hotchkis Sport Sway Bars. KW Variant 3 Coilover System. Stillen Gen3 CAI. Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Stillen Brake Ducts. Carbotech™ XP10/XP8 Pads. Z1 Front Rotors. Z1 Stainless Brake Lines. Two degrees of camber

my2004Z

I make up reasons to go into the garage just to look at my Z and other reasons just to drive it! I love it and am glad that Nissan is still capable of achieving this kind of value.

alcheng

Simply, Why would I keep it if I don't like it? hahaa

And that's why I am here.

Even the people in the forum are the nicest. LOL

I think that's also why some Mustang guys hang around in here too!! LOL

brucelidat

I think the Z is a great balanced package. It's not the fastest, but it is fast enough. If I ever really wanted to be significantly faster, I can drop a SC or TT into it. Handling and feel is great. The hatch can fit surprisingly more in it than you think. I agree with other posts that the NVH issue isn't too bad stock and is more pronounced from mods which are obviously optional and up to the owner/driver. If you come form a non-performance car, then it will feel rough and loud but not so much that you will never get used to it and it will forever bother you. The pebbles in the wheel wells are the most annoying thing, but dynamat can solve that. The sectret to appreciating the car is to hop itno a normal car every once in a while. Whenever I drive my mom's camry, my gf's civic, or my sister's accord, I realize how much more fun the Z is. Also, it just looks great. I think it looks better than porsches and owning it has skewed my opinion on most cars. Most cars look so dull to me now. I might have some trouble when I need a new car in the future because of this.

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Works Emotion CR Ultimate - FI CBE w/ 18" resonators - Ecutek - eibach sways - Quaife - FI LTH w/race cats - kw v3 - spl - Topgunz SC - 488whp 398trq

brucelidat

Also, the more I drive it and the more I learn about it, the more I love it. The Z community (at least this forum) is also one of the best around, filled mostly with mature respectful enthusiasts.

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Works Emotion CR Ultimate - FI CBE w/ 18" resonators - Ecutek - eibach sways - Quaife - FI LTH w/race cats - kw v3 - spl - Topgunz SC - 488whp 398trq

bigsix

The sensations after being bored to death in an economy car (or something like that) could be great. All of the mechanical movements of both your limbs and the car's drive train.
Life's too short not to drive something fun

bigsix

Yes, i really enjoy this forum. Always something going on with new topics to talk about.
..kind of like a big playground

brucelidat

There's only one car (in the reasonable not close to 100k price range) tat I would rather have than my Z and that is a FIed Z.

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Works Emotion CR Ultimate - FI CBE w/ 18" resonators - Ecutek - eibach sways - Quaife - FI LTH w/race cats - kw v3 - spl - Topgunz SC - 488whp 398trq

BrianMSmith

There are some strong points and weak points, you'd say the same about a Z06, Cayman, GTR. Weak points are interior noise, but you can always add Dynamat at the expense of 200lb or so, paint is weak. handling is excellent, power just barely enough but driveability/flexibility of the engine is very good, tank range amazing (440miles for me), mileage is very good (24-25mph), luggage space excellent for this type of car, a bicycle will actually fit in the back with minor dissassembly, ride quality is very good - partly due to integrity and stiffness of the chassis, interior quality is excellent and has a high price fit, feel, finish (better than most including Porsche and Vette), all the modern ameneties, priced excellently - a much better value than the Porsche or Vette, which is why I bought one.

One of my favorite things: very high quality, I have 38k miles and not one single fault, squeak or rattle. That is a big deal as dealing with car problems are a real PITA for a busy guy with career, business travel, wife and 3 kids.

gbrettin

I really can't see myself driving any other car...





















except an AMC Pacer.

BeemaaZ

I say good night to my Z before bedtime. Nuff said

bigsix

Awwww.

I used to tuck my car in under the cover when I had to leave it alone, parked.