Well said! There is a whole new world coming. It will be good as technology has sports cars doing much more with less. Bring it on!!

Keep an open mind. Jay Leno has said the same thing while reviewing the Abarth 500. F1 will have 1.6-litre turbo-charged V6 engines starting in 2014.

If they keep the 6 then thats a win as well!

I think they will do something silmiliar that they did in my wifes Juke. They added a battery powered turbo that you can gauge through an on board computer screen. It shows you the boost and torque which is pretty cool when it is being used. It allows you to choose the type of driving you want to do such as Efficient, Normal or Turbo so you can get the hp numbers you want in Turbo mode but can also get good fuel economy too.

As long as it is faster, lighter, and looks sexy, I'll be cool with it. However they achieve that is up to them.

um... wat :confused:

Yeah its hooked up to the intake side only and spins off of battery power when you need it. The computer shows your battery power when its being used so you can see when you are running out of battery and need to switch back to eco mode.

The Z's heritage is all about performance, handling, cutting edge styling and loyalty. As long as they keep the things that "got them there" I'm fine with that. However, can you picture a Dodge Viper with a 4-cylinder, twin-turbo, 8-speed automatic and other "fluff" added just to appeal to the masses? I think not! If you want a 4-cylinder, turbo that gets 30mpg, get a Pontiac Solstice Red Line! Otherwise, get a TRUE sports car simply called "Z".

Expect a reconceptualized Z more in line with the scion frs and subaru brz folks.

:rolleyes:

almost as stupid as saying you should only get black guys to play basketball.

And a few europeans...

i can't find anything at all about this^ are you sure dude? i have never heard of running a turbo like that. i can't imagine that an electrically powered blower could ever produce the kind of PSI an exhaust flow based turbo could

not even close to the same market as a Z. again, this is why a 240sx successor makes sense

"•Unveiling of the new Z concept could come as early as the 2014 Detroit Auto Show"

Whaaaaa, I hope we get more official specs and sketches mid to 3rd qtr 2013 than have to wait for some super unveiling at the auto show in 2014

if its boosted then God help my bank account when it comes out.... if not.. then no care

either u are talkin bout some cheap aftermarket electric turbo or are mistaken...

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/268521...uke-engine.jpg

that is the current juke engine. as u can see, the turbo is clearly connected to the exhaust side, like every turbo in history.

am i missing some new invention that i havent heard of here

Exactly. These low volume cars aren't profitable which isn't a big deal if its not impacting the bottom line. Its a different story now exacerbated by the fact that the Yen is stronger than the dollar. Part of the strategy is to reduce imports and part of it is to diffuse costs by boosting sales, exactly Nissan's plan for the Z by making it appeal to a broader audience (READ: We're going to make it cheap and affordable which will increase units).

Reconceptualizing the Z would do the latter and given the relative success of the FRS/BRZ makes the most sense. I say relative b/c the North American market overwhelmingly gravitates towards American cars when it comes to sports cars. But it looks to me like Nissan is taking a page out of the Toyota playbook - make it cheap and affordable and give it measurable performance and we'll move more units which will make out balance sheet look better.

I havent looked into it too deeply I admit and could be mistaken. Engine bay is a bit crowed to see details. Guy at the dealership was telling me about it. All I know is the battery screen pops up and the battery level goes down the more you use the turbo. You have to let it recharge so something electrical is happening so I asumed this is how it was setup. Ill look more into it.

I don't care what Nissan does. Pretty sure I'll like there decision.

At least it's not a Mustang.:stirthepot:

1) "the guy at the dealership" most likely knows very little about the mechanical bits of a powertrain other than their specs used to sell the car. 2) that's not how a turbo works. the turbo has virtually nothing to do with the battery other than it's connection to the engine that supplies power to the battery. 3) i know the juke has a boost gauge you can see on the infotainment screen if so equipped but it sounds as tho you are referring to a trans temp gauge used to protect the CVT. that would be much, much, much more realistic

This would be a good move -- the only thing about the Z that I don't love is the overall size. It could easily be a bit smaller and lighter, just as Nakamura noted.

With a turbo 4 it could have as good or better power to weight as the current Z (and have lots of room to grow!), but get way better MPG.

Seriously -- this would be a big win all the way around.

This is it, its the way of the future as it stands now!:driving:

One would think Nissan learned a lesson in 1996 w/ the 300ZX.

The 350Z came out at an excellent time. The economy was doing well, big bulky SUVs were becoming unpopular, and people wanted sport cars again. When the 350Z debuted, it was competing in the same market as the S2000, Miata, MR2 Spyder, SLK, and Z4. For those who were interested in owning a 2-seater sports car, the Z33 was a breath of fresh air.

I don't think Nissan could take 100% of the blame for the tepid commercial success of the 370Z. The Z34 is better than the Z33 in pretty much every way. But due to the current economic climate and changing consumer preferences, car manufacturers really need to innovate to stay on top. One thing that hasn't changed though, people still want sport cars. So whatever Nissan comes out w/ in 2015, lighter and leaner, it better be freaking awesome.

Big things to talk about if the Z line ends up staying similar to what it is now, a high compression, relatively high displacement V6 which is naturally aspirated. If Nissan stays in this vein, they'd first have to rebadge. The Z has only gotten larger as the years have passed, and unless they mean to go the way of GTM and slap 420Z on the back, it will likely end up as the "Z" car.

No one mentions Mazda's SkyActiv, which is a good way to increase power using an existing displacement number. Stay at 3.7 liter, jack compression up to 14:1, use premium fuel. Dynamic compression numbers often put boosted engines at that level of compression, so it's not impossible. Go slightly smaller, maybe a 3 liter, but still naturally aspirated, with that kind of compression, then shrink the car down to 240Z size. You're still seeing horsepower numbers at 275+, along with a lighter curb weight and more efficient use of fuel. My conjecture is also as baseless as that Edmunds article, which they KNOW would cause a lot of rumors to fly. I mean, who just says "oh maybe a 4-cylinder" unless they WANT it to spread.

Boo to a 4 cylinder. I want the Z going forward into the future, not retreating towards the ZX. By this I mean, a sports car that delivers similar track times compared to a far more expensive rival. The Z has always had some grunt the 280ZX and 300ZX (Z31) were decreased HP and increased luxury. To me the X in ZX meant Luxury.

The Z32 300ZX tt had both HP and luxury. Luxury means weight too. 300 HP and 3500 pounds (with only two air bags). In 1995 they delivered similar numbers to a NSX at half the price.

What I wish Nissan meant was more HP and less weight. When I'm done with the 370 and if Nissan goes in a direction I do not like, I'll be done with my 30+ year love affair and spend some real money on a car.

"It cannot be any larger," he says. "It's at its maximum size now and should go leaner." By that he means lighter too, with the new model to feature a down-sized engine, probably a four-cylinder turbo rather than today's 3.7-liter V6. "It needs to be lighter, and more accessible to open the door to more people"

Lighter and smaller engine, TT ?, smaller and lighter car, and inexpensive to own. The price points has gone up making the car "less accessible" and the price of gas did not help either. By 2015, gas will be $5.50 to $6.00 per gallon. It makes good business sense for Nissan to do this if they want to keep the brand moving along. They need to appeal to a larger market to make it. When it first came out, the 370z with it's excellent performance to price ratio was set at comparing itself with the Cayman so who will the Z be going after in 2015? Hopefully none! They need to trail blaze.

I'm sorry but one of the main determining factors to puchase a sports car for me is its uniqueness. Do I want to be driving a dime a dozen car like the mustang or a camaro or something that turns heads due to its attractive design and rarity? I love the design and capabilities of this car coupled with the low selling numbers.

The idea of Nissan appealing to the masses with the Z doesn't appeal to me at all. Seeing a Z at every corner I turn like a mustang or a camaro will make me want to :barf: .

me thinks you missed the whole initial point of the z car....

Me thinks you didn't comprehend before you posted. Those are the reasons I love my Z. Also what I would hate to see happen to this line up.

If it comes out 2015 I'll wait for the 2016, so they can fix any problems!
:P
So, until then I will keep my z and make her beautiful!

The 280zx turbo was faster than its contemporary corvette - HP went up, and unfortunately, by the late 80s so had the price.

Anyway, Nissan needs to stop screwing around and just bring back the 510.

good find, though i agree that the Z's success is really dependent on the economy.... i doubt that by 2015 the American economy is going to be nearly as successful as it was in 2002 with the 350z, and i think that a turbo'd 4-cylinder would be a good fix for those that want a sports car but have no money to spend.

i think it would be very successful as far as sales go but count me out haha

imo they can't make the car slower anymore regardless of engine or it will cause an uproar from their primary buyers....

I guess if I wanted to be part of the broader audience I would have purchased a camaro or a mustang. When I drive my Z I like the notion I am not going to pass one 8 - 9 times a day. But that is just me. :tiphat:

But you have to understand Nissan doesn't make money not selling more Z's. :D I'd love to see them go the route of Lotus with an ultralight chassis, makes lower hp numbers and/or less cylinders much easier to stomach!

Light weight - high Horsepower - Low price

Pick any two above!

I say reduce some overall weight and increase the HP. Nissan does make more money from selling their other models. They most likely make money on the Z but not as much. The Z by being a 2 seat sports car is going to see a limited market. Hell my mother inlaw took one look at the Z and thought the car was dumb because of it not having a back seat. I smiled at her and said that is why Michelle has the Maxima. Bye Bye LOL. :hello:

Leave the freakin 370z alone it's perfect for me the way it is the price is just right for this car and i don't want it to get any cheaper so those high school boyracer will have a bit of a hard time messing with the cars look at least for the first 4 years of its release.

Why not just create a whole new category of light inexpensive car with 4 cylinder and turbo to back it up or just bring back the fuuuukkkiiiin 240sx. I dont want the z to be on the brz category!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the z isn't that much better...

I would personally hate to see a 4 cyl Z and honestly wouldnt trying to aim the Z at a lower class of people price wise make the G have to do the same since there basically the same car??? What would the G do cut the V6 as well????

:iagree:

with a 200lbs hitch on the butt... :ugh2: