A letter I wrote to Nissan north america (with reply)

coltrain

I think the Z is starting to grow up. I remember when the 350Z first came out ... it was an unrefined affordable club racer with limited creature comforts.

The 370Z and updated 2013 370Z seem more focused on creating a livable Daily Driver. Color combinations are becoming more unique and refinements seem to be more in line with competitor German engineering.

IMHO, I think keeping the same HP / TQ would be ok. If the Z is growing up ... I think MPG's need to be addressed, as well as engine efficiency. ~18/31 MPGs is not good.

gbrettin

There are options for super chargers and turbos for our cars if power is truely an issue. Heck, Stillen SC comes with a warranty for the car even.

Power is a non-issue imho. Unless you want a crazy 1000+ beast...

Waiz

I hate to burst your bubble OP but that looks like a canned response that they send to everyone

Your comment regarding the Z becoming a luxury car might have been better suited if you were in the focus group prior to the 370z launching but at this point you're just sending a note to a low-level employee in consumer affairs that has no say in product or planning

MattP725

I find it funny that you complained about the $$$ for power... the Z has a very good amount of power and performance for the money, infact I remember reading several articles about how it keeps up with cars priced 20-30k higher at times.

Your also comparing a 2009 generation car with a 2012-2013 (Mustang)... of course there will be improvements.

Magic Bus

Since the first car was made, it has enjoyed continued improvement in power & handling over the years. While we would all like this trend to continue, there is no guarantee of this. Our government is putting more emphasis on safety and fuel efficiency. So it's possible, significant increases in horsepower from the manufacturer with lower costs, may not occur.

With the above thought in mind. I say, buy, drive & enjoy what's available today.

edub370

except for the fact that that hasnt happened....

__________________

Magic Bus

edub, That sentence was in reference to the evolution of cars in general, since the Model T. Not specifcally to the 370Z since 09.

Joepro

I have not got my 370 yet(long story of difficulty selling my 350), but highly considered getting the 5.0, my auto group has ford and I could get a killer deal...Our HR office is attached to the ford showroom and I was down there for an appt and they have a 13 gt on the showroom floor (and 2 gt500s outside?) and I had a spare moment...what am I looking for in my next sports car; performance, handling, style? Well the mustang certainly has both the first 2, performance and handling(it does, lets stop denying it), but 20 seconds on the inside I wanted out...back seats, retro styling, ugh, it’s just not me, sure the track apps are cool, but how many crashed stangs are going to be the result of those... Given its flaws, the Z car is well, me...I am a Honda guy though and through, I work for Honda, but they just have not delivered anything like the Z car...sure the s2k, if you like a convertible and you are 5 foot 7 and 130 lbs, you’ll like it just fine...anyway, I will stop there, we are a different breed, when you need a blended car with my criteria, the Z is right there, and will always be there. I knew the short comings and issues of the 350 when I bought it, but it just clicked with me. I will be able to buy a used Z for as little as 25k with the options and mileage I want, do 10k of mods if I so choose, and be right at or above the level of performance of a full bolt on 5.0(my research shows low 400 whp), but guess what, I just might leave this one NA, it’s fun having a "slower" car that requires the driver to push the car’s limits to compete with the others, that my friends is the real challenge. I have dragged my Z at the local strip a few times and have turned in abysmal 13.6-14.2s on 245 nankangs, but guess what, I beat 3 stangs(04 and 2 2010s) and a c5 vette in one day…figure that one out, and lost to a new camaro ss by .2 seconds, even in a stock 370z I would have taken him or at least matched it…Power is Not everything, VDC, well said.

ps, the letter does sound a bit canned, sorry, it just does.

__________________
Swift|Koni|SPC| FI CBE|Z1|Stillen|Sbend|Zspeed|R/T Tuned|523 whp|458 tq|10.5 psi|SOLD
Joepro's Journal|Joepro's Boosted Performance Build |Pittsburgh-Western-Pa-Ohio-Wv-Group

UNKNOWN_370

If you go stang??? Do it right? a gold n black boss302

TypeOne

That sounds like a pretty generic response honestly, not an open invitation to send them all of your ideas as to what the cars should be.

In all reality, they have already designed the car and have made the changes. You can't redesign and build a new car in a year... so I would be willing to bet the people over at Nissan have a handle on it.

Waiz

You basically said the same thing I did lol

TypeOne

I didn't read any of the other comments after I read the first one.

Waiz

Well like nearly every thread that is in this section it was all offtopic and had nothing to do with the OP so you can disregard them lol

brucelidat

I went to Art Center College of Design which is where half of the car designers in the world came from ( i was not a transportation design major, but I knew plenty of them). That is no pro sketch. If it is, then Nissan's standards are pretty damn low these days.

__________________
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

UNKNOWN_370

Well i hope not, because the car design in question looks about 10 years outdated and very sedan-ish.

I found some more alleged raw sketches that contradict that design.

https://forge.localmotors.com/pages/project.php?cg=9154

I know this is questionable info but, usually, one out 20 sketches will actually be a leaked official.