Nismo = cheese-mo

RCZ

I am so surprised this thread hasn't exploded into a flamewar. Keep it up folks.

* I do agree with most of the AMG, M and -F and RS comments for sure, but I dont think we havent look that far. Even STI and EVO owners get a BIG upgrade from their normal bretheren and they aren't excessively more expensive.

* When engineers design a car to be used as a track car and then negate the whole process by not putting the correct cooling on it, then they have failed and the whole car is a failure.

* If the car is not designed for track use, but has been branded and marketed as such then this is what we call marketing. For folks who want to feel like racers, but arent. Don't tell me you want a race car for the street because that wont go well.

* One could argue that it is a better starting point to build upon because the chassis is stiffer, but then.. I have a feeling you're going to lose that argument when someone slaps you with the price difference over base.

* Not enough difference to call it a new model either as almost everything is the same.

So what you have here then is either:

A) a failure to create a more focused track car

or

B) a shameless use of the NISMO brand by Nissan who needed a few bucks in this economy and decided to give a lot less for more $.

I think its the latter...they are using Nismo fans and diehards who love the brand..

As someone mentioned before...the NISMO model we just got was supposed to be the "track" trim for the 370Z. Seeing where the economy was, Nissan decided that all the R&D money that went into that car would probably be lost if they priced it like they have previous year track models. So the smart folks at Nissan decide to slap a nismo badge, a body kit and a nice $10k Markup.

But hey, thats just my theory.