New Z an improvement? What do you think?

ZBro16 · 08-15-2013, 01:48 PM

I have just finished reading my thread and will offer my two cents on the matter. I have weighed in on this before and more information has come to light since then.

First - people asking for a straight six. Straight sixes are dead. Sorry. There are way too many pros for an automaker with a V6/horizontally opposed build - required space in the engine bay is less, efficiency of the overall engine build for parts longevity, weight distribution, etc among others. Bring to light safety and crash testing requirements among others and there is zero reason for an I6 to exist, especially in Nissan's world. Remember, this is a company making supercar performance out of a 3.8L V6 TT.

Second - I'm slightly concerned about the Z getting an overhaul. I do not think it will happen. They haven't made enough money with the 370Z (I find the economy and Nissan's marketing arm to be at fault for this) to justify the spending for an overhaul of the car. Couple that with the call signs from Infiniti - the 3.7L is still in production and offered in the Q50. The Q50 is still built on Nissan's FM platform (the Z and G share this as well). They will not build a special platform for the Z, so we can nearly guarantee they will use the FM platform once more for the Z35.

So in light of these things, I will also wager that instead of offering the 3.7L, they will toss in the 3.5 Hybrid that is available in the Q50. This benefits Nissan in two ways.

First, the fuel economy of their sports car would increase pretty dramatically. This helps their CAFE average, leaving more wiggle room for the GT-R and the fullsized truck lineup. It's easy to market because they would be the first to do this in a mass market sports car. It's perfectly inline with what Nissan is trying to accomplish as a company. The increase in fuel economy makes the price more justifiable (on the highway, it would make what the BRZ makes, and it would have 75% more power). The car will still make performance car numbers.

Second, the electric motor will cure a lot of the woes currently present in the 3.7L V6. While the Q50 Hybrid doesn't quite seem like much of a performer, the Z will be because of how it will be built. They can further tune the motor more towards performance as opposed to the Q50. They can offer a manual transmission as the VQ35 has already been built for such. You won't run into the oil temperature issues of the 3.7. Having an electric motor coupled to it will dramatically increase low end torque (it will be instantly available), which many people have complained about.

This is probably the route Nissan will take. They can't afford to do a 370Z redux, but they can't afford to make a baby-GT-R out of the Z.

Will I buy one? I have ZERO interest in hybrid technology, but if they do it right, I may consider. If they make it as aesthetically pleasing to my eye as, say, an Aventador? I probably will pull out my VPP and rock one.

If it looks like that Esflow abomination? Let's just say I'll stay in my 2013.

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08-15-2013, 01:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
ZBro16 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 370 Drives: A Z. Rep Power: 15	I have just finished reading my thread and will offer my two cents on the matter. I have weighed in on this before and more information has come to light since then. First - people asking for a straight six. Straight sixes are dead. Sorry. There are way too many pros for an automaker with a V6/horizontally opposed build - required space in the engine bay is less, efficiency of the overall engine build for parts longevity, weight distribution, etc among others. Bring to light safety and crash testing requirements among others and there is zero reason for an I6 to exist, especially in Nissan's world. Remember, this is a company making supercar performance out of a 3.8L V6 TT. Second - I'm slightly concerned about the Z getting an overhaul. I do not think it will happen. They haven't made enough money with the 370Z (I find the economy and Nissan's marketing arm to be at fault for this) to justify the spending for an overhaul of the car. Couple that with the call signs from Infiniti - the 3.7L is still in production and offered in the Q50. The Q50 is still built on Nissan's FM platform (the Z and G share this as well). They will not build a special platform for the Z, so we can nearly guarantee they will use the FM platform once more for the Z35. So in light of these things, I will also wager that instead of offering the 3.7L, they will toss in the 3.5 Hybrid that is available in the Q50. This benefits Nissan in two ways. First, the fuel economy of their sports car would increase pretty dramatically. This helps their CAFE average, leaving more wiggle room for the GT-R and the fullsized truck lineup. It's easy to market because they would be the first to do this in a mass market sports car. It's perfectly inline with what Nissan is trying to accomplish as a company. The increase in fuel economy makes the price more justifiable (on the highway, it would make what the BRZ makes, and it would have 75% more power). The car will still make performance car numbers. Second, the electric motor will cure a lot of the woes currently present in the 3.7L V6. While the Q50 Hybrid doesn't quite seem like much of a performer, the Z will be because of how it will be built. They can further tune the motor more towards performance as opposed to the Q50. They can offer a manual transmission as the VQ35 has already been built for such. You won't run into the oil temperature issues of the 3.7. Having an electric motor coupled to it will dramatically increase low end torque (it will be instantly available), which many people have complained about. This is probably the route Nissan will take. They can't afford to do a 370Z redux, but they can't afford to make a baby-GT-R out of the Z. Will I buy one? I have ZERO interest in hybrid technology, but if they do it right, I may consider. If they make it as aesthetically pleasing to my eye as, say, an Aventador? I probably will pull out my VPP and rock one. If it looks like that Esflow abomination? Let's just say I'll stay in my 2013.