You should be able to get over 20 MPG. The Focus ST gets 23/32MPG @ 252 hp/270lbft. The trade off is that to get that 32 MPG, you have to drive it like your greatgrandma stole it. Once you get your foot in it a fair amount, it's down to 25 MPG. Now, to scale that up to mid 300's, you can probably keep it in the mid 20's at worst. I say the turbo DI engine lets you have an economy car or a sports car, but not both at the same time. :D

I called it in another thread - the Z is getting a hybrid option.

Nissan R-Hybrid Trademark Badge

You'll notice the R-Hybrid badge also includes Nissan's Pure Drive. This is Nissan's designation for whatever carries this meeting the future CAFE standard that has been forced on automakers selling in America.

You may argue that it isn't the case because of the badge font is just like the GT-R font, but this nameplate could work for its entire sports car lineup. These trademarks aren't typically grabbed so far in advance of a new model (the R36 isn't due until MY2016 or 2017), so I will bet that Nissan will slap this on the next Z in one trim.

As for a turbo four? The only opposition I have to it is if it's built on the QR motor. Older QRs are starting to show their age with things going wrong. The engineers I know at Nissan HATE those motors because of the headaches they have caused.

A Z going back to turbo is a fantastic idea. When you look at cars like the Mazdaspeed3, Subaru WRX, and Focus ST and backing for all of those by tuning companies like Cobb and Perrin and look at the bang for the buck modding money, you will get so many more people back in Z cars. The 370 is expensive as hell to mod correctly. All cars have their cheap exhausts, but look at exhausts that are higher end like FI and HKS and you're 2 grand deep in a catback that might make 10hp. Slap a Cobb Accessport on an MS3 and you're looking at 30hp for $500. You might argue that Mustangs are roughly the same cost to mod, etc, but we all know that V8s respond much more to breathing mods than V6s do, which enhances the bang-for-the-buck principle. The current Z is really not great dollar for hp, and Nissan would be foolish to ignore that in light of the target market it is pursuing.

If Nissan does it right, I'll dump my 370 for a newer one.

As for the inline 6 - the issue for engineers is the space an I6 takes. When you're designing a whole car to the safety standards of today and tailoring it for a performance model, an I6 is dated and there are too many cons to the pros. Center of gravity on the overall chassis of the vehicle is one of the things affected, especially when you're trying to make it pass the updated NHTSA testing. An I6 doesn't allow for as much versatility in that design compared to a V6. It also requires longer noses in the body of a car as opposed to a V6, and with more material to make that happen comes more weight. Weight distribution and balance is another thing affected, namely symmetry of weight from driver to passenger sides of the vehicle as well as fore and aft.

Say goodbye to the I6. The ones left making them are the ones emphasizing their R&D elsewhere.

Also - to further fuel the fire, Nissan Global's explanation of Pure Drive says that the badge designation means that the car includes one or more of the following technologies:

- DIG-S (3 cyl, 1.2L DI Gas engine with Supercharger)
- Clean Diesel
- XTRONIC CVT (for 1.2-1.8L vehicles)
- Hybrid system for FR vehicles (FUGA)
- Next Generation XTRONIC CVT (for 2.0-3.5L vehicles)
- Hybrid system for FF vehicles.

Well... I hope it's only one of those things that makes it into the Z or GT-R. If a CVT goes in I'm out.

PURE DRIVE? | NISSAN | TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Not for me
 

Yeah, I'm with most other posters -- not going to happen. They may be "accidentally on purpose" leaking different concept illustrations to gain a bit of feedback. No way most of us will upgrade for 50 less HP. In fact, if the next version doesn't get extremely close to 400hp or more, I'm staying put and will invest in a turbo/supercharger if I want a bit of added flavor.

As a side note, the front of this concept drawing looks like a boat. Just saying.

I too agree that the design language will be a bit different. Just look at the recent nissan concepts, you have the Friend-ME concept from Shanghai:

http://nissannews.com/photos/dba2/d3...x195-force.jpg

I sincerely think Car and Driver have the most reasonable guess on this one. Yes you may have lines that will match the old 240z, but for the most part engine will remain a V6 (w/DI)

See Car and Driver article from May'13 here.
http://media.caranddriver.com/images...s-original.jpg

BTW the original article I posted clearly mentions that this was an artist rendition from a japanes mag called Holiday Auto.

This is not a Nissan concept.

I actually like this one.

I like this one here. :D

the Q50 hybrid has a 7at.... I doubt the sports cars wil get CVT.

I'm down for a small displacement turbocharged 4-banger, especially if we see a massive weight reduction.

And I agree we should. But there are no guarantees. Especially if nissan pulls 330 to 350hp out of a turbo 4. I would hope they can accomplish it. I think they re going directions with fuel efficiency that i never thought nissan would achieve. But they've never impressed in the sports car,efficiency arena.

I tend not to focus on what Ford and other domestc brands are doing as much as what Nissan is doing vs what other japanese brands are doing. In some cases, i will also look at porsche (like with our Z's) But what ford does is not a good indicator of what nissan will do next when i compare both autos philosophy of design and performance.

But i see where you're going and share your viws from the general information your are giving.:tiphat:

looks like the new honda fit

http://www.honda.co.jp/Fit/new/images/003.jpg


:wtf2:

You need glasses.

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