Jan 19, 2014 article: next 370Z

cinellipro

If you’ve been keeping up with progress in the automobile industry, you will note that we are in another protracted transition period that is being heavily influenced by developing technologies along with the need to create cars that are more fuel efficient and earth gentle. With lots of great looking designs integrating user-friendly technologies and small displacement engines while keeping the planet green, all excellent goals to meet the needs of the masses. Let me repeat, the MASSES. However, Nissan should really think hard about their next steps in the development of the Z. If they shrink it and place a smaller displacement engine (even with higher HP & TQ) to meet these current but transitional trends, it can hurt the mark. And playing with the integrity of the design may shift it from icon to commodity. Nissan should take a lesson from the pages of the 911, Land Rover and Corvette, which have their own criticisms in driving style, reliability, quality, but they remain enduring iconic designs that have a strong following, like the Z. With the current design of the Z, it can continue to fall in the same category as the aforementioned names. Just tweak the current design.
Nissan, think long-term. Don’t shrink or radicalize the design it to make it competitive with cars that are not its competition, up or down the scale. If Land Rover just lopped 800 pounds off their current Range Rover by using lighter metals, can’t you reduce a couple of hundred pounds with the Z? Don’t mess with the engine displacement. We Americans like big displacement engines, which in today’s world includes 3.7L V-6’s. Keep the major design elements, increase the displacement, update the interior a bit, and keep the manual transmission.
Please note that this is my singular and Z biased opinion.

Rockhound

Yes, and "earth gentle" unfortunately ends up being marketing speak for folks who don't understand that their environmental impact may just be delayed (disposing of huge batteries) or distant (mining rare earth metals in China, coal generated electricity). At least this transition period as you've aptly put it comes with fairly high output and efficient engines, unlike the response in the '70s to just choke every engine back to ridiculously low output for MPG's sake, even in sports cars.

I don't know enough about CAFE regulations, but it seems as if there should be an exemption for low-sales volume models. It's not as if the current Z brings the Nissan lineup's average down by much as it is, anyway.

I do think that there will be a backlash to some of the tiny turbo'ed engines replacing V6s and larger I4s. It's easy to be fooled by HP and torque measurements, and it seems automakers are also finding ways to game the EPA's mpg test cycles. Many of these new tiny engines are going to return low MPGs if driven hard and may not have the longevity of the more basic engines they're replacing.

Duc_Z09

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Know how many times I had to explain to a hybrid driver how my driving a 20 year old Mustang was more environmentally sound than their decision to scrap a perfectly good car and buy a new Prius or whatever? People don't think about the actual impact of their decisions; it's all just marketing and the fact that they want to look cool to their yuppy friends at Starbucks.

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2009 370z #206 (all mods are Home Depot)
2009 Ducati 848 (full Ohlins, Termignoni, etc)
2003 Grand Cherokee (long arms, big tires, 4.56, lockers)