Nismo Vs. Non-Nismo
 

Just wondering from ppl who have driven both the Nismo and non-Nismo if the performance is significantly different on the street (not when tracking the car)...?

ive driven both. really not much difference at all.

Nismo = Seats + Bodykit + Rims + Muffler........that's pretty much it

Different spring rates, additional braces on the front support structure, and vibration dampers.

better off using the extra cash to buy a nismo into aftermarket parts on a base+sports Z

agree

Unfortunately, that's not a reality for the target-market of this car. These cars are laughably financed to the till, evident from the many "How much did you put down?" threads. The NISMO's $40K price is stretched out over 5 years, where as the cost of after-market parts of the $Δ between the models will have to be paid in cash immediately after purchase (I want to assume that people are not retarded enough to finance mods :ugh2: ). Not all that feasible when it seems as though a $5K down-payment is hard to come by for some.

Besides, the whole "Buy a lesser model and mod it to be better" argument is lame for any car.

but the mods on the Nismo give like what...5hp....lol

exhaust, intakes do nothing but noise...... it's a waste.


buying a nismo is for sake of owning a nismo... authenticity
and the exterior upgrades.....that's it.

Don't buy a Nismo get a base + sport or a touring + sport you will be better off. Nismos are slower and uglier than the original 370Z.

Very Little difference, Not worth the extra money just bragging rights.

If you're gunna mod this, then i believe getting a non nismo is a better choice.

1

doesnt it include a nismo ecu tune also??

Nismo rides noticeably harsher. Exhaust is also louder. .01 G better on the skidpad, whoopedy-doo!

The Nismo front bumper adds 6 inches to the total length of the car. As if the car wasn't long enough already.

Not worth the money unless all you are looking for is "bragging rights of owning a Nismo"!
It's a shame but Nissan dropped the ball on this one.Of course it is a good marketing gig for them as many of there parts are.I also question the 18hp they rate there performance exhaust at?Seriously doubt that there as good as some aftermarket set ups?
I always believed the Japs were on top of there game but maybe they have picked up on how easy we are in america!We are easy game for gimmicks and with the issues of the 370 and now the Nismo I believe they have caught on to us!
I must say the Gismo or should I say the Nismo is a good looking car but way over priced.

IMO, the NISMO is just over the top.... I don't like it, looks too rice...

:iagree::stirthepot:

i like the rear of the nismo,but for my money,sport tour +stillen adds is my cup of tea,

Agreed, a base+full bolt ons will cost less, make much much more power, and not have pre drilled holes for NISMO parts, should you decide to use other kits etc. Aesthetically theyre sexy, but far far too overpriced.

Isnt the chassis welded to give it more rigidity like on the 350z?

Nope. They left that off. I think that is why my NISMO felt way more stiff than the 370z NISMO I drove.

Thanks guys, great answers. I think I will go with everyone's advice, touring + sport and an exhaust mod! This way I can keep the leather, sattelite radio, etc.

A perfect example of what to do with for a high-performance, track-oriented model should be taken from GM with the base C5 versus the C5 Z06. I'll use the last 2004 model-year, for instance...the Z06 had an MSRP starting at $8,350 more than the base Coupe, slightly less than the $9,200 $Δ between the base 370Z and the NISMO. I know people are gonna say I should compare it to the 370 Sport but that makes no sense, plus I'm comparing the Z06 to the base C5, not the Z51 (an option-package similar to what Sport offers for the 370Z).

For the extra $8,350 for the Z06, you got:

• 55 more HP (LS6 engine, but fundamentally the same as the LS1)
• Upgraded suspension (springs, shocks, sway-bars)
• Revised gearing
• Larger wheels/tires
• Significant weight-savings (titanium exhaust, thinner glass, less sound-deadening)
• Upgraded brakes
• Functional brake cooling-ducts
• Slightly different but not all that much better seats (like the NISMO)
• A prettier looking tachometer (again, like the NISMO)

What you ended up with was a car that was significantly faster and handled much better than the base-model, making it one of the fastest cars you could buy on a track. There was absolutely no question about the performance benefits of the Z06 vs. the base as it was night-and-day...not so much with the NISMO.

The funny thing is, you have comparisons of different models such as this on every given forum, and the higher-end camp laughs it off saying the people defending the base-model are just bitter and/or couldn't afford the step up and/or are contriving excuses to justify their purchase when they secretly want the better version. I don't feel this is the case here with the 370Z Sport vs. NISMO. For the same price as the NISMO, it's foolish not to go with a fully-loaded Sport/Touring/Nav Z.

As stated...Nissan really dropped the ball on this one. All you're paying for is a body-kit, and a tacky looking one at that.

yeha i want that tach :(

Eh...even if it's available at a reasonable price, it's not even worth the hassle of installing. The risks is disassembling the interior/gauge-cluster and perhaps breaking a clip or introducing a new squeak or rattle far outweigh the novelty of having "NISMO" on your tach. Plus, the black dial in the non-NISMO just flows better as it matches the speedometer.

I actually love the gauge-cluster in the Z...I couldn't really see how it could be upgraded. Wasn't the case for the MKIV Supra, though, seeing as to how the TRD 10K tachometer was one of the coolest and sought-after mods for the car. :)

The only thing I'd change would be to have 0 on the tach and speedo positioned at 6 o'clock, but now I'm just being silly...

And don't forget, the NISMO is also heavier

I want the red engine cover


:tup:

ONe word- Warranty.
Not saying you can't get better gains from base plus mods, but unless your dealership is mod friendly, hope you know someone if your car goes boom.
I am not hating, if you are indeed ballin' on a budget and don't need a warranty then yes you can get better gains for less in the aftermarket.

For me not too many cars have me wanting to get rid of my STI, but the Z is def one of them and the NISMO Z is hot!

I have been there done that with the performance aftermarket world and I don't want to go down that road anymore.

I want a good bang for my buck sports car that's a good weekend warrior.

Make mine a WHITE NISMO PLEASE!

2010 offers more hp...and I don't think it's a waste:

First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Nismo simply rocks — Autoblog

Well thats not it is it? Its the same car w/ a body kit + some go fast mods + springs... which I can do as well... Its not like the 350z which was an entirely different animal between the Nismo and regular ones... The seam welded chassis... etc etc... but now - it literally IS a body kit + exhuast + different coils + wheels.... which I CAN do...

And if you are retarded enough to pay the 40k for a nismo... then why not 33k + 7k in mods lol... its all the same...

And Yes people do finance mods... not I ... but people do it all the time...

For the money... u can do so much better in the aftermarket.
Base+sprt 33k. Nismo 39k. That's 6grand.

Eibach pro lines n sways. $800 installed. (Will probably ad .01g)
Intake+exh+headers+hfc. $2k. (You would have 26hp=9more thn nismo)
Oil+diff+p.s. + tran cooler. $1.5k (optimum perf)
Carb fiber hood+diffuser. $1.1k. (Reduce 40+lbs)
Ecu prog. $800. (8100rpm will give u better gear2power ratios than 7400)

The numbers come out a lil more than the cost of a NISMO with parts installed.
Honestly its so much more bang for your buck in the long run. You'd be guaranteed better track times in your modded nissan than nismo.
You will be missing the bodykit and rims for the money but, whatever u decide to put on l8r is your own idea of hotness... not some nissan marketer tryin to take your money.

Imho nismo isn't worth it yet. Maybe a refresh in 2011/12 will make the NISMO worthy

I wouldn't pay 40k for a nismo either. You can get them for less. :rolleyes:

And let's keep the cheap shots out of your posts shall we?

On a 370z probably so. But that was proven wrong on the 350z NISMO as it still beat people that were slammed with lots of aftermarket suspension stuff. It's all about the tuning.

People still consider Eibach springs as a solid upgrade, when you could get a good coil over setup for not much more? Show me one person on this board actually tracking their car with Eibachs...

Not to mention your horsepower numbers - people with those intake/exhaust mods are putting down numbers north of 300 on MUSTANG dynos. Seeing as 370's in stock form dyno right around 255 on a Mustang dyno...where the hell did you get 26HP from? That's far closer to 60-70 crank horsepower...not 26.

You honestly think a carbon fiber hood is going to save 40lbs over the stock aluminum hood?

Eibachs are about $250, a coilover set is a lot more than that. And I am one person on this board actually tracking with eibachs.

True. For some reason I looked at the price he listed and was thinking springs only.

Do you Auto-X only? Road course? Maybe I should put it this way - is there anyone who would actually consider Eibachs to be even REMOTELY comparable, performance wise, to a quality coil over setup? After doing my suspension once already (in my Camaro), I will never again do it again without making sure I invest in a quality setup first. Not that I didn't go with one that time (I used Bilstein re-valves and some custom rate springs), but I know enough that for the effort and time it took to do it, you may as well do it right the first time.

If I had the $10,000.00, I would buy it in a heartbeat. If you like it buy it. Some people settle for a Subaru, a Porsche, a Corvette, whatever.

I believe that most of us here, especially me, are already stretched at Z we purchased; thus we might tend to issue some cheap shots at the Nismo.

Road course, exclusively. I was very happy with my eibach/cusco sways on the 350 with tokico shocks.. Bilstein shocks on the corvettes z51 suspension and should be happy with my eibach springs and sways on the 370. I've never had coilovers on any car