I wish the new Z would be offered with the VQ37VHR. I would be perfectly happy. My 370Z has Stillen intakes, Fast Intentions resonated high-flow cats, Tanabe Y-pipe, and an EcuTek tune from SpecialtyZ. It is putting out 303hp at the wheels, which translates into around 362hp at the crank. I also added an external oil cooler, and put in a ZSpeed CMAK clutch slave cylinder delete kit with a ZSpeed clutch and flywheel, and a Wavetrac rear diff. The car is pretty much bulletproof now, knock on wood.

SpecialtyZ told me that the 370Z engine is more robust than the VR30DDTT. The VR30DDTT is a great engine, but it is higher maintenance than the N/A VHR engine to be sure. They say it drinks more oil than the VHR. More costly to fix if something goes wrong long-term.

My guess will be that the Z will have the same two engine choices as the Infiniti Q50/Q60- 300hp or 400hp (probably tuned a little higher for each), and the Nismo would probably be around 435hp whenever that is released. I would guess the Nismo model would not be released at the start and would come later.

There's no way the cost of the 400Z will start at the same price as the base 370Z. The engine is more complex and more costly to manufacture; there will be a lot more safety features standard; the interior is upgraded. Hopefully other things like the rear diff is upgraded. Nissan isn't a charity operation and they need to make a profit on the cars they sell.

Likely not hard at all. But I would start with the shift knob.

I agree the VQ is the better engine by miles I mean look at what SOHO is doing to these engines. I am highly doubtful we will see something like that out of the VR30. Also as far as I understand from the q50/q60 forums Infinity hasn't fixed the engine's throwing a belt and blowing up so yeah I'm going to pass on a VR30 engine in a Z. Nissan is literally about to make the recalls on the Supra look like a joke. The only reason you don't hear about the engine's blowing on a q60/q50 is because not many people have one so the issue isn't getting much attention.

Counterpoint to the VR belt issue...

It does not blow the engine. The belt coming off can, rarely, cut the engine wire harness...which is a big deal. Most common issue is that the belt comes off and destroys the coolant reservoir, causing a quick leak-out of coolant and a mess.

It is caused by the AC compressor alignment being out of whack.

However, for me the other "option" to get as much power is to boost my VQ37, which by no means is any more reliable or guaranteed than a VR-equipped car. Take the cost of a relatively new 370Z and add in the cost of boosting it, the tuning, any headaches that do occur, and you now have a car nearly as expensive as what a brand-new VR 300Z will be.
In the case on my AWD VQ coupe, my only real option is to install a SC, and to date I have yet to see a SC'ed VQ37 with a properly fitted air filter, many people just run a turbo guard. I'd rather take my chances with a belt blow-out than running my daily SC'ed car without proper air filtration.

And the VQ ain't no saint either, there was several years it was built using a oil galley gasket that can cause big issues that are expensive to fix.

Fortunately Nissan has had 5+ years to deal with this issue on the VR. Seeing as how the VR is likely the only significant change to the FM chassis, I highly doubt the new Z will have recalls that look like a "joke" compared to the BMW Supra.

What worries me more than the VR motor is whether or not the dash melts like happens in the current Z and previous G. After reading up on the VR belt issue, I'm confident it has either been resolved or I personally can maintain the belt in a manner that prevents the issue. Most people heard belt squealing for a while before belt failure, and it is easy to check if belt failure is imminent.

well said.

however, my counterpoint to you statement is even though nissan has had 5 years with this engine and it's issues, doesnt mean they will fix it.


look at the CSC issues on the Z that they've had 11 years to deal with lol

:tiphat:

The blown engines aren't caused by the belts they are separate problems. I should have worded that different. The engine's are blowing up from extremely excessive oil consumption (to the point it will drain an engine dry) and bad turbo seals. There is a guy on the forum that has had his car with Infinity for month or two now and they still can't figure out why it's eating fluids. Like FPenvy said if they can't fix the csc issue in 11 years I have little faith they will fix the other issues in 5.

I hear ya! My 2007 Titan suffered cracked exhaust manifolds. Nissan never solved that issue.
New Gen 2 Titans lose cylinder 7, Nissan won't tell anyone why.
My 2014 Q60 will eventually get a sticky dash, even though the Q60/G37 was released in 2007, and the issues became apparent in early 2010 for many people, Nissan never resolved that issue (heard it happens to Z also).

I bought my first new Nissan in 1995. Have always had some issue with them all. I have also owned a bunch of other cars. My most recent troublesome car was a 2016 GTI that was always in the shop, needed the sunroof assembly and DSG replaced by 20K miles.

To me, these issues are "manageable" as I am a car enthusiast and I work on my own cars, kind of a bummer that cars aren't better, but many of the desirable cars seem to have issues.
Heck, I even had a 2003 Toyota V6 that had some kind of warranty extension and TSB about engine sludge.

Maybe a more reliable car would be a Lexus, but as everyone knows, it is very difficult to tune and mod Toyota engines as the ECUs are locked-down big time. So, Nissan and Infiniti for me.

yea i hear ya i do all the work on my cars as well minus tranny fluid changes since i do not have the right equipment to do it properly.

i'm still waiting to see a final production new Z and see specs on it before i make a decision.

in the meantime i keep digging into other options for the next addition to the garage.

Estimated pricing for the Z was just dropped on a Japanese car magazine
https://bestcarweb.jp/news/scoop/206414
■ New Fairlady Z Estimated price
● Base grade (304ps) /4.5 million yen ~$42k USD
● Version S (304ps) / 5 million yen ~$47k USD
● Version T (304ps) / 5 million yen ~$47k USD
● Version ST (405ps) / 6 million yen ~57k USD
● NISMO (405) ~ 450ps) / 7 million yen. ~66k USD

Interesting! I tried to figure out the MSRP of the current Fairlady Z in Japan, all I could find was that they start around $40K when converted to USD. I think they may be more money in Japan. I would expect US MSRP to be lower.

EDIT, I figured out the Japanese website: https://www3.nissan.co.jp/vehicles/n...30rst000000020

Looks like the VR Z will be only slightly more than the VQ Z.
Current VQ Z pricing:
S is 4.85 million yen
ST is 5.3 million yen
Nismo is 6.52 million yen

So, approximately 6-8% more than the VQ car.

I don't think overall the price hike is bad if these estimated numbers are correct. However I am a little surprised they might only do the 400hp version in the top trims. I understand you can tune it or buy a JB4 to bring them up to that HP. However I think it would have looked much better for them to have gotten it in the sport trim level. Would have looked great for them to have a ready to go 400hp car for under 40k. Still 43~44k for a 400 hp car isn't bad. Also who's not going to look at this an go I can spend less money and get a NA engine with 10% more HP ? I'm just not understanding the reason for putting the 300hp engine in the new Z.

The breakout of the trims and pricing makes perfect sense - even moreso than the 370Z's pricing ever did, because you're getting something tangibly and measurably better in the top trims that more aligns with what potential buyers might throw their money at. The 300hp version of the VR30DDTT is also cheaper to produce, contributing to a less expensive entry level model.

On the low end, you have a 300hp version that is an improvement over the previous generation car in virtually every way. More tech, more power under the curve, better standard equipment. It will also be price-positioned to play in the BRZ/MX5/EcoBoost Mustang space. The BRZ starts at $28k, and I believe even the 370Z is a superior vehicle (for what is less than 10% more money right now, new for new, base trim to base trim, excluding any available incentives). Whatever vanilla toyota juice gets pumped into the "all new" BRZ doesn't sound like it will even compare to the leap the powertrain will make from the 370 to the new Z. For those that want to mod, the choice will be a no brainer - the Z will have a far higher ceiling than any of those other choices.

On the high end, you'll have a Nismo that makes 100hp+ more (what did so many people gripe about with the current Nismo again?), providing value for costing more and putting it within punching distance of any of the mainstream sports cars in that price range with respect to power output.
We'll also already have a pretty well established aftermarket with AMS and other players that have been active on the Infiniti Red Sport cars.

You'll have a car that's a significant improvement and far more competitive that can compete in two spaces. That's better than what can be said for any point in the 370Z's lifecycle.

While that covers the segment itself, your potential buyer profile also widens. There are those that may be swayed from another brand with the value proposition of the lower end package, and there are those that will be placing a Nismo order the day the books open and bringing it to Z-Con the first chance they get. You can satisfy and retain your cult following of Z buyers (Nissan's first objective as it's their only sure bet on any profitability whatsover) yet allow yourself an opportunity to increase the size of that cult following.

If the car mag in question turns out to be correct, then I will have called this from the beginning and stand by my assessment that this is the right move, and we'll have a Z platform that stands to be in the most potentially profitable position since the Z32. Which brings me to my next prediction -

I think we'll see the return of the 300ZX. I might be wrong, but it would be neat if I wasn't.

i'm slightly confused is S and T are for "sport" and "touring", then why would the plain sport model be a 300hp model?

i know it lines up with Q60 300hp vs Q60RS having 400hp.

buttttt if you toss a "sport" name on it why only 300hp and ST will have 400?

touring was always the way they denoted the upgraded seats.

idk nissan always blows it with the trims especially when they updated it in like 2013 or whatever.

originally the sport touring on the 09-12 models was perfect. i hope thats how they do it again. also curious as to if the GTR brakes will be on sport or touring or only a nismo option.

Do you guys know that in Canada, the base 370Z originally cost 40,000. Then for the 2017 model year (in lieu of an updated car I guess) they cut the price by 10 grand, bringing it down to 30,000. Then when they had to add the factory backup camera to the 2019 base model, they raised the price by $500 from $30,000 to $30,500.

I predict in Canada at least, with the new model, it will be back to 40k for the base model.

This is also a lesson that you get nothing for free. They didn't throw in the factory backup camera for free when they were compelled to add it for the 2019 model year, they actually raised the price by $500 to account for the camera and the Gentex mirror.

I predict, 35k USD/40K CAD for the base model.

I agree, this puts the next Z on the best competitive footing it has ever had. I clearly remember the last Z32 TT I saw at a dealer going for $50K+ in the mid 90's. It was a great car, but really really expensive.
My money is on the name "300Z" being used. The "x" isn't that important to the lineage of Z, it was just thrown in these during the late 70's "just because" and Nissan dropped it when they brought out the 350Z. I know everyone keeps calling the car "400Z" but there is absolutely no premise for Nissan to do that. 300Z will still be a new name in the lineage, even if it goes backward numerically.
Japan has slightly different options, don't they?

I think maybe they'll offer dual piston sliding calipers on the lower 300HP models, Akebono calipers on the 400HP models, and possibly the GTR brakes on the Nismo?

I would LOVE to get a 400HP 6MT with Akebonos and cloth interior. I really hope they don't make leather mandatory for 400HP trims.

According to Q50/60 VR folks, the difference between the 300HP and 400HP models is largely erased with tuning, the tunes gain A LOT on 300HP cars and less on 400HP cars, bringing tuned 300HP cars close to the tuned RS cars. The 400HP VR is not terribly different from the 300HP model, I believe turbine speed sensors and an extra cooler. Careful tuning and adding more cooling are what most people do to achieve big gains from the 300HP VR.

There's other questions I have too, like what kind of differential in the different trims?

From what I understand, there's an extra water pump and an oil cooler on the Red Sports in addition to the turbine speed sensors. AMS has demonstrated a lot of the bottle necks come from the cooling from the factory with their aftermarket offerings. The other thing I'd consider a requirement is Z1's HKS BOV kit as the VR comes with no recirculation or blowoff setup at all, and that's what kills the factory turbos in the car prematurely.

For me, I'd prefer to get the top tier configuration and have it under warranty for a while. I'd get a good starting point to get comfortable with the car and then build off that over time. But they'll sell plenty of the 300hp configurations to people who will start throwing the mods at them right away and that's awesome too!

yea the HP difference is just tuning. the only difference in parts i believe is the turbo speed sensor on the 400hp version and thats really it.

Does anyone know what the engine in the Q60 redsport FEELs like to drive?

- Is the power linear?
- Are there torque dips?
- Does power die off at the top end?
- Punchy?
- Does it sound like anything?

In answered that question in this thread:

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...ound-vq37.html

It sounds like a V6 Camry.

You spoke a lot about sound in that thread. I think it's clear the sound will be average at best unless aftermarket exhaust is used.

What about the other questions in terms of the feel of the motor?

if i get one, i am already purchasing an FI exhaust for it.

they already have been selling for the Q60 and i assume it wont take much to adjust the bends to fit the new Z especially if it's really a 370 chassis.

i'm thinking 3"-3.5" straight pipe would get the job done.

twin turbo no need for mufflers.

Everyone is focused on how good the motor is I could care less about that it's been in the q60/q50 for a while.now. I can drop one in my 370z right now if I wanted. I want to know how the new Z will handle. I test drove a q60 right after test driving a Z and I could never see myself in that car. That car feels like I'm driving a blob with wheels and a turbo. It has absolutely no character or driver feedback. If they throw on that adaptive suspension crap and drive by wire I'll never trade my 370z in. I would honestly rather drive a nisan versa than that car. At least when I'm taking a corner it will give me some driver feedback. I actually felt unsafe in the q60 I couldn't feel a hardly anything the car was doing. I'm pretty sure I would have taken a corner way too hard in it without knowing and ended up in a ditch somewhere.

well you're in luck, the new Z was built on the same chassis of the 370 lol

Exactly. Basically the same as the 370z but probably slightly improved.

So the motor IS the big question mark in terms of how it will feel. I'm hoping for linear power, no dead spots, and hopefully some pull to the redline with minimal tapering.

The chassis isn't really what I'm wondering about it's the electronic suspension crap on the q60 that's what I don't want. You can make the best chassis in the world but if you have drive by wire or DDS suspension it's going to be boring to drive. Especially if it has drive by wire you can't mod that away.

Nissan doesn't have much money and it's pretty clear the Z proto is a reworked 370z so I doubt there's much for you to worry about in this regard.

i mean i have electronic/selectable suspension modes in the GTR and it works quite well lol

This 100%. Something to note is that not only is the Z Proto a prototype, but it is a working, running, driving car. I'll link video below of the Z Proto starting up, running, driving a bit, and revving.

Based on up-close video reviews of Z Proto, the new Z appears to consist of more 370Z parts than new parts (this has been verified). The wheel base is the same (this has been verified). The underside of the car, exhaust, suspension, etc. are pretty much exactly the same as the 370Z (this has been verified). The only new changes coming to the Z, besides the new exterior body shape, will obviously be the engine which will be the TTV6 (most likely VR30DDTT). It will also have the same exact oil cooler from the Q60 Red Sport (this has been verified). That along with the turbo speed sensors basically confirms it will use the Red Sport Engine. The transmission will more than likely be the 7-speed automatic just as the Red Sport uses. It appears the Z Proto had some kind of air/electronic suspension of sorts so there may be an adaptable suspension. The chassis is more than likely the same considering the wheel base is the same and Nissan does not have the money to develop a new chassis. I also kinda doubt it'll be updated or upgraded much either because again, Nissan does not have the money. The interior is virtually the same besides the new infotainment, driver digital dashboard, and yellow contrast accents.

Considering all that info and the fact that Nissan execs themselves said multiple times the car will come to production almost exactly as it is, this means that most, if not all the parts seen on the Z Proto will be on the production car.

I think a lot of people don't realize that the new Z is mostly still 370Z besides the above mentioned. Nissan shouldn't need to increase the price of the new Z very much because of this. I will bet that the new Z will start around $35,000 for the base model, going up to $45,000 MAX for the Sport/Premium/whatever line. This would be a perfect and unbeatable price point for the new Z and it would likely outsell just about all other competition on the market in that price range.

If you want to see how the above info is verified watch these videos.

The Lotus Evora 4xx would like a word with you.

Camrys don't sound so bad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edmJHtJtVa8

Have you ever looked around YT for Q60 exhaust vids? Not only does the VR sound good uncorked, but you'd be surprised at the WHP/WTQ gains just a CBE can gain on these VR cars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edmJHtJtVa8

I have the Infiniti Sports exhaust on my VQ37 Q60, and yes it sounds amazing, but the Camry and Q60 both sound good with aftermarket exhaust.

With the gains that exhaust will be making on VRs I am quite certain most enthusiast owners will be motivated to modify their exhaust.

And IMO the VR has better "in front of the firewall" sounds than the VQ, the VQ37 is a bit thrashy and I'm not the only one who thinks that.

My Q60 drives live a buttoned-down Buick. Really, it fits the type of car that it is. But, I agree it doesn't feel very lively from behind the wheel. Q60 is longer and weighs at least 650 pounds more than a comparable Z. And, AWD like my car has makes the Q60 even worse, unless it is raining/snowing. Then it is better than any Subaru! That's why I bought mine!

The new Q60 has EPS on some models, and regular hydraulic steering on others. I have heard nothing but bad things about the EPS. I have a VERY BAD FEELING that EPS is going to be on every new Z. Modern cars rely on EPS for lane keep assist and that crap, which I think the Z will come with. Let's hope that either Nissan makes good EPS, or they continue to have Z models that have hydraulic steering.

My opinions:
The new Z and the refreshed Q60 will be available with Nissan's new 9AT. The 9AT has already replaced the 7AT in 2 existing Nissan models. The FM coupes, Armada and QX80 are next.

The RS engine has the turbine speed sensors, but the 300HP VR doesn't, so we'll see what gauge Nissan uses in the trio gauges for the 300HP models.

I don't think the headlights are completely finished. The Proto Z headlights had aftermarket white LED clearance lights used in place of high beams that were a different shade of white than the main beam. We have those exact same white LED clearance lights on our work trucks. Headlights are very expensive to make and likely weren't ready for the Proto unveil, I think the actual production units will be much different as far as the main and high beams go. I think the LED running light and actual shape are obviously finished.

The Z Proto appears to ditch the movable gauge cluster.


I'm overall excited about the new Z. I actually really like the current 370Z, Nissan using the VR motor, interior updates and classic styling cues really does it for me!

First of all I want to put out a disclaimer that I don't really think its fair to compare aftermarket modded cars. I compare stock with stock; apples with apples. I'm sure you could throw a million dollars into a Chevy Cruze and make it sound like a fighter jet but it's irrelevant.

So with the 2020 Q60, it's not linear like the 370Z. It's faster, but doesn't feel faster. I know a couple people on here say the VQ sounds thrashy, but thats what contributes to vibrations that are also a big thing in what makes a car 'feel' fast.

Listen, as a motorcyclist I find too many car people are hung up on specs instead of raw feelings and emotion, and I guess as a motorcyclist I find the thrashy engine appealing.

I'm going to try to make the difference between my stock 2020 Z and a stock Q60 as clear as mud. After test driving the Q60, which included several hard acceleration pulls; my wife told me the Q60 didn't do anything for her emotionally at all. The gunmetal 2019 370Z demo we test drove on the other hand, when I did hard acceleration pulls, got her p**** wet. This played a big factor in placing a factory order on a 2020 Passion Red.

People are talking about how it feels to drive. But no one I've seen here has mentioned probably the most important aspect of feel, at least to me. What kind of power steering assist will it have? Hydraulic or electronic? THAT is a big deal to me. I have yet to test drive any car with electronic assist that I like. It all sounds great on paper and the wallet, but in reality, in the end, it just doesn't have the same feel. Even BMWs and Porsches have lost the great feel they once had. The 370Z hydraulic system has some heft and weight and feels awesome. If the 400Z has electronic assist and its all too easy and lifeless, this will be the #1 reason I wouldn't want one.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

If a DCT isnt offered and they put in the same old slush box Nissan will lose credibility (to me anyway).

Let's hope they dont use the same auto trans as the q60.
When nissan decides to go auto, they better source it from another company. Maybe the zf tranny. But if they do, will they do a good job if tunning the auto tranny?

I'll be in my bunk!

I wonder how it Nissan's new auto trans holds up against the zf and others alike.
So far, that's one of Nissan's weaker points of their q60. Among other things. They definitely dont hold up against the germans. They are 3 notches down.
They have some catching up to do.

I'll be in my bunk!

The 7AT Auto transmission was my #1 reason I didnt pick up a Q50/Q60 RS after I lost my Z. Plus Nissan will never do a DCT; That's a mainly German thing and not worth the $$ since Nissan makes their own Transmissions (Jatco). They'll most likely do the 9AT they worked on with MB If they decide not to do the 7AT.

The ZF on my S4 is awesome, but the tuning isnt as refined as the Supra's but the great thing is, they are tunable. If Nissan does go with the 9AT, it'll be tunable as well.

It will be the new 9 speed they have and nismo is working on the tuning. That's why they said the auto version is in development, because it's not the old 7 speed. If it was then they would have announced it at the proto unveiling.

That's a good point actually.