TheDonEffect

I do like this new Z, but as always it leaves me feeling a bit conflicted. It's not light for what conveniences/practicality you give up. It is fast but more in a catching up vs. setting the bar sort of way. It does have more power, but did it in a way not in line with the venerable RB engines of the past. It handles well, but not well enough as its competition.

Frankly, it's not a bad car, I mean how can it be "bad"? RWD, good power, sports car dynamics, looks good, should be a fun car. But it costs money, and that's why we then scrutinize the flaws. If this car cost 20k, there would be mobs of people camping out to buy one. But it doesn't. In fact it costs 40k for the bare bones model, a 10k increase trim for trim over the 370Z on which it's based on.

I'm sure at some point they will offer a mid tier model, but we're still well into the 40s, I'd say 43-45k, which btw is about the same price as the SS 1LE. Sure it weighs 200lbs more, but it has back seats, a trunk, and no one is saying this thing will give up any sort of "driver's car" traits because frankly that Alpha platform is superior to the Z platform. And the Camaro comes with Recaro seats, 6, not 4, pot brakes, HUD, just a more nicely equipped car. And I'll bet that the 1LE will be faster too.

I've said in earlier discussions about this car that I was afraid Nissan was going to get greedy, they were going to cobble up a quick new Z by hitting all the headline points: turbo motor, manual transmission, ooo look pretty, and cheaper than the Supra. I was afraid that they were going to do all this and then just make it a few grand cheaper.

So what then is the ethos of this car? A cheaper Supra?

Consider what was around in 2009 when the 370Z debuted. Ford was still using the 4.6L modular V8 with a live axle, the Miata was in the NC generation, no twins, Camaro was coming but not out yet and when it did come out it was 3800lbs, Corvette was well out its price category, so it just needed to compete against 4 door rally cars based on rental level cars. Since then, Ford now has the Coyote (version 3) with an IRS, the Camaro is a bonafide driver's car, Mazda now makes the ND2 RF which I think would appeal to the original Z owners than this new Z, and yeah the BMW Supra. The saving grace would've been the pricing, but Nissan reached imo too far.

But obviously the car has still captured my attention, why? Because perhaps in the next 3-5 years, our supply chain issues will be solved, perhaps we'll be knee deep in a recession, hopefully all the youtube tuner bros will have moved onto whatever the next hype car is, etc etc, perhaps then this car will be like how the 370Z was, available with steep discounts. What a difference it would make if this car was priced 5k less. Base could would be 35, top spec 45, enthusiast spec just under 40?

From that lens, the Z would make a ton of sense.