Nissan 400Z?
03-19-2018, 10:22 PM
#1
Nissan 400Z?
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/thedrive/news/19379/nissan-400z-is-reportedly-happening-with-a-475-hp-nismo-version%3fsource=dam
Cliff notes, Nissan to make a new Z by 2020 sharing the Q50 platform using a v6 twin turbo setup making 400hp, and then an awd 470hp Nismo version, essentially a GTR.
This is all interesting news, but will it be heavy? This also conflicts with reports that they were looking down market like the 86 or miata with the next Z, keeping power the same but putting the car on a diet vs bigger and more powerful.
There were other reports that they would share with Mercedes ala Toyota and BMW, but this report suggests all Nissan components, and sedan/2+2 bones not small two seater slk type bones.
Cliff notes, Nissan to make a new Z by 2020 sharing the Q50 platform using a v6 twin turbo setup making 400hp, and then an awd 470hp Nismo version, essentially a GTR.
This is all interesting news, but will it be heavy? This also conflicts with reports that they were looking down market like the 86 or miata with the next Z, keeping power the same but putting the car on a diet vs bigger and more powerful.
There were other reports that they would share with Mercedes ala Toyota and BMW, but this report suggests all Nissan components, and sedan/2+2 bones not small two seater slk type bones.
03-20-2018, 05:26 AM
#2
I think that report is all BS. That's at least the impression I got from the Autoblog article about it.
To answer your question; yes it absolutely would be heavy. The G60 is hopelessly heavy, there's no way Nissan could lower the 370Z's weight from where it currently is.
I think the other option, to maintain power but put car on a diet, will be the winning strategy. Will be simpler and less expensive to sell, and occupy a niche that currently is poorly represented (by pretty much nobody).
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/19/...cessor-rumors/
To answer your question; yes it absolutely would be heavy. The G60 is hopelessly heavy, there's no way Nissan could lower the 370Z's weight from where it currently is.
I think the other option, to maintain power but put car on a diet, will be the winning strategy. Will be simpler and less expensive to sell, and occupy a niche that currently is poorly represented (by pretty much nobody).
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/19/...cessor-rumors/
03-20-2018, 07:46 AM
#3
The 370Z is 300-400lbs lighter than its old G37 coupe counterpart, so guesstimate 3,500lbs for the RWD version and ~3,650lbs for the AWD. That's not... horrible, but it ain't great.
Seems like the price would increase esp. for the TT AWD model, which I'm guessing would be north of $50k with options. Against a $55k M2 maybe people will buy it. That's a pretty small niche though, and I don't know how many people will pay that much for a Nissan that's not a GT-R (and the GT-R was never a big seller).
That's what sucks these days - big car companies don't want to invest the money for a small, lightweight RWD platform because there's nothing to share it with. So it's either big, heavy expensive RWD-based cars with platforms shared with luxury cars or FWD-based hot hatches.
03-20-2018, 08:34 AM
#4
If they go the large and heavy route (by using the Infiniti as a basis) then the Z will get slaughtered by the Camaro/Mustang variants that will be similar size and weights.
If they don't go small they're making a big mistake.
If they don't go small they're making a big mistake.
03-20-2018, 09:07 AM
#5
You know they won't though. 350/370Z has always been based on the same platform as the Infiniti. They're not going to spend a bunch of money developing a new platform just for the Z. So it will be more of the same.
03-20-2018, 09:13 AM
#6
Honestly at this point they should just bring the skyline name to the states and have that compete against the 3 series. It'l allow them to justify the weight by having a back seat and actually be on common ground with its competition. I guess they're already sorta doing that with the q series, but the name carries better imo. The Z these days will need to compete against the vette which will be swimming upmarket soon.
I don't see what would be wrong with a 3500-3600lb Z that actually brings a solid motor. The z32 and mkiv supra weighed that much in the early 90s and cost a good amount more than the vette. If the new Z comes out and people are turning up the power to say 600hp and they are proven stout, it could be a cult classic. The only caveat though is that at that weight I want back seats and a useable trunk. Which is why it should just be a skyline or the q whatever.
I don't see what would be wrong with a 3500-3600lb Z that actually brings a solid motor. The z32 and mkiv supra weighed that much in the early 90s and cost a good amount more than the vette. If the new Z comes out and people are turning up the power to say 600hp and they are proven stout, it could be a cult classic. The only caveat though is that at that weight I want back seats and a useable trunk. Which is why it should just be a skyline or the q whatever.
03-20-2018, 10:24 AM
#7
Honestly at this point they should just bring the skyline name to the states and have that compete against the 3 series. It'l allow them to justify the weight by having a back seat and actually be on common ground with its competition. I guess they're already sorta doing that with the q series, but the name carries better imo. The Z these days will need to compete against the vette which will be swimming upmarket soon.
I don't see what would be wrong with a 3500-3600lb Z that actually brings a solid motor. The z32 and mkiv supra weighed that much in the early 90s and cost a good amount more than the vette. If the new Z comes out and people are turning up the power to say 600hp and they are proven stout, it could be a cult classic. The only caveat though is that at that weight I want back seats and a useable trunk. Which is why it should just be a skyline or the q whatever.
I don't see what would be wrong with a 3500-3600lb Z that actually brings a solid motor. The z32 and mkiv supra weighed that much in the early 90s and cost a good amount more than the vette. If the new Z comes out and people are turning up the power to say 600hp and they are proven stout, it could be a cult classic. The only caveat though is that at that weight I want back seats and a useable trunk. Which is why it should just be a skyline or the q whatever.
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03-20-2018, 10:52 AM
#8
I don't think that's an issue. The 370Z is 16" shorter than the G37 coupe it's related to (only 167" actually - 5" shorter than a Cayman). The current Q60 coupe is ~2" longer than the G37 and ever so slightly shorter than a GT-R.
03-20-2018, 10:59 AM
#9
Just because it would share a platform doesn't mean it'd be EXACTLY the same size. They would obviously tweak the structure to suit the dimensions of the class and type of car they want. It might be heavy-ish but it shouldn't be too crazy. The current Z is moderately light...
03-20-2018, 11:36 AM
#10
That's what sucks these days - big car companies don't want to invest the money for a small, lightweight RWD platform because there's nothing to share it with. So it's either big, heavy expensive RWD-based cars with platforms shared with luxury cars or FWD-based hot hatches.
I thought the original MR2 was based off a FWD platform that they just spun around and made mid-engine. I am all for that kind of thing because mid-engine> front engine. Plenty of small, lightweight fwd platforms that can hold 2 liter turbos out there.