I hope that Nissan doesn't jack up the price for this new car. The 370Z starts at $31k and that's a good price for the performance that you get. C&D thinks that the Z will start somewhere in the $40k range. Kind of high imo but it still would undercut the Supra by 10k+ lol. How much do you think...
I get the feeling the Z is in flux and plans can be scrapped at any moment. That's just my fear talking maybe. The personnel changes at nissan have made me nervous for the future of the Z or any other products seen as niche that don't make the bean counters happy.
What will be interesting if the Z35 really does move upmarket, that might put it at the same segment and pricing as the upcoming new Supra. It'll be like the 90's again with the Z battling the Supra!
The 4 cylinder mustang is only 310 hp and it's like 3600 pounds. If the 370z can't top that in both categories i will be very very disappointed. Might as well just stick to the 370z then.
I haven't driven a turbo car in ages. It used to be a full few seconds before the turbo kicked in, i'm sure any modern turbo engine will be vastly improved than what i remember.
Nameplate heritage matters believe it or not. It's harder to sell a totally brand new car without an established name. Of course that can both help and hurt you, depending if the model's history is good or bad :D
Offering ONLY a turbo 4 would be a HUGE mistake if they are keeping it the same price range. We are competing with cars that have 6's and 8's and as it stands now the Z is still underpowered and overpriced. I PRAY that doesn't happen.
The general rule is 1hp per ever 10 pounds of weight loss in the car. That's rough estimate only. So a 400 HP Z car would need to be 350 pounds lighter than the Mustang (around 3450 pounds) to have the same power to weight ratio.
Of course it's a step up (although arguable whether it actually is in terms of many factors like styling, cargo space, handling etc), it's more expensive so it should be. But the sales say it all. They need a reboot.
No, there are too many good options right now among its competitors. I doubt many people fall into that category, and if they do after a totally new model, they might as well pack up shop and retire the Z name. In other words no one should be buying a 370Z after the Z35 (or whatever it is...
The targa rumor has definitely been around for a while now, so I wouldn't be surprised if it comes true. Where there's enough smoke, there's often fire.