2023 Nissan Z Launch Delayed Until Summer 2022

[Orion]

What good are vehicles you can't drive?
Maybe someday a car company will decide they want to sell me a new car.

Yeah the mysteries of the universe huh?

 

[Denver the Last Dinosaur]

What good are vehicles you can't drive?

No problem with petrol price rises, no accidents, no servicing or repair costs, no dealing with idiot drivers on the road, ... it would be the perfect car, except that you can't go actually anywhere.

 

[Xeno]

It is a good question. The 300ZX was a premium car meant to put the sports car world on notice. And it did. It was blowing away Corvettes and making Ferrari nervous. The interior was sculpted and although branded a grand tourer, still had the best seats I've ever sat in (with the full load leather). The dash and centre console sculpted around you like a fighter jet.

The new Z looks cool. Has a cool vibe. But the overall effect sitting in those seats are that it didn't feel any better than my 370. The steering wheel is nice, more bolstering on the seats, but the overall effect of the surfaces and materials seems cheap. It made me think of emailing back the dude I sold my Stillen 370Z to and see if he wanted to sell it back. NOW, driving this thing may change everything. But it doesn't have the feel of getting into even a Cayman or Boxster. The leather is cheap, looks like things will wear out quickly unless you are meticulous and careful. You have to sit in it. Now having said all of that I'll take delivery of one and if it doesn't hold up I can resel or trade for a Porsche.

All that being said, and I get there’s a thread already dedicated to it, I still have to ask; in your opinion, is there anything better than the new Z, comparing to prices of the current market, from past, present, or near future? I want a 2 door coupe with a stick and plenty aftermarket.

 

[West Aussie]

All that being said, and I get there’s a thread already dedicated to it, I still have to ask; in your opinion, is there anything better than the new Z, comparing to prices of the current market, from past, present, or near future? I want a 2 door coupe with a stick and plenty aftermarket.

Hard to know until prices are revealed….that makes a huge difference when weighing options up

 

[FBD]

All that being said, and I get there’s a thread already dedicated to it, I still have to ask; in your opinion, is there anything better than the new Z, comparing to prices of the current market, from past, present, or near future? I want a 2 door coupe with a stick and plenty aftermarket.

Again, a really good question. I'm not sure there is for the money. Not a car that is brand new with warranty. Having said that I would love to had had my last 370Z side by side this new one. I had Stillen bolt ons all the way to the back and H&R coilovers lowered with everything adjusted. It was fast. Hard to know. I'd say your best bet that is reliable is a 370Z and do some mods. If you want steering wheel and road feel: and older cayman, but you'll be doing maintenance. I think this car with a few tweaks will be great, especially if the price comes in. I'm taking mine anyway and will trade up if its just not what I thought. But I loved my 370Z. I am just worried my bolt ons brought it to life and that I would have hated a straight up stock 370Z (And I am not a mod whore...mine looked stock). It just breathed better with better throttle response, revved quicker.

 

[2017370ZBlack]

Well here is the latest:
Just got back from a private showing of the new Z (Red Performance Manual) and got an update from the most reputable dealer group in the region.
There are no Z cars waiting on the docks. I was there with the people who delivered the car and no carrier personnel had ever heard anything about "hundreds of Z cars sitting at the terminal". Full Stop. Some people will believe anything.

Here is the goods from the person who sits on the Nissan's National Advisory Council:
1. There are no cars in production at all whatsoever at this point.
2. The test drive on May 4th at the Nissan test track in the US was cancelled.
3. The first shipment of Z cars to come to Canada will be to give every deserving Z dealership ONE Z that cannot be sold. It will be the dealer car to sell all the rest.
4. The production run for the dealer cars will begin in June. Build time in 1 month. And 2 months to ship and clear and deliver to Vancouver, Canada.
5. There MAY be a few extra Z Cars for the first few "early backdoor" orders in this dealer shipment or there may not be.
6. Next production run is RUMOURED for the first allocations (if they didn't already get fulfilled with the dealer production run) will begin in July. Then 3 months later....boom....October. And that's if your one of the lucky ones at one of the lucky dealerships which I am, but I am just going to take a step back and patiently wait.

Anyone else who does not have a formal appointment or corporate relationship with Nissan Corporate is totally running on conjecture and those who listen to them are their prey. As if there are 100s of secret Z cars sitting at the terminal being held, waiting until June to be sold while the Nissan share price plummets due to wide spread corporate mis-managment. We all have to have a reality check here and start qualifying our sources and stop the ignorance of reckless comments from some noble customer who is hoping that the dullard from the dealership is telling the truth and not stringing them along for an eventual sale.

That seems to be the latest.

As for the car...I'm not a fan of red and it was kind of underwhelming. The exhaust sound is completely forgettable and quieter than a stock 370Z that was beside it. The interior was targeted and purposeful but it felt really cheap. The fit and finish cosmetically looked better than my 370Z Sport Touring Stillen but felt the same. The seating position and the fit and feel of the driving position felt exactly the same as my 370 except the bolstering was more noticeable and held you in place better. The shift lever was not at all close ratio like I thought it would be, but notched into place just fine and had a nice mechanical feel to it. The rest of the cabin was fine but my overall impression was like ok this is a fine car. Sales reps said the Performance will be 55K CAD and the Proto Spec will be 60K CAD. They will likely have full term financing at 4.5%. The black rims didn't seem to pop like I thought they would. Overall it calmed me down and made me more prepared to wait patiently rather than drive myself crazy. It did not feel markedly any better than sitting in my 370Z. Of course, we are going to need to drive this thing. And in Boulder Gray I think I would have been way more excited. Those are the impressions from a Z enthusiasts and this one will be my fourth. But for just a moment I was thinking...should I start looking around for something else? Didn't feel that special at all or that exotic. I'm a supporter so I'll probably go through with it (it was confirmed I'll be one the the first to get mine) especially given how cheap it is but I was surprised it didn't take my breath away. Also, the seats are cheap, I saw the outside red leather buckling under the weight of a bigger customer and thought to myself what the hell...

The Z is not supposed to be exotic. Just a fun, fast enough, good looking GT from the factory that is reliable at a decent price.

 

[2017370ZBlack]

Just heard from a GM I've talked to in the past and he said the following:

"Went to Orlando regarding the release of the new Z and it's looking like late this year...September or October. The chips situation has everything delayed now." I've asked for clarification, but wondering if there was a regional meeting—wouldn't surprise me, but curious if anyone else has heard similar.

As much as I hate to say it, this aligns with what was reported above. I can't imagine they'd want to make up delays like this, either, as it obviously impacts them.

Nissan wants to sell cars. The supply issues rampaging the auto industry will last at least two more years.

 

[indio22]

Nissan wants to sell cars. The supply issues rampaging the auto industry will last at least two more years.

Or there will be another key chip plant fire, which seems to be "a thing" the past few years. Add more covid related restrictions, conflicts etc ... this situation could linger.

It's odd, the way not just one but multiple major industries, are still hampered by this chip situation, and possibly still years into the future. You'd think a key constraint like this, would have had better contingencies and mitigation. Not "oh well, maybe this thing will clear up after 3 or so years".

In the end it's Nissan or Ford, unable to provide me with their product, having put themselves in a position where a key component grinds their production down for years. If post 2024 we are still hearing about chip issues, then something is rotten in Denmark.

 

[FBD]

The Z is not supposed to be exotic. Just a fun, fast enough, good looking GT from the factory that is reliable at a decent price.

No I agree. I guess I just meant special. It should feel special and the 370 and this one just feel fun and fast. As opposed to the 300ZX which felt special. Or even (and I'll hear the laughs) an older Porsche Boxster with real steering. The Z still doesn't rev as fast or with as much urgency as even the old boxsters. But I take your point. And again, we haven't driven this thing yet.

 

[Donalex]

Or there will be another key chip plant fire, which seems to be "a thing" the past few years. Add more covid related restrictions, conflicts etc ... this situation could linger.

It's odd, the way not just one but multiple major industries, are still hampered by this chip situation, and possibly still years into the future. You'd think a key constraint like this, would have had better contingencies and mitigation. Not "oh well, maybe this thing will clear up after 3 or so years".

A reminder that these chips which seem to be in short supply are so-called "legacy chips". They are not the kind or generation of chips found in your cellphone or TV. No sane manufacturer would introduce newly-developed chips into a product which can kill or maime someone because the operator is eating a donut and reading a book going 90 mph in a school zone.

Industry long ago embraced "just in time" production, which by it's very nature is not immune to supply disruptions. Until now, some held-back stock, production tweeks, and multiple chip manufacturers have been used to mitigate relatively minor disruptions.

A raging worldwide pandemic, which affects second and third world countries where these chips are made, is not a "relatively minor disruption".

So, you have a clash of pent-up purchasing consumers in wealthy countries versus the collapse of production in these other countries.

No surprise, and no fast and easy fix.

 

[fliplover]

A reminder that these chips which seem to be in short supply are so-called "legacy chips". They are not the kind or generation of chips found in your cellphone or TV. No sane manufacturer would introduce newly-developed chips into a product which can kill or maime someone because the operator is eating a donut and reading a book going 90 mph in a school zone.

Industry long ago embraced "just in time" production, which by it's very nature is not immune to supply disruptions. Until now, some held-back stock, production tweeks, and multiple chip manufacturers have been used to mitigate relatively minor disruptions.

A raging worldwide pandemic, which affects second and third world countries where these chips are made, is not a "relatively minor disruption".

So, you have a clash of pent-up purchasing consumers in wealthy countries versus the collapse of production in these other countries.

No surprise, and no fast and easy fix.

I understand what you are saying, but from my knowledge of the situation, most of the pandemic related run on chips has been driven by the work from home/stay at home crowd needing new computers, wanting new gaming systems, etc. for their homes. This doesn't even include everyone who want to be a crypto miner nowadays. These systems all use the latest, fastest chips, not legacy chips.

Did all the legacy chip manufacturers pivot production to more modern devices? I agree there's been a run on new cars, but should cause shortages to the extent we are seeing if the legacy manufacturers still have the same capacity as before.

 

[JoeTX]

I understand what you are saying, but from my knowledge of the situation, most of the pandemic related run on chips has been driven by the work from home/stay at home crowd needing new computers, wanting new gaming systems, etc. for their homes. This doesn't even include everyone who want to be a crypto miner nowadays. These systems all use the latest, fastest chips, not legacy chips.

Did all the legacy chip manufacturers pivot production to more modern devices? I agree there's been a run on new cars, but should cause shortages to the extent we are seeing if the legacy manufacturers still have the same capacity as before.

TSLA built the Gigafactory in 168 working days. Chip manufacturers don't want to build more factories because they are making more money this way. they don't care about the average consumer, they care about their shareholders and showing they are making profits.

 

[Donalex]

It's for certain that some materials are universal among transistor chips and the increased buying of PC's, etc may have caused shortages across the board, but I believe that production worker shortages caused the most damage as they are highly skilled.

Once car buying stopped, factories stopped, too. Plus, it takes weeks to make chips from raw materials to finished product.

 

[Denver the Last Dinosaur]

The factories in China have also been shutdown during their latest round of Covid lockdowns. They are apparently starting to reopen, but there will be a backlog of orders to do before normal manufacturing levels resume. As well as that there are the ongoing shipping delays of raw material to the chip factories and of the finished products to customers.

 

[Donalex]

Here's a good primer:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/features/automotive-cars-computer-chip-shortage-2022/