A Great Conversation with Dan Passe on 2023 Nissan Z [Specs, Release, Pricing]

[Salito]

Hello everyone, this is gonna be a long thread so please bear with me.

I had a great talk with Dan Passe yesterday and though he couldn't answer 80% of what I asked, it was a productive conversation. So I would like to start off by saying if you ever get the opportunity to go to any of the big Z car conventions please go. I missed Dan when I was at Zcon last year and just talking with him on the phone I have to say he is a genuine, honest, and great guy. He has a passion for the brand and for the Z that I resonated with greatly. Now with that being said there are also a multitude of working parts within Nissan and Dan had no issue letting me know the things he did not know or couldn't answer.

So for starters the timeline. He could not say exact dates as they have not been determined yet. However, the launch date is still intended to be at the latest June. Dan said regarding the timeline that said a launch in August, he and Nissan would be very disappointed if that ended up being the case. So as of NOW there don't appear to be any delays with the launch.

The nightmare of pre-orders is unfortunately true. There will be no launch pre-orders for the US market. Now with that being said Dan did express his desire to push for a pre-order system for the US as so many people have wanted it. Though it seems for whatever reason it will not be happening.
Regarding pricing of the Z Dan said that even he has not been informed about what the exact pricing will be. Now Dan did say that the estimates I have made (45-47k for a manual and 1-2k extra for auto variants) in the performance trim should be close to what will be asked based on previous trends within Nissan. Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k.

When it comes to the Nismo there is no information to give. The Nismo and a convertible Z are both things that aren't even remotely in the works right now. Not to say the Nismo is not coming but currently the focus is on getting the Z to market.

Now Dan would not confirm this but he would not deny it either. So the last few bits of information we have been wanting like weight, MPG, 0-60, and other specs will be coming out. I tossed the estimate of about 2 months before release and that seemed like a good time frame. So I am hoping for an April or May release on all information.

Lastly when it comes to other dealers hitting these cars for crazy markups there is nothing that can really be done. Legally the manufacturer with the US department of Transportation sets the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) and from there the dealer decides what they will sell it for. There have been articles written about Ford and GM trying to "crack down" on these dealers but legally they can't do this without the dealer falling short on their contract agreements with the manufacturer.

Dan also asked that I let all of you know that he knows everyone's concerns. He is on several forums, facebook groups, car groups, working with Z car clubs, performance shops and more. Like myself, Dan gets to read all of the questions, comments and concerns we all have and in his words "I hold nothing back, I do not get any delight in making people wait for information. The moment I am allowed to speak publicly on topics I get it to you all immediately." (this is not a direct quote but close enough lol).

So to summarize:

1. Should see specs in April/May, with a release date in June
2. Pricing isn't set yet but estimates should fall Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k
3. There are a multitude of legal acrobatics that prevent a manufacturer from dictating what any dealership charges for a vehicle in the US.

 

[Salito]

Hello everyone, this is gonna be a long thread so please bear with me.

I had a great talk with Dan Passe yesterday and though he couldn't answer 80% of what I asked, it was a productive conversation. So I would like to start off by saying if you ever get the opportunity to go to any of the big Z car conventions please go. I missed Dan when I was at Zcon last year and just talking with him on the phone I have to say he is a genuine, honest, and great guy. He has a passion for the brand and for the Z that I resonated with greatly. Now with that being said there are also a multitude of working parts within Nissan and Dan had no issue letting me know the things he did not know or couldn't answer.

So for starters the timeline. He could not say exact dates as they have not been determined yet. However, the launch date is still intended to be at the latest June. Dan said regarding the timeline that said a launch in August, he and Nissan would be very disappointed if that ended up being the case. So as of NOW there don't appear to be any delays with the launch.

The nightmare of pre-orders is unfortunately true. There will be no launch pre-orders for the US market. Now with that being said Dan did express his desire to push for a pre-order system for the US as so many people have wanted it. Though it seems for whatever reason it will not be happening.
Regarding pricing of the Z Dan said that even he has not been informed about what the exact pricing will be. Now Dan did say that the estimates I have made (45-47k for a manual and 1-2k extra for auto variants) in the performance trim should be close to what will be asked based on previous trends within Nissan. Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k.

When it comes to the Nismo there is no information to give. The Nismo and a convertible Z are both things that aren't even remotely in the works right now. Not to say the Nismo is not coming but currently the focus is on getting the Z to market.

Now Dan would not confirm this but he would not deny it either. So the last few bits of information we have been wanting like weight, MPG, 0-60, and other specs will be coming out. I tossed the estimate of about 2 months before release and that seemed like a good time frame. So I am hoping for an April or May release on all information.

Lastly when it comes to other dealers hitting these cars for crazy markups there is nothing that can really be done. Legally the manufacturer with the US department of Transportation sets the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) and from there the dealer decides what they will sell it for. There have been articles written about Ford and GM trying to "crack down" on these dealers but legally they can't do this without the dealer falling short on their contract agreements with the manufacturer.

Dan also asked that I let all of you know that he knows everyone's concerns. He is on several forums, facebook groups, car groups, working with Z car clubs, performance shops and more. Like myself, Dan gets to read all of the questions, comments and concerns we all have and in his words "I hold nothing back, I do not get any delight in making people wait for information. The moment I am allowed to speak publicly on topics I get it to you all immediately." (this is not a direct quote but close enough lol).

So to summarize:

1. Should see specs in April/May, with a release date in June
2. Pricing isn't set yet but estimates should fall Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k
3. There are a multitude of legal acrobatics that prevent a manufacturer from dictating what any dealership charges for a vehicle in the US.

47k to 49k means 60k to 63k Canadian, bad news, I was hoping the Z would be less expensive than the BMW M240 which is faster and has a nicer interior, it’s also only 10k less expensive than the base Corvette C8 which is in another league and about the same price as the new electric BMW 4 e drive 40 which is technologically superior and with the tax credits will be at least 7k less expensive ; regretfully that price will be a dealbreaker for me.
I will wait for official pricing in Canada, but if these prices are true I will very likely continue to be a Bimmer customer and cancel my preorder ?

 

[ZDreamer]

Hello everyone, this is gonna be a long thread so please bear with me.

I had a great talk with Dan Passe yesterday and though he couldn't answer 80% of what I asked, it was a productive conversation. So I would like to start off by saying if you ever get the opportunity to go to any of the big Z car conventions please go. I missed Dan when I was at Zcon last year and just talking with him on the phone I have to say he is a genuine, honest, and great guy. He has a passion for the brand and for the Z that I resonated with greatly. Now with that being said there are also a multitude of working parts within Nissan and Dan had no issue letting me know the things he did not know or couldn't answer.

So for starters the timeline. He could not say exact dates as they have not been determined yet. However, the launch date is still intended to be at the latest June. Dan said regarding the timeline that said a launch in August, he and Nissan would be very disappointed if that ended up being the case. So as of NOW there don't appear to be any delays with the launch.

The nightmare of pre-orders is unfortunately true. There will be no launch pre-orders for the US market. Now with that being said Dan did express his desire to push for a pre-order system for the US as so many people have wanted it. Though it seems for whatever reason it will not be happening.
Regarding pricing of the Z Dan said that even he has not been informed about what the exact pricing will be. Now Dan did say that the estimates I have made (45-47k for a manual and 1-2k extra for auto variants) in the performance trim should be close to what will be asked based on previous trends within Nissan. Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k.

When it comes to the Nismo there is no information to give. The Nismo and a convertible Z are both things that aren't even remotely in the works right now. Not to say the Nismo is not coming but currently the focus is on getting the Z to market.

Now Dan would not confirm this but he would not deny it either. So the last few bits of information we have been wanting like weight, MPG, 0-60, and other specs will be coming out. I tossed the estimate of about 2 months before release and that seemed like a good time frame. So I am hoping for an April or May release on all information.

Lastly when it comes to other dealers hitting these cars for crazy markups there is nothing that can really be done. Legally the manufacturer with the US department of Transportation sets the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) and from there the dealer decides what they will sell it for. There have been articles written about Ford and GM trying to "crack down" on these dealers but legally they can't do this without the dealer falling short on their contract agreements with the manufacturer.

Dan also asked that I let all of you know that he knows everyone's concerns. He is on several forums, facebook groups, car groups, working with Z car clubs, performance shops and more. Like myself, Dan gets to read all of the questions, comments and concerns we all have and in his words "I hold nothing back, I do not get any delight in making people wait for information. The moment I am allowed to speak publicly on topics I get it to you all immediately." (this is not a direct quote but close enough lol).

So to summarize:

1. Should see specs in April/May, with a release date in June
2. Pricing isn't set yet but estimates should fall Sport manual ~40k, Sport automatic ~42k, Performance manual ~45-47k, and Performance auto ~47-49k
3. There are a multitude of legal acrobatics that prevent a manufacturer from dictating what any dealership charges for a vehicle in the US.

"Great talk" for your own enjoyment but decent at best for us ... lol

 

[ceric]

I might be wrong, but I think automakers can influence their dealers through bonuses/rebates and vehicle allocations.
I believe those means are within agreement between automakers and dealership.

 

[Donalex]

I might be wrong, but I think automakers can influence their dealers through bonuses/rebates and vehicle allocations.
I believe those means are within agreement between automakers and dealership.

Lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

[siggy]

Lawsuit waiting to happen.

Cedric is correct on this. In fact, those are some of the things manufacturers have already used to threaten dealers.

 

[Blackbeard]

Yea I had a buddy of mine worked at planet dodge here when the srt-8 started rolling out and the manufacturer came down on them cause they were marking them up said that if this kept going they would stop allocations for them. But this is after tons of people complained and emailed them

 

[RicerX]

Right now you should probably put it up on blocks....

QX80 and Titan in my household. "Get two V8s", they said. "It will be fun", they said...

Thankfully they're each just as good at swallowing potholes as they are at chugging gas. Getting out of my neighborhood in a Z would be like a Car and Driver slalom test every single freakin day.

I was riding in my FIL's 911 Turbo with him last weekend, and he was swerving all over the road. I thought he was drunk. Turns out he was dodging all the potholes I have stopped paying attention to in the last 5 years of driving trucks. When I get another Z, I'm going to have to relearn that skill.

 

[takemorepills]

QX80 and Titan in my household. "Get two V8s", they said. "It will be fun", they said...

Thankfully they're each just as good at swallowing potholes as they are at chugging gas. Getting out of my neighborhood in a Z would be like a Car and Driver slalom test every single freakin day.

I was riding in my FIL's 911 Turbo with him last weekend, and he was swerving all over the road. I thought he was drunk. Turns out he was dodging all the potholes I have stopped paying attention to in the last 5 years of driving trucks. When I get another Z, I'm going to have to relearn that skill.

I've got a Titan with 33" KO2s and 5100's and I also have a Q60 on 20's. The Titan can drive over almost anything up to 6" tall and soaks it up super smoothly, but the Q60 is a whole different experience. It's not bad for 20's, but if I get complacent and don't keep a sharp eye out, especially after freezing weather wrecks the roads, I get some nasty surprises

 

[RicerX]

I've got a Titan with 33" KO2s and 5100's and I also have a Q60 on 20's. The Titan can drive over almost anything up to 6" tall and soaks it up super smoothly, but the Q60 is a whole different experience. It's not bad for 20's, but if I get complacent and don't keep a sharp eye out, especially after freezing weather wrecks the roads, I get some nasty surprises

I had a buddy who broke one of his custom Forgestar 20" wheels on his 370Z back in my Z days. He was single. It took him three weeks to get the wheel repaired, and four weeks to buy a 4Runner for a daily driver.

On a similar note, how are the KO2s? I'm still on OEM General Grabbers and I'm looking at expediting a set of tires due to supply chain crap and inflation. I'm eyeing Duratracs and KO2s. I'm dumping my travel trailer, so load range E isn't going to be a requirement for me going forward.

 

[takemorepills]

I had a buddy who broke one of his custom Forgestar 20" wheels on his 370Z back in my Z days. He was single. It took him three weeks to get the wheel repaired, and four weeks to buy a 4Runner for a daily driver.

On a similar note, how are the KO2s? I'm still on OEM General Grabbers and I'm looking at expediting a set of tires due to supply chain crap and inflation. I'm eyeing Duratracs and KO2s. I'm dumping my travel trailer, so load range E isn't going to be a requirement for me going forward.

Most people on multiple truck forums love the KO2s. For me they are ok. My MPGs went down, and they can get overwhelmed on a rainy day.
However, I do off-road my Titan and the KO2s are excellent off-road. And surprisingly good in freezing conditions, despite being somewhat disappointing in the rain (I have LT headers, UpRev and Eaton TruTrac diff, even rolling into the throttle when the truck is already going say 20 the rears will spin in the rain, don't know if it's a KO2 issue or the engine is too powerful) we do a lot of winter driving and I really like them in the winter

Personally, I liked my previous Toyo MTs a little better, they were less squishy on the road and got better MPGs. But Toyo MTs are more expensive than KO2s, so I'd probably get KO2s again if they continue to be $300+ cheaper than Toyo MTs

 

[Blackbeard]

I had a buddy who broke one of his custom Forgestar 20" wheels on his 370Z back in my Z days. He was single. It took him three weeks to get the wheel repaired, and four weeks to buy a 4Runner for a daily driver.

On a similar note, how are the KO2s? I'm still on OEM General Grabbers and I'm looking at expediting a set of tires due to supply chain crap and inflation. I'm eyeing Duratracs and KO2s. I'm dumping my travel trailer, so load range E isn't going to be a requirement for me going forward.

this is why i never really sell my stocks till i sell the car just incase. but luckily ive never had to deal with broken rims

 

[DevonK]

47k to 49k means 60k to 63k Canadian, bad news, I was hoping the Z would be less expensive than the BMW M240 which is faster and has a nicer interior, it’s also only 10k less expensive than the base Corvette C8 which is in another league and about the same price as the new electric BMW 4 e drive 40 which is technologically superior and with the tax credits will be at least 7k less expensive ; regretfully that price will be a dealbreaker for me.
I will wait for official pricing in Canada, but if these prices are true I will very likely continue to be a Bimmer customer and cancel my preorder ?

As has been discussed elsewhere here, direct currency conversion doesn't apply, Nissan eats half the currency exchange premium on its other models and did so with the 370Z. So considerably less than 60 to 63k.

 

[McLovin157]

Funny thing is they did 5/100 on the Titan....because they know no one is going to drive that gas guzzler 20K a year. I owned mine over 15 years and it only has 88K on it, it's all I can afford to feed the damn thing!

I live in the Oklahoma and drive to south west Texas occasionally so things are different for me. Though, I think I put almost 60k miles on my titan the 4 years I had it.

 

[McLovin157]

If I remember correctly, it was either Dan himself or somebody at Nissan who said in an interview that they really had to fight to have the new Z made. That should tell you right there where corporate's priorities are. I suppose I don't blame them, as two-seater sport coupes are a dying breed...

But if you're comin' on.... COME ON

This is 100% true. That is a big reason why it took so long for the 370Z to get any love at all. Sports cars don't make manufacturers money when you compare them to their commuter car competitors.