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Why is the Z so damn heavy?


manphibian

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Just weighing up potential cars to buy (pun intended :p ) and noticed that the 350z is epically heavy! :scare:

 

Compared to 3.2 Mk2 Audi TT for example, which is listed as 1410Kg, and this has back seats, quattro etc...

 

What is it that makes the 350Z 1545 Kg ?!?!

 

 

Seems a shame really, the Z should be a lot faster than it is really :/ These two cars have the same 0-60 time, but the z has 30-40 more bhp.

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Part of the reason a TT is more expensive. Nissan may have skimped on some of the lighter materials?

 

Saying that we have an aluminium bonnet and I believe a carbon prop shaft. Don't forget the amount of luxuries in the Zed too.

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Compared to 3.2 Mk2 Audi TT for example, which is listed as 1410Kg, and this has back seats, quattro etc...

 

What is it that makes the 350Z 1545 Kg ?!?!

 

 

 

Depends on the year of the Zed, the earlier ones MY03 2003 to early 2006 are actually 1465 kgs approx (but they do have 20 or so less bhp). No idea where the extra 80kgs came from as the only visible signs of the facelift (bumper, lights, better interior) couldn't have added more than 10kgs, must be hidden away somewhere. But yeah, they are really heavy compared with their rivals :)

 

 

Pete

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Isn't the rear strut brace just basically a box of steel? :lol:

 

Even the strut brace in the engine weighs a tonne.

 

the doors weigh a ton, the boot lid weighs a ton, the seats weigh a ton theres a load of weight just there. you can get CF boot lids, reacro seats and CF door's and that would shift alot of weight but at the end of the day she will always be a fat girl, but a good looking one at that. ;)

 

my XKR is only 1775 kgs so does make you wonder which part of the zed chassis is made from pig iron? :shrug:

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We've all got a soft spot for curvy birds.. or else we wouldnt be on this forum :D

 

Just think how much more 'rear end' action we get from this lady as opposed to ze german girl!

 

I'm sorry but German girls will ALWAYS give you the most "rear end" action. :disguise::slap:

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We've got the zed and the 3.2 TT between my wife and myself. The TT has lighter panels, is generally more compact or at least feels that way (think small boot, rear seats smaller than the zed's speakers, etc). I would guess that below the surface, the materials used are better and lighter given the interior is far better and obviously the car is >2x the price.

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We've got the zed and the 3.2 TT between my wife and myself. The TT has lighter panels, is generally more compact or at least feels that way (think small boot, rear seats smaller than the zed's speakers, etc). I would guess that below the surface, the materials used are better and lighter given the interior is far better and obviously the car is >2x the price.

how much ?? :scare:

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We've got the zed and the 3.2 TT between my wife and myself. The TT has lighter panels, is generally more compact or at least feels that way (think small boot, rear seats smaller than the zed's speakers, etc). I would guess that below the surface, the materials used are better and lighter given the interior is far better and obviously the car is >2x the price.

how much ?? :scare:

 

Well, my knowledge is a little out of date, but the cheapest V6 TT on pistonheads is £14k.

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We've got the zed and the 3.2 TT between my wife and myself. The TT has lighter panels, is generally more compact or at least feels that way (think small boot, rear seats smaller than the zed's speakers, etc). I would guess that below the surface, the materials used are better and lighter given the interior is far better and obviously the car is >2x the price.

how much ?? :scare:

 

Well, my knowledge is a little out of date, but the cheapest V6 TT on pistonheads is £14k.

 

cheapest Zed on autotrader is around the £6-7k mark

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Just weighing up potential cars to buy (pun intended :p ) and noticed that the 350z is especially heavy! :scare:

So are Aston's, Jag's and the like.

 

Come winter time, presuming you get one with leather seats (rather heavy seats), those seats warmers are fabulous! :thumbs:

 

 

 

Saying that we have an aluminium bonnet and I believe a carbon composite prop shaft.

And an aluminium rear sub frame, plus a few other bits, apart from the lump in the engine bay.

 

Seems the rear strut brace is a bit over the top really doesn't it :lol: Has anybody ever cut it off and weighed it? :teeth:

And watch your handling go to the wall. Rear strut brace is there for a reason, same as the one on the engine bay. ;) The black plastic is only a cover, the brace beneath it doesn't look so hefty with the cover off. But rather ugly. :lol:

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All the weights listed are curb weights i belive. This includes a full tank of fuel.

 

The Z has quite a large fuel tank at 80L. I would think most of the Z's competitors have tanks in the region of 50L to 60L tanks.

 

You also get a space saver wheel with the Z. I think a compressor and a can of tyre weld is the norm now.

 

The extra fuel and tyre could make 40kgs difference :ninja:

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I met a French guy and his son in law some weeks ago, they had stripped their Zs and replaced most of the body with carbon parts - they said they has lost 400 kgs!!

So I guess a lot ow weight saving is possible - but the French guy was now trailoring the car to tracks as it was too uncomfortable for cruizing.

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As said above, the Zed is created at a price point, and at that price point you cant have all Alu panels. It makes the weight on using cheaper heavier metals and this is why Audi/Porsche are more expensive. Simple as that really. You can save a shed load of weigth stripping it and replacing panels, but it will cost a fortune and as above might make the handling unbearable for roads as Nissan have designed everything to work together for the weight it is.

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A post I made on a previous "Why is it so heavy" thread:

 

I think perhaps a different approach might answer this question a bit better ..........

 

RX8 - engine weight 122KG , overall weight 1350KG

RX7 - engine weight 122KG, overall weight 1270KG

200SX - engine weight 150KG, overall weight 1250KG

 

350Z - engine weight 160KG, overall weight 1550KG

 

Sure there might be a couple more airbags in the Z33 (apart from the RX8), but there is 2 less seats than in the 200SX or RX8 .......... :bangin:

 

The RX8 is a contemporary of the Z33, and the RX7 and 200SX stopped being produced in 2002 when the Z33 was first built. Why are these cars 300KG lighter when they arent really very different - the S15 200SX is made by the same company!

 

Even a 2009 911 is under 1400KGs, a Cayman is under 1300 :scare:

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Dont really get these rear seat references, they weigh sod all in the grand scheme of things. The Zed uses cheaper heavier metal. You cant compare it to older cars that have less crash protection as this adds a lot of weight if cheaper heavier metals are used. At the price point thats what they had to use, otherwise it would have come out costing close to a Porsche/Audi and it would have never sold. What they have done is balance price and performance to produce a brilliant car - but its got a few negatives, heavy weight being one of them, but it still handles very well.

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OK, fine. How did Nissan make the S15 (same power, same year, same configuration, same manufacturer) 300KG lighter?

 

How did Mazda make the RX8 (same year, 2 extra doors, cheaper, similar power, same crash test results) 200KG lighter?

 

How do Porsche (newer, better crash testing, more power) make a Cayman 300KG lighter?

 

Im sorry, arguments about the metal used, safety devices, engine weights arent anything to do with it. You only have to look at that bleeding great strutbrace in the boot, the similarly large one under the boot floor and the additional bracing all over the car to see the reason its heavier is the original design wasnt stiff enough. IMO at least. ;)

 

Next question - why is a 370 heavier than a 350 then?? ;)

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