brillomaster Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Hopefully not a repost... the original story is 4 days old now! Heres the story... Drive Australia on Nissan from what i read it says that the recent colaboration between toyota and subaru with the BRZ/GT86 has prompted Nissan to reconsider a small sports car for enthusiasts, which is great, and has led to some speculation about the rebirth of the S-line Silvia range, of smaller, turbo'd cars with all the right ingredients for a drivers car (low weight, fizzy engine, rwd, slippy diff) However, it might not be possible for Nissan to maintain a 3 car sports line, so it might be the next generation Zed that gets the downsize. Not really sure where Nissan can go with the Zed line other than downsize really, what with the push for greater economy effectively killing off the high displacement naturally aspirated engines of before (just look at BMW) and also the GTR only has a 3.8 litre engine, so the Zed could never go above that! I'm all for the rebirth of an S line style of car, but not at the expense of the Zed line - hopefully the 370Z will enjoy many hapy years of tweaks such as the 911s have enjoyed, without decreasing the engine size. The most important part of a zed is the V6 - even if a 4 cylinder turbo makes more power, it'll be a sad day if we lose the V6, since there are very few manufacturers still making them in sportscars. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I think the brz is the 10 year newer version of the 350z. Yes its lighter and so on but power isnt the main goal with these cars, its the drive the thrill the feel. The 350 is lardy but petrol was cheap back then and it was intended for the US market but was a hit world wide. I agree though N/A is where its at for me personally. Lose the V6 and you lose alot of the characteristics I like about the 350z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I think the Zed name will be retired in the next couple of years, it just doesn't make economic sense for Nissan to carry on producing them in the present climate. As for downsizing then I'm not sure that's an option, a Nissan 200Z just wouldn't sound right. Fuel will be £2 a litre within the next 5 years and just like the gas guzzling American cars of the 50's to the 80's The Zed will be looked upon as something of a dinosaur soon. There'll also be a worldwide drive for cars with lower C02 emissions so Nissan and other non exotic companies making sports cars for the masses will be looking at something pushing out 150-200 bhp with a lower CO2 footprint to bring road tax down to around £200. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I think the Zed name will be retired in the next couple of years, it just doesn't make economic sense for Nissan to carry on producing them in the present climate. As for downsizing then I'm not sure that's an option, a Nissan 200Z just wouldn't sound right. Fuel will be £2 a litre within the next 5 years and just like the gas guzzling American cars of the 50's to the 80's The Zed will be looked upon as something of a dinosaur soon. There'll also be a worldwide drive for cars with lower C02 emissions so Nissan and other non exotic companies making sports cars for the masses will be looking at something pushing out 150-200 bhp with a lower CO2 footprint to bring road tax down to around £200. Pete Ouch... harsh... but a truth we will all have to face up to soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Makes sense. No-one has bought the 370Z in anywhere near acceptable numbers due in part to the fuel economy and the CO2 banding as well as the cost in a recession, despite it being a better car than the 350Z. There's a market there for a car that's the same size as the BRZ86, but with more poke as most people are put off owning the Toyobaru because of the 0-60 time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Makes sense. No-one has bought the 370Z in anywhere near acceptable numbers due in part to the fuel economy and the CO2 banding as well as the cost in a recession, despite it being a better car than the 350Z. There's a market there for a car that's the same size as the BRZ86, but with more poke as most people are put off owning the Toyobaru because of the 0-60 time. ohhh... expect to get some flaming for that... I have never been in one... but I am presuming you are right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Downsizing the Zed makes perfect sense, just depends how they decide do to it. Hopefully a reasonable displacement with a small turbo/TT would be good, but I can see for emmissions and sales rubbish it will end up being a 4pot 2litre I will be keeping my Zed forever, just like in many films when the world is about to end and all the electric cars have given up, you can get it out and take it for a blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 A small V6 with an SC would be my ideal, but you know that they'll go with a 4-pot turbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 A small V6 with an SC would be my ideal, but you know that they'll go with a 4-pot turbo. Exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 its going to be a wait and see situation, what they say and what they do are 2 different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff-r Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I think the Zed name will be retired in the next couple of years I don't think they will retire the name, it's a long established name and will still sell cars but I agree with you a 200Z does not sound right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Makes sense. No-one has bought the 370Z in anywhere near acceptable numbers due in part to the fuel economy and the CO2 banding as well as the cost in a recession, despite it being a better car than the 350Z. There's a market there for a car that's the same size as the BRZ86, but with more poke as most people are put off owning the Toyobaru because of the 0-60 time. How much is a 370z new though? The 350z was wild for the amount of car for under £30k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrh Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 The VQ engine is a dead duck and being replaced by Merc engines... Massively cleaner V6s with barely half the CO2 output. It depends how well the Infiniti G series is doing in the US and what they do with that. The 350/370 only exist off the back of that platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 The 370Z is less than £30K. Just. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 The 370Z is less than £30K. Just. Maybe because it's been done before or hot hatches are faster and slightly cheaper? I don't think it's to much to do with petrol as there is a shortage of hot hatches like Astra Vxr's and 225/250's on the road and they are really thirsty. Maybe rwd has fallen out of favour here? Alot of people are scared of rwd and stick to fwd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 VXR is an old car now and came out when people still had money and didn't care about VED. Same for the older Meganes, and you don't see many new Megane RSeseses about. No-one wants big engined cars anymore: Look how cheap the older Mercs, Audis, BMWs and Jaaaaaags are on PH. fact of life sadly, which is why everyone is downsizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Agreed, and VED rates are probably going to disproportionately higher going forward. I am pretty amazed at the low emission levels some of the modern 4-pot turbocharged engines deliver, compared to their BHP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 arrgh a zed with a 4 pot just wont be right... they've had 6cyl engines for the last 30 years! my vote would be a small 3litre twin turbo... funnily enough exactly whats in the 300zx, only a lot more modern and cleaner. every man and his dog has a turbo'd 4pot, they're so common. and RWD will never die amongst enthusiasts, especially above the 200bhp mark - no matter how good a FWD car is with trick diffs and the like, it'll never be as good as a properly sorted RWD car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 and RWD will never die amongst enthusiasts, especially above the 200bhp mark - no matter how good a FWD car is with trick diffs and the like, it'll never be as good as a properly sorted RWD car. Here, here!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Arrghhh motor companies... grr. The V6 makes the 350Z and if you buy a car like this your not particularly interested in anything... money wise. Well you are but ...if you like the green ethnic parties... you won't buy this car lol I'm not fussed about the stuff coming out the back, im not fussed how much im putting in (to an extent... gotta make sure its doable! ) and im not fussed about anyone trying to change it. Downsizing is gonna kill off the big brute sports car we all love and we'll all end up driving little light sporty numbers that are slower...by a mile and try to make up for it by being ..nippy round a corner. I'm glad i was born when i was, bet when people are my age (26) in 20 yrs from now, they'll be nothing like a 350Z at all... think what there missing! The government try to stop you... £460 in tax... if you like cars that much this will not stop you. What might stop people in the future is... changing charactaristics of 'types' of cars. If you make it less appealing and try to make it up in other areas, you still won't have the 'full' package. And thats where motor companies i think are gonna fall... but remember the governments push them to this.... hum. I'm just glad i'm gonna experience a 'real' car in my time lol ... cracking rant that was eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andlid Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 they should go for a 5cyl single turbo application, that would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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