New Z Car

[dbostedo]

MODS any chance of merging the threads?

Mod Note: A bunch of posts from the "Fun Car" thread about the new Z have been moved to this thread.

 

[nay]

If it was green, you have fulfilled one of my car fantasies!

I can’t find a my pic of actually being in the car right now so this will have to do.

 

[tball]

View attachment 169445
I can’t find a my pic of actually being in the car right now so this will have to do.

Damn. Do you get a chance to get used to the car before piloting it up Pikes Peak? Yikes!

 

[James]

Damn. Do you get a chance to get used to the car before piloting it up Pikes Peak? Yikes!

Track

Tracks and Facilities - Pikes Peak International Raceway

ppir.com

 

[tball]

Well, I could be happy with 18" wheels, and some people don't care about a better radio and fancy seats, but no LSD??? WTF? Put down the crack pipe.

First, I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to find a $40K Z. Like the $60K C8, they will be near impossible to purchase. Nissan liked how well this marketing trick is working for the Corvette, and I can't blame them.

Second, if you could find a $40K Z, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. For less than the $10K difference, you can add an LSD and everything you need aftermarket to make the new Z a track monster.

Finally, I don't think most folks will miss the LSD unless they track or autocross the Z. I have an open diff on my G35 (as do almost all) and don't think I've missed the LSD, though, granted, I don't have 400hp.

Here's the deal: unless you turn off VDC, the computer will jump in and control the wheel spin. You don't want to drive these cars on the street with VDC turned off, as it's too easy to lose the rear end and spin the car. With the VDC turned on, you can still enjoy the rear-wheel drive dynamics of the car without killing yourself.

 

[tball]

Track
View attachment 169461

Tracks and Facilities - Pikes Peak International Raceway

ppir.com

Oh, that makes more sense! Bummer, though. I was thinking about buying more life insurance and figuring out how to climb the hill.

 

[scott43]

I would say..you probably wouldn't get too close to fast on Pike's Peak with your own vehicle..

 

[cantunamunch]

Here's the deal: unless you turn off VDC, the computer will jump in and control the wheel spin. You don't want to drive these cars on the street with VDC turned off, as it's too easy to lose the rear end and spin the car. With the VDC turned on, you can still enjoy the rear-wheel drive dynamics of the car without killing yourself.

I'm having a vague suspicion, just a hint really, that there aren't too many drifters in this thread

 

[nay]

I'm having a vague suspicion, just a hint really, that there aren't too many drifters in this thread

Just add a lot of power and take away the ice.

 

[tball]

A little more on point , here's my open diff G35 spinning donuts in the snow and then accelerating up a steep hill with VDC off:



The point for the new Z is that you can still have fun and get around OK in the snow with an open diff. You just need good snow tires. With my Michelin Primacy tires, I don't have a chance of getting up that hill. It would be interesting to see home much an LSD helps.

I'm not saying a Z should be your primary ski vehicle, but you can get around in the snow with the right tires.

The Z's stock Bridgestone Potenza S007 will be hilarious in the snow.

Potenza S007A Run-Flat Sport Performance Tire | Bridgestone

Great cornering and track-inspired handling starts with Potenza. Learn about the latest Bridgestone ultra-high performance tire with run-flat capabilities.

www.bridgestonetire.com

 

[tball]

I was glad to hear Canadian pricing is better:

Canadian Nissan Z Pricing Makes Us Want To Move North

After what felt like a lifetime, Nissan USA finally released pricing for the long-awaited Z sportscar. While we had expected the Nissan Z to undercut the Supra by a significant margin, we were still pleasantly surprised to find pricing starts at $39,990 - the Toyota has a base MSRP of $43,540...

carbuzz.com

It sounds like they have some room in the pricing that might trickle south someday.

I wonder if Nissan aimed their US pricing to keep dealer markup in check and capture those excess profits for themselves. It makes sense to me, as they can put that money back into R&D.

Does anyone know if dealer markup is legal in Canada?

 

[scott43]

I was glad to hear Canadian pricing is better:

Canadian Nissan Z Pricing Makes Us Want To Move North

After what felt like a lifetime, Nissan USA finally released pricing for the long-awaited Z sportscar. While we had expected the Nissan Z to undercut the Supra by a significant margin, we were still pleasantly surprised to find pricing starts at $39,990 - the Toyota has a base MSRP of $43,540...

carbuzz.com

It sounds like they have some room in the pricing that might trickle south someday.

I wonder if Nissan aimed their US pricing to keep dealer markup in check and capture those excess profits for themselves. It makes sense to me, as they can put that money back into R&D.

Does anyone know if dealer markup is legal in Canada?

Absolutely legal. They're selling stuff.

 

[tball]

I'm thinking the enormous gap between the $40K and $50K Z's is leaving room for eventual $45K trims. While demand is greater than supply, might as well sell mostly higher margin $50K cars. Then when sales taper off, bring out the middle trims.

 

[Tom K.]

I'm having a vague suspicion, just a hint really, that there aren't too many drifters in this thread

Who woulda thunk?!

Reminds me of an old racing motto: If it handles like it's on rails, you're still going to slow....

 

[François Pugh]

First, I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to find a $40K Z. Like the $60K C8, they will be near impossible to purchase. Nissan liked how well this marketing trick is working for the Corvette, and I can't blame them.

Second, if you could find a $40K Z, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. For less than the $10K difference, you can add an LSD and everything you need aftermarket to make the new Z a track monster.

Finally, I don't think most folks will miss the LSD unless they track or autocross the Z. I have an open diff on my G35 (as do almost all) and don't think I've missed the LSD, though, granted, I don't have 400hp.

Here's the deal: unless you turn off VDC, the computer will jump in and control the wheel spin. You don't want to drive these cars on the street with VDC turned off, as it's too easy to lose the rear end and spin the car. With the VDC turned on, you can still enjoy the rear-wheel drive dynamics of the car without killing yourself.

Well if I'm not going to keep it stock for a while, I may as well just modify a BRZ or Toyota 86. What would it take to bring that car up to a reliable 400 HP?

 

[tball]

Well if I'm not going to keep it stock for a while, I may as well just modify a BRZ or Toyota 86. What would it take to bring that car up to a reliable 400 HP?

Just add two more cylinders and a turbo to the 86, and you'll be good to go.

You're probably better off looking at the Mustang or Camero if you don't want to pay up a bit for the Z.

One of the attractive things about the Z in my thinking is the likely reliability. I'd be hoping for another 20 trouble-free years and 150,000 miles like my G. Not something you find in RWD sports cars beyond the 86/BRZ and Miata. Reusing the old platform and engine should result in a very reliable car after they shake out the initial bugs.

 

[GregK]

I’d estimate about $15k plus to get a BRZ reliably to 400hp. Turbo kit, upgraded internals, new clutch, tuning the system and all the labour. Maybe under $10k if you could live with around 300hp.
About $10k total for me to add a supercharger to the miata I used to have and not as smooth or reliable as a stock car.

So you’re not saving money and it will be more difficult to sell the modded car vs a stock Z in the future.

A modern car with a factory turbo you can tune for $1k for a very good jump in power(maybe close to 500hp in the Z) and it’s smoother than stock with better gas mileage.

 

[tball]

This fantastic video dropped today:



Wow, we are fortunate folks are putting that much effort into automotive videos that are so informative and entertaining. I hope they continue. Between that video and the Savagegeese video, the birth of the new Z has been exceptionally well documented for generations to come.

 

[John Webb]

Are Z cars still around ? I had the original -the 1971 240Z
It lasted 25 years ! at least 240K miles

Very front heavy but actually OK in snow if you stayed off the gas.