[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by mazeroni

I assume you mean the 400Z should be cheaper. In a vacuum where all things are equal, that should be true. But Ford and Chevy are in very different situations than Nissan.

Let's assume for a moment that at $35K the Mustang GT and Camaro SS are losing $10K per car - they cost $45K to build, market, warranty, and sell.

But Ford and Chevy sell Escalades and F-150 Platinums, so the bean counters just look the other way - there is a reason GM is rumored to have spent $3 billion making the C8 Corvette and loses $20K on the base trim yet still profits billions in cash each year.

Let's also assume that the 400Z costs $40K to build, market, warranty, and sell. So it costs $5K less to build than the GT or SS, and is breakeven at its sale price of $40K.

So in this situation, the 400Z, Supra, and other sports cars all look bad because they can't compete or don't want to compete with Ford and Chevy who might choose to eat losses so they remain competitive in the segment.

Granted, it could be something else entirely, but this is just an example of what could be going and why we can't assume Nissan is just being dense... although the company is only now working to get out of the hole it dug itself into.

I don't entirely agree with that viewpoint. For one thing, GM uses the Alpha platform for the Camaro. The Alpha platform is also used by a variety of Cadillacs. Additionally, every engine found in the Camaro is also found in other GM products.

That being said, I find it disappointing that the new Z car is heavier than a V6 Camaro. The Camaro is significantly larger and has a rear seat. Yet is 100 lb lighter. Lame Nissan, lame. But its still MUCH lighter than a 300ZX TT. Someone quoted earlier that the TT was also sub 3500 lb. That's not true. It was way over 3600 lb and was heavier than every early/mid 90s competitor (NSX, FD RX7, MkIV Supra, Corvette, 911) except for the 3000GT VR4 (which had AWD).

The new name, just Z, strikes me as dumb. Fairlady Z would be the best name at this point, and if I bought one that's the badge I'd put on it.

Dealership chosen car colors suuuuuuuuuuck. My Cayman was black because it was very difficult to find one with an interesting color and the options I wanted...and a price I could deal with. It was even worse for the C63. I'm convinced that 90% of C63s are black. And of the remaining 10%, most of them are silver or gray. I think I've seen one red one in person, ever.

If I end up buying a GR86, better believe it'll be Neptune Blue. As to the Z, none of the colors are very interesting IMO. The yellow is too soft, the blue is too inoffensive and dark and the red doesn't pop at all.