2022 Nissan Z Coupe

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Less impact absorption if it were to hit someone offset. I don't know for sure, just a guess from looking at it.

Just cover the entire headlight assembly (all that open scalloped space in front of the actual headlight) would probably solve that. It wouldnt look all that different than how Porsche headlights are designed then.

[AnalogMan]

Originally Posted by beltax90

t-tops would be cool

I've always loved T-tops. Had a 1992 Nissan NX2000 back in the early 90's and always enjoyed taking the tops off. Yes, it's more of a PITA than a soft top or targa top. But it gives almost as much of an open-top feeling as a targa, is so much cheaper to engineer than a retractable hardtop, gives hard-roof security when you park on the street, and just might leave a little more torsional rigidity in the chassis than cutting out the entire roof for a targa or full convertible.

If Nissan ever offered T-tops on the new Z I would break the sound barrier speeding down to the closest dealer to put money down on one. But the odds of that happening are somewhere around those of hitting the Powerball lottery.

[Rampage]

Really like this angle:

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by Rampage

Really like this angle:

Agreed. From the side it looks great, even better than the Supra, which was like the only proportion/angle I liked on the Supra. It just looks super sharp and well proportioned. It doesn’t have an Aston-Martin-like rear cockpit look, but it has the low slung roofline.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by soundman98

i'm really liking this new z. enough retro flair to be recognizable, but also new enough to be different.

i'm curious to drive one to see if the driving dynamics match the looks(i felt the 350z didn't), which would be the deciding factor, though i have serious doubts the handling could get much more communicative than the 86.

Because of the chassis, or because the steering geometry, or because Nissan can’t engineer or tune a good electronic steering rack, or because of all of it?

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Because of the chassis, or because the steering geometry, or because Nissan can’t engineer or tune a good electronic steering rack, or because of all of it?

never really tried to figure it out. it was a car i always wanted until i drove it. and in the 10 minute test drive, all i could think about was how to modify it to change it, which meant that it really wasn't that well suited for me in the first place.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by soundman98

never really tried to figure it out. it was a car i always wanted until i drove it. and in the 10 minute test drive, all i could think about was how to modify it to change it, which meant that it really wasn't that well suited for me in the first place.

I’m big on feel too. I think that is a shared sentiment on this forum. With the extra weight, I would not want to feel that, but I wouldn’t want it to feel numb. I haven’t driven a 350/370Z, so I can’t say how it is, but I could imagine the chassis and engine would limit lowering the COG, limit any improvements to torsional rigidity or lend itself to lightening the car much. They could improve its composure and response, but I bet this won’t solve everything.

[gymratter]

https://www.400zclub.com/forum/threa...107/#post-3004

ake one look at the Nissan Z Proto and you can quickly tell it was designed to pay tribute to the Z's that came before it. Sure, everybody loves a bit of nostalgic styling, but what about nostalgic engineering? As it turns out, the new Z might feature more than a bit of that. With no specific details on the Z Proto's platform released, we're left to speculate on a fairly convincing body of evidence assembled by Motor Trend highlighting more than a few similarities with the now 12-year-old Nissan 370Z.

The long and the short of Motor Trend's theory is that the Nissan Z Proto looks a helluva lot like a rebodied 370Z. The proportions of the chassis, the way body panels are arranged, and even interior layouts are all eerily similar. If you ask me, the most damning piece of the puzzle are the Z Proto's interior door handles and surrounding air vents that look almost completely unchanged from the elder car.

To be fair though, it's not like we weren't warned that this might happen. Way back when all we knew about the car were the stuff of rumors, one particular report mentioned that the next-gen Z would sit on a "heavily updated" version of the 370Z's FM platform that also forms the basis of the Infiniti Q60.

The Z Proto being a heavily-reworked 370Z also shouldn't come as a shock since automakers actually do this all the time, especially with lower-volume models. Take the recently unveiled 2021 Lexus IS for example. As much as I personally enjoy the look of that car, sedan sales just aren't what they used to be, even for Lexus, so the "new" IS gets design updates, better infotainment tech, and an upgraded suspension. It's not an entirely new car. But it still exists, and for that I'm thankful.

Dodge has also been doing this for years, continually offering wider and more powerful variants of the Challenger and Charger, whose basic platform has literally been around since before that first "once-in-a-generation" financial crisis. There's even been some evidence suggesting Toyota and Subaru's upcoming "second-gen" 86/BRZ twins will not actually be "all-new."

If the new Z ends up being a heavy update of the old car, it shouldn't be too surprising why. Nissan is in fairly dire straits at the moment, expecting a loss of $6 billion by next year and profit struggles even before the pandemic. And like all car companies, it needs to invest very heavily into electrification to meet coming emissions requirements. Even upscale cousin Infiniti is looking at becoming "Nissan-plus" rather than a true competitor to Mercedes or Audi.

Basically, dumping a ton of money into a low volume, niche sports car probably wouldn't get very far with Nissan's management these days. It's the same reason the new Toyota Supra had to be a joint venture with BMW. While Nissan needs some positive attention amid its money troubles and the whole Carlos Ghosn mess, and enthusiasts everywhere are happy to get a new sports car, it makes more sense for the company to heavily update the platform it has rather throw billions into a new design.

All that being said, is it really that big of a deal if the "new" Z isn't as new as people think? I'm not so sure. Yes, paying new-car money for what is, underneath, an "old" car might feel like a bad deal but, if you think about it, what's so wrong about an old car? It'll have old-car handling, old-car steering, and an old-car layout. Isn't that all we enthusiasts want from life? You'd think so from all the takes on forums and Twitter—until we're actually presented with one.

In any case, when we asked Nissan whether the Z Proto is indeed built on 370Z architecture, a company spokesperson predictably declined to comment saying, "Unfortunately, we can’t share details beyond the information from the reveal at this time."

[Irace86.2.0]

So with all the sharing and similar looking structures and materials, my theory might pan out that the car will not go more upscale to complete with the Supra, and its price could only modestly raise, unless of course they decide to initially, or for its entire run, increase the base features.

[gymratter]

[Red-86]

Originally Posted by 86MLR

I like it.

It makes the Zupra look like a Honda Civic inspired children's drawing.

Agreed, front intake aside the new Z is a much more elegantly styled car, and looks more expensive (a bit Aston Martin-ish) than the almost clownish Supra.

It will cost a bomb here though, current model is around 55-60k aud,

Not quite. It’s 50K AUD for the regular (sport touring equivalent) 370Z before you start negotiating, and 60K AUD for the Nismo. Both can be negotiated down a bit. I know this for a fact because I bought a brand new 370Z just a couple of months ago.

I can see this running at least 70-80k aud.

Sadly, I believe this will be true. That’s about where the 370Z started in Australia when it was new. Over 10 years it has been systematically discounted from about $70K to $50K as it aged without updates. As this new Z will be more powerful, faster, and more up to date, I see no reason they won’t do the same thing again, and start it around $70-80K, which is still a decent amount cheaper than its main rival, the $90-100K Supra. Hopefully the 400Z (and Nissan) sticks around and I can pick one up in 5-7 years or so for a good discount.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by gymratter

https://www.400zclub.com/forum/threa...107/#post-3004

i love it. the miata goes almost fundamentally unchanged for decades, people are perfectly happy with it, it becomes some sort of holy grail.

toyota/subaru create a old car tribute, nothing but complaints on power despite the fact that it very capably hangs with that same 'holy grail'

nissan attempts to update something they haven't updated in an eternity, and the first thing people are worried about is that it's based on the same underpinnings as the last car?

this is the problem with enthusiasts. we're impossible to please, and if it's impossible, there's very little budget sent our way...

[Irace86.2.0]

We are easy to please, but impossible to fund because of production volume, so we get compromises and the short stick.

[vh_supra26]