Son of a..... Broke My Primary Drive Gear

[koolaid_kid]

I'm getting dizzy reading this thread. I can't tell if it is about a shaft drive Suz, fast cars and bikes, or destroying equipment! [-o<
I have the second, do the third far too frequently for my liking, and work dilligently at avoiding the first.
I just wonder where this will end up. Hopefully with another (safe) GS back on the road.

[Planecrazy]

I never said it's a great car, I was just countering your comment that the "car is gutless" which implies the motor sucks - which it doesn't. And while I haven't driven a Z-car before, I've driven every other Nissan with the VQ variant engine, including the G35 coupe (sister car to the Z), and I can say that it IS a GREAT engine and it doesn't have any inherant weaknesses.

Let me jump back into this "mini-debate" by stating a few simple facts ... First, the new 350Z IS a dog slow sorry excuse for a sports car ... for two main reasons.

First, whether because the new engine is weak or because of poor gearing, it doesn't turn "sports car like" numbers in acceleration, although the car mags generally praise it's handling. Remember, I utterly embarassed one from two consecutive stoplights with an 8000 pound diesel truck (with several passengers aboard and the air conditioning on)!! The guy in the car was revving his motor for all it is worth to get the best "jump" he could when the light turned green ... I "brake-torqued" my "tuned" Excursion to 2000 rpm to get the turbo spinning up as the light was about to change, and the second time left two strips of burned rubber on the ground before connecting back up with the pavement and STILL toasted his butt!

Second, although it's not an ugly car, it's just "missing" that special something that great sports cars possess ... there's no "WOW!" factor.

Now having said that, you should also know that I AM a fan of Nissans in general. They make superb vehicles and my family has owned several and been extremely satisfied with them. The new Z will eventually be a respectable sports car, but only after Nissan uses some "gray matter" and pumps the engine output up to where it ought to be on their "premier" sports car...

Regards,

[Nessism]

Now having said that, you should also know that I AM a fan of Nissans in general. They make superb vehicles and my family has owned several and been extremely satisfied with them. The new Z will eventually be a respectable sports car, but only after Nissan uses some "gray matter" and pumps the engine output up to where it ought to be on their "premier" sports car...

Regards,

Nissan built the current Z-car to hit a price point - $28k to be exact. It's is not a "premier" sports car but rather a stylish cruiser. You guys are expecting way too much from it. Fact is that cars like the Z don't do squat for the corporate bottom line. They are attention grabers due to the way they look. The performance is not embarassing which is all Nissan wanted from the vehicle - at least at the time they developed it. Time to relax now.

[49er]

Great thread guys. I thought that this site was about the love of GS's not how quickly we can destoy a shafty, but hey, each to his own.
Nissan's first Z was the 1969 Datsun 240Z (P510). It weighed 2355lbs and put out 150bhp. The 2006 Nissan 350Z (track version) weighs 3339lbs and puts out 300bhp. The 350Z is quite heavy considering that it has many Ali and composite components. The fact that it has an integral roll cage adds to the increased weight. Comparing power to weight, the 240Z produces 1hp per 15.7lbs to the 350Z's 1hp per 11.13lbs. This equals a 41% gain in performance from a 46% increase in capacity over 37 years of development. Was it worth the effort? Sure it is for the average sports coupe buff. Surely the relevant question is how much are you prepared to pay? When you want a serious increase in horsepower with gauranteed reliability you must seriously increase the cubes. Then the weight goes up and the handing starts to suffer, but thats another story.
I'll settle for my 850's 1hp per 7.17lbs of performance with average handling and wind in my face.

[Planecrazy]

Nissan built the current Z-car to hit a price point - $28k to be exact. It's is not a "premier" sports car but rather a stylish cruiser. You guys are expecting way too much from it.

While I don't dispute that Nissan did as much platform and component sharing as they could to make the Z more profitable, I disagree regarding expectations. Two reasons ... First, the Z series has a mostly reputable history of providing sports car level performance at a reasonable price and, Second, because the Z evolved into a VERY competent performer with a Twin-Turbo monster that was superior in many ways to the Corvette is was sold against only a decade ago. There is no reason at all why previous Z owners (and sports car enthusiasts in general) shouldn't have expected the new Z to be at least the equal of, and preferably a superior evolution of the breed. Unfortunately it isn't, though the potential is there...

Fact is that cars like the Z don't do squat for the corporate bottom line. They are attention grabers due to the way they look. The performance is not embarassing which is all Nissan wanted from the vehicle - at least at the time they developed it.

Cars like the Z do EVERYTHING for the corporate bottom line BECAUSE they are attention grabbers (or at least are supposed to be). They are the "excitement" vehicles that often draw people into the showroom, where hopefully other more accessable (to the average person) cars are available to sell that have ties to the "supercar." I remember when I bought my first new car ... a Mazda MX-6. I enjoyed sitting in the high performance RX-7 (out of my price range) and appreciated that there were cues from the sports car represented in my MX-6. I also appreciated that the MX-6 offered relatively good performance and a "fun" factor that reminded me of the RX-7 ... so I bought an MX-6.

The performance of the current Z isn't embarassing for a car with a name other than "Z," but is a complete disappointment to anybody who knows what the "Z" name used to stand for. It's not a bad car by any means ... it just doesn't live up to its heritage, that's all.

Regards,

[koolaid_kid]

I had one of the original 240Zs, a 73 to be exact. I drove it out of the showroom for $4500. It had air and a 4 speed, and an AM/FM radio. Shoulder belts because it was the law. Nothing else. It outperformed every other car in its day, and was the cause of the demise of MG and Triumph. But it was still a minimalistic car. Drove the wheels off of it and loved it. Especially after I put headers on it and retuned the carbs.
But I would not go back, not after having cars with T-Tops, power everything, cruise control, and all that.

[RobGS850L]

I think if you paid less than 230 bucks for the whole da#n bike I think 230 for the gears ain't such a bad thing. Crap I'd buy a running anything (almost anything ) for 230 bucks.
And now back to our previously scheduled highjack.

[Planecrazy]

And now back to our previously scheduled highjack.

As my wife would say, "Life as it should be!"