Who says being a 1/4 mile monster precludes having all-around sports car qualities? Point is, it coulda been BOTH at 500+ lb. lighter curb weight. Luxury and "high class" nostalgia? Doesn't sound like a Datsun Z-car to me. The 240Zs were inexpensive bare-bones cars. As for 3100 lb. being "not bad"? I get the impression NOBODY'S TRYING. 3400 lb M3?! 3100 lb. 911?! 3200+ lb. Z?! Where are all the lightweight sports cars? There's only the Miata and (ugly)MR2Spyder.

Again, as a 240Z owner, I think Nissan could have and SHOULD have been truer to that car, which was by any measure a LANDMARK. Building a Z that weighs as much or more than a Corvette, but with 3/4 the motor, for 7/8 the price, well that's been done before. Didn't work.

PLEASE GM, build the SOLSTICE. That, to me, would be 1,000 times more of a modern 240Z than the 350Zpig is.

Dan Baldwin
'95 Z28 M6 convertible
'71 240Z 3.1

 

OK, I see what youre saying now. Good point. Youre right, the car is more of a "ZX car" than a Z car. The ZX had more of the characteristics that I was speaking of. The ZX cars also didnt make it in the American market.

I think many manufacturers are making cars of this category in the expensive price range for a reason. They probalby see teh 25k and down category as one dominated by sport compacts and younger buyers and dont want to in essence "crowd the market." Thats what happened to our beloved camaro. They probalby figure that older, and hence wealthier consumers are more into the more powerful rwd coupes. Nissan probably doesn't want a Z car that would be competition for their V-Specs.

I guess we'll just have to see how this car does. They'll probably release a TT version soon enough.

 

....there's already a plan to bring out a turbocharged or supercharged version in the near future.

It might be a "pig" by 240Z standards, but I have to tell you the car I raced against handled great! and with 287 hp it did't seem that slow either.

I'd still take a slightly used C5 anyday..........

 

Turbo or supercharging makes it even LESS Zlike and more Corvette-like. And as you say, I'd take a C5 any day. New Z coulda and shoulda been more like a shortened/stripped 240SX with the VQ35 engine. BTW, all kinds of cars "handle great", but there's no getting around the FACT that a lighter-weight car on the same tires will handle BETTER.

Nobody's gonna make me "come around" on this, physics is physics.

Dan Baldwin
'95 Z28 M6 convertible
'71 240Z 3.1 giant-killer

 

We are talking about a different concept... I too agree it is more of a ZX type... Hey I wanted the car with Manual locks and manual windows and all that stuff.. Cheap air and cheap interiors... All styling and performance wise... If you take away all that you might have gotten a 2800# car... The 240Z weighed ~2400lbs... Deal the heads, cam, headers, Carb and stuff and you had 280HP on 2400# Great!!!

It would have come to the market to beat all hundus in acceptance and price and it would have been ~24k or so.... It will be a hotcake...

I do like the car... and it seems a very complete car...

To do it more like the 240Z it would have been better to put the I6 of the skyline in... make it a 260ZX and have it turbo like the skyline...

My other point to all this is that the Camaro cannot compete with this car, as said before, american = cheap... Hey my pops Z06 has misalligned fenders and stuff.. and it only has 5k miles... But... I dont care, but other people do...

I think it is a very nice car, and to come with brembo brakes and all those goodies is great... It would be hard for GM to put this car out of sale as they did when the camaro came out and put the 300ZX out, and how the 300zx did to porsche in 89.

A regular Z28 costs a bit less... but far inferior suspension... Better engine and stuff, but pricewise it would be a better buy the 350z... Dont get me wrong... I would still pick any used vette for the same price.. specially the Z06... but... it is used.. and not new...

I imagine the Z06 will keep a value of its own also... but the regular C5

 

I love them. If i didnt drive an SS thats what i would be in and just wait for a tubo kit or S/C to be developed for it. A good bud of mine has a 03 Black on Black Track edition and I have to admit at first the silvers and whites i saw around i didnt like but that black one is off the HOOK!! The blue is also a gorgeous car. We ran the other night on the way back from the track and i was very impressed.

1st run: me in 2nd gear not sure about him maybe 3rd but it was ugly so on to next one

2nd run: me in 3rd at about 23-2600RPMs both in 3rd, and he hung right with me back at my bumper maybe about a 1/2 car back, just like my buddys header off-road Y LT1 Z does.

3rd run: since he didnt let me tach up in 3rd gear on the other one i flipped the bottle on and ...ummm well you can get the picture

From a dead stop it was bad for both of us we both kinda spun but i was worse. FREAKING Eagle F1s I put about a car and he was still back there not giving any ground. We didnt go but maybe not even an 1/8th mile. Bascially they are awesome looking and are actually fast. I think they are dead even with a stock LT1 maybe even some slightly modded LT1s. We better watch out when they turbo this thing or S/C it...whoa

 

Dan, every Z made except the very 1st ones were all OVER 2600 pounds, including the 260Z. You can't really compare the emissions & safetybag equipted, ABS & bigger brake laddened and structurally stiffer new 350z to a 1971 240z. Also, your car is heavily modified since the 1st Zs put out only 150 horsepower, almost half what the new one puts out. At 2600 lbs, it's about where it should be. A Honda S2000 weighs 2800 pounds!

Sure your car may beat Vipers and such, but anyone can build a car that can outrun something that has to comply with federal regulations. The new Z is faster when compared to today's cars than the 240 & 260 were in it's day.

Though I'd personally prefer the G35 coupe myself, the new Z AT 2600 LBS is far from an overweight joke methinks.

 

BTW, the ZX cars were running 2900-3000 pounds by comparison.

 

Minimum published weight I've seen for the 350Z is 3187 lb. for a base model. I've seen ~3300 lb. for the track model in numerous reviews. It's nowhere NEAR 2600 lb., where did you get that number? At 2600 lb. the car would've been GREAT! (if still a bit homely in my opinion)

Anyone can build a car to beat Vipers, 911 Turbos, and Z06s at their own game on real race tracks (Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, etc.)? Hardly. Camaro guys are conspicous in their absence from COMSCC time trial events throughout New England BTW, though Mustangs (which should be slower) are plentiful. Where are you guys? I'd like to see some of you try it (seriously).

The 240Z had only ~125hp at the wheels, less than half the 350Z. My point was that in dropping the "X", they should've returned to the 240Z ideals (not 260 or 280Z). If Chevy can hold the line on weight (still 3200 lb for the Corvette, all these decades after 1970 when the 240z came out), I don't see why Nissan couldn't come closer than it did.

I love the S2000, but you're right, it's overweight, too (by not nearly as much, though).

The fact that you'd prefer the G35 coupe (I would, too, or the sedan if I could get it with the 280hp and 6-speed) says a lot about how Nissan screwed this up. Why WOULD anyone buy a 350Z when the G35s cost the same, look better, are much nicer cars, offer seating for 4 and storage space for their stuff, while weighing only 150 lb. more?!

Dan Baldwin
'95 Z28 M6 convertible
'71 240Z 3.1, Viper-, 911 Turbo-, Z06-beating STREET car

 

I see alot of your points (especially comparing the Z's 3200lb weight with the bigger Vette's slightly less). It's still 300 lbs lighter than the 91 twin turbo Z.

What I am getting is that you prefered a very lightweight sports car, but in this day when everyone expects A/C, and all the modern comforts, NVH sensitive engineering, I don't think they could have done much better. The Corvette made weight loss a extremely high priority, and the Corvette is very very light for it's size. I just want you to know I understand what you are saying, just think you're being hardcore with the new Z.

As far as the G35, I just simply like it better. I don't like the Z styling too much, but seems alot of people do. Besides, the G35 is alot of car for the money.

But if someone put a gun to my head & gave me a choice of only a 350Z and a Corvette, and he was buying it for me, I'd pick the Vette.

 

Did he hit something?

 

I realize this is an old post, but I had to chime in....none of you mentioned the 350z base price!?!? The "base" 350z is $26,269! And thats MSRP. Wait a year till the demand goes down and you will likely be able to get itnto one for under that price. Hell, invoice is $24, 1**.

 

Actually, because of longer wheelbase on G35 models, it outhandles 350Z, for roughly the same price.

G35 pulled 0.92 g in recent test (Road&Track, i think, or car and driver), whereas in the same magazine 350Z pulled only 0.86 or 0.87 g (can't remember which one).

G35 offers 4 seats, it got better looks in my opinion, and it outhandles 350Z.

 

Say what you want to about the car, but the guy with all the pics with the silver 350Z. He has his priorities straight. Women all over that car. Sweet!

 

A 350Z with leather and lsd (not available on the base Z) is over $34,000, and a G35 similarly equipped (leather/6MT) is less than $34,000. Also, that G35 has the Brembo brake package, which you can only get on the no-leather track model 350Z. Go figure. I'd rather have a quicker and more utilitarian '02 Z28 for less dough than a base 350Z, and will SPANK it. And I'd rather have a G35 6MT for LESS dough than a similarly-equipped 350Z.

The G35 pulls more gs because it has better tires (Michelin Pilot Sport) than the 350z (Bridgestone RE040). Nothing to do with the longer wheelbase. I think the 350Z wheelbase is too long as it is. Makes it look like a fwd car with the rear tires way behind the aft edge of the door. They would've improved the weight distribution if they'd reduced the wheelbase. Shorter wheelbase => more nimble, though high-speed stability should theoretically be reduced. I don't have any problems at 130+ in my 91" wheelbase 240Z, though, so I don't think that's really an issue.

Nissan, WTF are they doing?!
Chevrolet, how could they NOT sell a sub-$25,000 320hp mid 13's at 106 or so mph car?

Dan Baldwin
'95 Z28 M6 convertible
'71 240Z 3.1