350Z TWIN TURBO - Spotted!

[Mikelly]

Exactly... Jim you nailed it. Taking it one step further, I drive a 1990 Honda Civic as my daily commute box and I drive it because I commute 62 miles each way per day. I build cars to make them fast and to tweek them, and so I can use them when an opportunity arrises to go to the track. For the same reason I now have an extremely fast motorcycle. I build HybirdZs because A: Few people know what they are anymore, and B: 99% of the mods I want to do to a car will kill the warranty.

 

Folks I make some serious money for a living (Serious for me anyway), scratching at six figures, so I don't consider myself to be a dumb guy. Yet there are smarter people out there every day running up to the counter at a dealership and signing a note and throwing their money away... That Civic I drive? I'm the third owner. An old house mate of mine bought it new in 1990, I bought it off him in 1996 and gave it to my little brother to learn to drive in, and now I use it for commuting purposes. I go to work in a suit and tie every day, sitting in rush hour traffic next to $40-50K vehicles everyday getting destroyed in fender benders and I sit there, shake my head and watch my own insurance rates go up along with theirs...

 

No, No amount of convincing will change my mind. New auto purchases (And this includes the 350Z) are just NOT smart money spent.

 

Cars to look at in the used car market...

Mustangs are obvious, as are the F-body cars, and Coverttes. The C5 is awesome... I'd also look at the RX7, the MR2, The Miata, The Supra, and a Hand full of Bimmers, as well as the VW Passat and the Jetta Turbo.

 

I've bought two used cars in the last two years, a worthless Blazer S10 model, and now this Mustang. We are car guys on this board, so we should be able to find the lemons in the basket of used cars (My Blazer mistake not withstanding)... For that matter I've NEVER owned a new car. Why? Economics... I took an economics course in college and the professor drilled into our heads what a bad decision it was to buy a new car and broke down the exact depreciating factors an a (THEN) brand new C4 Corvette, I think it was 1986 sticker price... He had obtained a window sticker from one of the other instructors who owned the car... It was Sad to see how much THAT CAR lost value, and it had a higher retention of value at the time than many cars.

 

Point is, If you are going to spend $27,000 on any car, why not buy something that has taken the hit already and step up to something else outside of that class of car. I'm not hammering the 350Z because it is a 350Z from Nissan. This area is saturated with them.. I see them every day literaly. My comments are based on the new car market as a whole... Why not wait a year and buy it after someone else has taken the hit? Next year the market will be saturated with even more 350Zs as they are upping production... My advice is to wait, let some young up and coming Yuppie buy it and outgrow it... They will be on the used car market, trust me...

 

Mike

[randy 77zt]

most people buy cars like they buy clothes-to impress other people.the car dealer i work at sells $40000 suvs to people that cant afford them and dont even know what the 4x4 is for.the people that buy them just want to look cool.gear heads buy car for a specific use.most of my mechanic buddies have at least 2 cars.i wouldnt be suprised if nissan cam out with a turbo 350 z but it will probably be in the $40000 price range.

[pparaska]

Originally posted by randy 77zt:

most people buy cars like they buy clothes-to impress other people.the car dealer i work at sells $40000 suvs to people that cant afford them and dont even know what the 4x4 is for.the people that buy them just want to look cool.

Oh, so true! Where I live, many people are into the "Look how big my...(body part) is"

oops

"My car is SO COOL!"

Same difference really.

 

Saw one at a dealer last sunday. Silver, slush-o-matic. I REALLY tried to like it. I've BEEN trying to like it. Still don't like it. Went back yesterday (Saturday), and they had an orange (whatever) color one there, still had all that white plastic on the paint job - fresh off the truck. Touring model, $34K. This was an extra. If I ordered, I could have one in March. They're selling these things as fast as they can buy them.

 

Funny thing, the salesmen were not looking at the 350Z in the lot when I got back to my car. I guess they know what that's like. They were checking out a certain blue 240Z. They seemed to like the sound of the engine too .

 

I agree on the new car thing. I've bought two. Mitsubishi lost tons of money on my 92 GSX Eclipse. They paid for two new transmissions, 5 rebuilds of trannies, a new transfer case, a new driveshaft assembly ($1K for that!). Any profit they made was lost in the 6 years they were doing that work. My wifes 99 Contour Sport was the second. $15K out the door. Dependable, fun to drive car.

 

My next daily driver won't be a new car - it'll be used. It probably won't be a 350Z either - I need room for more than just me and 1 passenger.

[Guest Frank280z]

I agree. My friend has been in the market for a c2,c3 big block vette for 7 years running. Waiting for te perfect deal to come along. Last week it happened. A 67 427 hard top for 16K. Needs nothing. Couldn't ask for a better deal. Even if it needed paint.

 

My thoughts on the 350z. Beautiful car. well built. Overpriced compared to upgrading an older z. Dropping 27K into an older Z.....I'm half way there. I could just about outrun and embarrass anything up to 120mph(5 speed challenged). And it's a big + when you can say its a 74! Just my opinion....

 

Frank

[Guest JAMIE T]

I agree with Mike. Wait 2 years and picl one up for under 20K, then do with it what you want.

[Guest Anonymous]

Originally posted by BLKMGK:

I'm waiting on the EVO VII and hopefully the WRX STI to make it over. From what I've read they screwed the Skyline too and I won't touch it either. Sad thing is I was actually pondering one if it was as nice as we've been led to believe in the past. Instead it's looking to be N/A too. Guess we'll see. The Mitsu could be interesting

what are you talking about,"From what I've read they screwed the Skyline too and I won't touch it either"?

The new GT-R will kick @SS it might not have an RB26DETT but that engine is a little long in the tooth.

The upcoming GT-R will have your evo and STI impreza for lunch!!!

 

It's set to be Japan's fastest and most advanced supercar - but look under the skin and it's Britain's brains which will power Nissan's new GT-R!

most advanced car in the world. But it's not only Nissan engineers who can claim the credit - our sources say British legend Cosworth has been called in to help tweak the engine, while Lotus is involved in fine-tuning the suspension.

 

The 'International Specification' GT-R, which will be sold throughout the world for the first time, is set to get a version of the 3.5-litre V6 engine used in the 350Z coupé, but will have electrically assisted twin turbochargers to boost power without sapping too much energy. Cosworth's expertise will be used to make sure the V6's block, head, pistons and crank are all strong enough.

 

Nissan knows it has to do something really special with the next GT-R, partly because the 350Z performs so well, but also as it's the first globally oriented version of the car, and expectations are high among the 'Playstation generation' of buyers who are familiar with the model from video games consoles.

 

The company has asked for around 400bhp and 490Nm of torque, but more realistic figures given emissions regulations are 350bhp and 450Nm. To reach production, the car must meet strict Euro4 exhaust regulations. The V6 will be mated to a six-speed Getrag gearbox, with a CVT due a year after launch in early 2005. The auto is undergoing final development, but apparent slippage trouble due to the excessive power has been plaguing prototypes. Insiders have confirmed the GT-R will incorporate an updated version of Nissan's Atessa 4WD system with an active limited slip differential. This new arrangement means torque is distributed between the front and rear wheels not only in response to traction loss, but also as a result of changes in the engine's output.

 

The FM platform used in the new range of Skyline and Infiniti G35 coupés in Japan and the US is basically good enough, but needs some fine-tuning to handle the extra power - and that's where Lotus comes in. A new hydraulic active suspension system, co-developed with Lotus, will feature. The Norfolk firm's expertise in this area will ensure the car handles like no other GT-R before, and can satisfy the soft-riding expectations of American buyers with the traction and high-speed handling required by the British and German markets.

Its brakes promise to be special, too, with larger Brembo discs controlled by a newly revised brake-by-wire unit which promises to give the sporty feel and feedback enthusiastic drivers demand.

 

But while the dynamics are groundbreaking, many fans will be disappointed by the looks. Although the car is clearly linked to the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show concept, some of the more aggressive touches have been watered down in favour of a more mainstream appearance. The final production version will debut at next October's Tokyo event

link here

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/ae_news_story.php?id=32040

[pparaska]

They said realistically the GT-R will have 350hp.

 

My guess is that it'll probably be over 3000 lbs easy.

 

That's not my definition of a rocketship.

[Guest Anonymous]

Originally posted by pparaska:

They said realistically the GT-R will have 350hp.

 

My guess is that it'll probably be over 3000 lbs easy.

 

That's not my definition of a rocketship.

no it will not be they are doing everything to make it under 3000lbs.

either way the car will not disappoint the Skyline R34 GT-R is not the lightest car in the world but it does perform and the new one promises to be lighter and faster...I am betting it will be faster than all other past GT-R

This is Nissan's Flagship car I don't think that they will skimp on this, won't say much for them.

The 350z is n/a and will stay so because Nissan does not want the Zcar to be running in GT-R turf(performance wise)when released.

[BLKMGK]

What I'd read was that the Skyline was coming over here as an Infiniti and that it would be V8 N/A. I think that would SUCK.

 

That page says otherwise and if so TERRIFIC! I personally like the Skyline and want it here like NOW. AWD and turbocharged with at least 300BHP. If they can do that I may break open the piggybank and grab one. That's a recent article too - sweet. When's it coming out?

 

Hrm, and I meant EVOVIII. It sounds good, we'll see. The "rally" Lancer they're selling now has drum brakes on the rear

 

Hrm interesting -> http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:APDNCYtKAW0J:www.autoexpress.co.uk/t/news/mitsubishi/powerhikeforevoviii/news/mikepenny/2-jul-02/id27929/+EVO+VIII&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

 

330BHP for the EVOVIII? Skyline will have 350? Skyline is going to cost a mint I'm afraid STI will be around 320BHP with a 6speed.

[TimZ]

I generally agree. Until I started working for Ford, I never would have bought a new car, and still drove my paid-for Jeep for several years before I replaced it. The employee discount does make it a bit easier to swallow, I must admit. The employee price is the price - no haggling, and a new car purchase generally takes about an hour out the door with a new car (assuming they have it in stock).

 

The reason I brought this up is that I thought I should mention that if any of you are in the market for a new vehicle, I can get you the "Friends and Neighbors" (X-Plan) discount on any Ford family vehicle (Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Mazda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, Aston-Martin ). The X-Plan price is usually 4% over the price that direct employees pay, and I have yet to see anyone out-haggle this price, and I have seen some try. It's very little work for me, and I am allowed to give out four of these per year.

 

Okay - spamming over. Just thought I'd offer that up, in case anybody was interested.

 

ed... Oops - this post made more sense when I thought it was following the posts talking about not buying new cars. Didn't see the second page of posts.