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Nissan Isn't Giving Up on the Z

By William Maley

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  • Never gonna give you up, never gonna make you cry

“It’s an interesting question because there is a lot of passion people this vehicle. This vehicle is still very alive but at the same time it is in a segment that is gradually declining, so that is making the [business] case more difficult," said Philippe Klein, Nissan's chief planning officer when asked about a successor to the 370Z back in October.

“We have also the GT-R, with which we still believe there is some good potential from this, and we are in the same category starting to make a lot of effort on the Nismo side. Which is another way to offer excitement to our customers leveraging the more conventional side. We have no intention to quit excitement but we’re going to make it happen in different ways.”

This sparked speculation that either the 370Z would be going the way of the dodo bird or go a completely different route. It seems death isn't on the table for the Z car.

"The Z is a difficult market. It is rather shrinking worldwide. But we still believe there is a place for the Z and we want to keep it alive, and that's what we're working on," said Klein to Automotive News at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month.

"That's for the midterm. For the long term, there are other considerations. If we do a complete new vehicle, what should it be to keep the passion alive? And we're working very seriously on this — how we can keep the Z alive and refreshing and what would be the next generation?"

Those are very good questions to be asking considering how many people are taken with the likes of SUVs, crossovers, and trucks. Not helping are government regulations on safety and fuel economy that has required automakers to add more equipment, which in turn causes vehicle weight to increase. Not a good thing for a model that is marketed as a lightweight and affordable sports car.

"The passion is there," said Klein. "The question is how can we refresh it and what will be the breakthrough for the long term?"

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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    Grand Master

    G. David Felt

    Members

    Life for the Z car I can see as an EV Pocket Rocket.

    Nissan needs to take inspiration from Tesla with Roadster 2.0 and build a Z EV 1.0 that competes on the level of the Tesla. That is where they will gain fans and sales as a Halo auto of EV power.

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    daves87rs

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    19 minutes ago, dfelt said:

    Life for the Z car I can see as an EV Pocket Rocket.

    Nissan needs to take inspiration from Tesla with Roadster 2.0 and build a Z EV 1.0 that competes on the level of the Tesla. That is where they will gain fans and sales as a Halo auto of EV power.

    That is pretty much the only way I can see it still going...otherwise it really doesn't have a place at Nissan any more...

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    smk4565

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    The problem with the 370Z is the price.   And it always has been.  The convertible has no back seat, the coupe I can't even remember if there was a back seat some years, if there was it was probably too small to use.  So it is too small also.  And it isn't cheap like a BRZ or Miata, they want V8 Mustang money for a smaller, less powerful less equipped car.

    The Z could work with a base 4 cylinder for $24,900 with a V6 model at $28,900

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    • Rising Star

    riviera74

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    38 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

    The problem with the 370Z is the price.   And it always has been.  The convertible has no back seat, the coupe I can't even remember if there was a back seat some years, if there was it was probably too small to use.  So it is too small also.  And it isn't cheap like a BRZ or Miata, they want V8 Mustang money for a smaller, less powerful less equipped car.

    The Z could work with a base 4 cylinder for $24,900 with a V6 model at $28,900

    Sounds like you want to return the Z to its 1970s/80s roots as a Corvette alternative for half price.

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    • Veteran

    Robert Hall

    Premium Subscriber
    (edited)
    31 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

    Sounds like you want to return the Z to its 1970s/80s roots as a Corvette alternative for half price.

    That would be cool...something like a Nissan competitor to the 86.  But with more variations...more a pure sports car than a GT.

    1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

    The problem with the 370Z is the price.   And it always has been.  The convertible has no back seat, the coupe I can't even remember if there was a back seat some years, if there was it was probably too small to use.  So it is too small also.  And it isn't cheap like a BRZ or Miata, they want V8 Mustang money for a smaller, less powerful less equipped car. 

    There were 4 seat 2+2 variations for 4 generations of Zs from the mid-70s to the mid-90s.  350Z and 370Z have been 2 seaters only, no need for a 4 seater with the G35/37 coupes.   I've driven a '90 300ZX TT and an '04 350Z, they definitely had their appeal..fun cars. 

    Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar

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    • Mentor

    smk4565

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    The Camaro and Mustang have a back seat though, not offering a back seat in the Z has been a sales killer.  Pricing a base model Z 4 or 5 thousand dollars above a Mustang is a sales killer also. 

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    • Veteran

    Robert Hall

    Premium Subscriber

    It doesn't compete w/ the Camaro and Mustang, different niche. 

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    daves87rs

    Members
    4 hours ago, riviera74 said:

    Sounds like you want to return the Z to its 1970s/80s roots as a Corvette alternative for half price.

    Gotta do something......no one even cares about the car....nothing separates it from the rest of the field.....

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