2023 Nissan Z - 400hp, 6MT/9AT, $40k USD

[05XR8]

Speed is not what the people in the video or going on about. SUVs are fast. The people narrating in the video are talking about areas where SUVs fall short, neutral cornering, composure at the limit, steering feel. They're saying SUVs are not substitutes for sports cars not because they're too slow, they're crazy fast. They're saying SUVs are not substitutes for sports cars because they don't handle well, and that handling is especially evident on the track... a point which almost no consumers actually care about.

For most people, a fast SUV with modern steering and suspension is going to be MORE fun than a Miata. Because it'll be faster in a straight line. As @Eunos_Cosmo was saying, people just want to punch it on an on-ramp. Also they want to pass with confidence. That's really about it, if it doesn't turn like a boat, that's good enough.

I think car enthusiasts and reviewers need to square up with this fact. Technology has gotten us to a point where most people are more than satisfied with the performance characteristics of SUVs and pickup trucks.

Right. I definitely agree with people wanting the acceleration(Especially, many on-ramps in NYC). I’m getting at the youth of today don’t really care much for sporting cars. Not even a fast SUV. It seems as if the youth just want an A to B car. Basing this purely on what I see around me. Not any statistics. Going off what Eunos Cosmo is saying, in the past, station wagons were a big thing. I’d argue better than SUVs for hauling, space wise. However, the versatility of SUVs with genuine off-road capability, sealed the fate of the station wagon. Off course the high hip height entry and seeing over traffic helped as well.

Rate of speed is still not a factor. Youth of today, just want features. I’m doubtful the youth of today, in twenty years, will gravitate to small sporting cars of tomorrow. That’s all I’m getting at. That they won’t even be thinking about small cars or sports cars. Unless, manufacturers start influencing car buyers by offering more small cars over current SUV trends.
Cars are parking without drivers assistance. It probably won’t matter the size of a car in twenty years either. No doubt we’ll see.

Me, personally, the smaller the better. Though, I’m getting a small van(VW Caddy or similar), I’ve been faced the facts of being satisfied with a car’s performance, due to my current environment. I rarely take trips on a freeway and pretty much done with sporting cars. The little Mazda 2 I’m driving is fast enough. A Z would be cool, but an i20N is cool as well.

 

[05XR8]

Just crossed paths with a triple black Z. Looks just like the pics. Cool car.

 

[Tornado]

 

[05XR8]

Geez, talk about time warp. I remember watching him on PBS back in the day.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Hella torquey.

 

[CodeRedR51]

 

[Keef]

Basically what I'm seeing here is that I should not spend money on things within the next year to keep my options open.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Basically what I'm seeing here is that I should not spend money on things within the next year to keep my options open.

To be completely honest with you, this thing won't be that special...

 

[Keef]

To be completely honest with you, this thing won't be that special...

I personally think there's a small chance the NISMO will almost immediately become sort of an investment. But I'm less worried about that and more interested in a reasonably priced fun car that can be driven often and occasionally hard. The car is a really cool throwback which is right up my alley.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Students in the Customization Department at the Nissan Kyoto Automobile College built a Z SUV on an old Murano



In progress pictures









https://twitter.com/23kyoto_info/status/1602815142320046081

https://twitter.com/Nissangakuen_cz/status/1603572877227618305

 

[Giygas]

Students in the Customization Department at the Nissan Kyoto Automobile College built a Z SUV on an old Murano



In progress pictures









https://twitter.com/23kyoto_info/status/1602815142320046081

https://twitter.com/Nissangakuen_cz/status/1603572877227618305

That's cool as hell, wish they had a better platform to work with though.

 

[Tornado]

Think it would have been easier to build a 400z on one of the several decades of SUVs that shared a platform with the 400z than the one that was an overinflated Altima.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

It would've been cool if they used the Murano Cabrio.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Rumors float that Nissan may actually produce a split-grille version of the Z, making it avaliable as a dealer option:

The 2023 Nissan Z Is Getting This Improved Split Grille: Report

The 2023 Nissan Z could get an improved front grille based on one shown on a one-off show car last year.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Keef]

Rumors float that Nissan may actually produce a split-grille version of the Z, making it avaliable as a dealer option:

The 2023 Nissan Z Is Getting This Improved Split Grille: Report

The 2023 Nissan Z could get an improved front grille based on one shown on a one-off show car last year.

www.thedrive.com

This whole package right here would be a sick special edition.

 

[05XR8]

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

So I haven't actually seen ANY new Zs yet. I see plenty of Supras and the new BRZ/86 has become a more frequent sight as well, but the Z has proven elusive.

 

[Tornado]

Same. The other day at work I did a double take because I thought I did but it was just an A90 painted like one.

 

[Nexus]

I've seen a handful here in Australia, though I don't recall if there were on the road or in dealerships.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Possible Z Nismo spotted

This Might Be The Upcoming Nissan Z Nismo - The Autopian

When you think about it, we’re so incredibly lucky to have both a new Toyota Supra and Nissan Z on sale right now. Two three-pedal, six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive Japanese sports coupes in the year 2023 sounds nuts given the zeitgeist around electrification, yet here we are. What’s more, one of...

www.theautopian.com

This vehicle was said to have been testing in Chandler, Ariz., but was pulled off to the shoulder with hazards on.

From afar, it’s easy to see that this Z gets a much more aggressive visual package than the standard model. The fascias and side skirts really hang low, with pronounced valence bulges that offer a hint of BN-style kits. The rear spoiler is also more aggressive than the one included on the Z Performance trim, now extending onto the rear quarter panels.

While Nissan hasn’t been able to move the forward radar sensor out of the way, this Z gets honeycomb mesh and a massively opened-up grille. Not only does the new grille extend below the bottom of the radar unit, it also stretches out wider when compared to the standard grille pictured below. Also quite interesting are what appear to be straked brake ducts outboard of the main grille, a great idea for keeping things cool on the track.

In addition to the revised cooling apertures, the front bumper styling of this revised Z seems dramatically different from what we’ve previously seen. Instead of a high noseline that curves around the headlamps, Nissan has moved the bumper’s upper character line lower to make it essentially flat. This should make the nose of the car appear lower than on a standard Z even though all the hard points should be the same. The bumper surfacing also flares out just a touch above the grille, adding a nice little bit of complexity to the look of the bumper.

Those with a keen eye for Nissans will recognize the wheels on this Z prototype as being similar to the wheels on the 2022 GT-R Nismo. While they appear to feature a slightly different spoke profile, they’re the right sort of design and application to suggest they’re lightweight forged RAYS units, a favorite supplier for fast Nissans. These wheels are also shod in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 tires, which tracks well with Nismo tradition. The old 370Z Nismo and the GT-R Nismo both have run on Dunlops, so it’s not surprising to see Dunlops here.

 

[Keef]

Possible Z Nismo spotted

This Might Be The Upcoming Nissan Z Nismo - The Autopian

When you think about it, we’re so incredibly lucky to have both a new Toyota Supra and Nissan Z on sale right now. Two three-pedal, six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive Japanese sports coupes in the year 2023 sounds nuts given the zeitgeist around electrification, yet here we are. What’s more, one of...

www.theautopian.com

Not sure why Autopian didn't mention that this nose design combined with the full-width spoiler harken back to the 240ZG, the prettiest version of the Z ever. That should be another subtle yet classy retro element on this car and is exactly how you do heritage throwbacks will still embracing modern design. I wonder if they'll be able to incorporate two-tone color in a classy way like the ZG had.

Edit: This photo angle illustrates how absolutely perfect the execution is of the 400Z's greenhouse. Truly excellent.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I was thinking the nose kinda looked like the 350Z Nismo

 

[Keef]

I was thinking the nose kinda looked like the 350Z Nismo

It does, and I think it's because the 350Z Nismo was made to resemble the ZG. In fact you could almost consider the Z33 Nismo a homologation for the Super GT car while the ZG was actually a homologation for Group 4. Sports cars are the one thing Nissan does that makes sense.

 

[05XR8]

Nissan Z Racing Concept will participate in ST-Q(Special class for testing) at Super Taikyu Rd.2 24H at Fuji Speedway.


From the article:

Looking at the image of the Nissan Z Racing Concept, which will participate in this season, the grill opening on the front has been greatly enlarged compared to the Z GT4, and the air outlet shape of the hood has also been changed from the Z GT4. Ru. I don't know from the picture, but there seems to be many other improvements.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Still haven't seen one of these.

 

[Keef]

Still haven't seen one of these.

I wonder if they're really scarce or if dealers are marking them up. I've only seen a couple and they look rad, I'd love to have one. It also took a long time to see any Supras and they're pretty rare around here and obviously don't come out during winter regardless.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I wonder if they're really scarce or if dealers are marking them up. I've only seen a couple and they look rad, I'd love to have one. It also took a long time to see any Supras and they're pretty rare around here and obviously don't come out during winter regardless.

I see Supras basically every day (and I'm glad of it, they look great in person, if a bit overstyled - less A80 size and more FD3S, IMO). Holding the Z back, I think it's probably both scarcity and markups and I also think it's a hard sell over a Supra* (a little bit more money, but a more obviously premium/desirable car) or a Mustang 5.0 which is considerably faster and has a lot more window area to place instagram handles.

*Fun fact, the A90 Supra has already been on sale for as long as the A80 was in the US, and has sold nearly twice as many units. For all the hand ringing about it being a BMW and it won't be as legendary as the A80...it seems to have pretty successfully found its own identity outside of the A80's shadow and I'm glad of it.

edit: Sales are not good at all - like 150 cars a month for the whole USA bad. Less than half of the cars made have been sold so far, per this thread:

📊 2023 Nissan Z Sales Figures So Far

https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/nissan-370z-sales-figures/ Jan - 153 Feb - 147 Mar - 166 YTD: 466 Grand Total: 728

www.nissanzclub.com

 

[05XR8]

Yeah, I've only seen the one Z and a handful of Supras. One of my neighbours brings one home, as a drive car(works at a local Lexus dealership), from time to time.

 

[Keef]

I see Supras basically every day (and I'm glad of it, they look great in person, if a bit overstyled - less A80 size and more FD3S, IMO). Holding the Z back, I think it's probably both scarcity and markups and I also think it's a hard sell over a Supra* (a little bit more money, but a more obviously premium/desirable car) or a Mustang 5.0 which is considerably faster and has a lot more window area to place instagram handles.

*Fun fact, the A90 Supra has already been on sale for as long as the A80 was in the US, and has sold nearly twice as many units. For all the hand ringing about it being a BMW and it won't be as legendary as the A80...it seems to have pretty successfully found its own identity outside of the A80's shadow and I'm glad of it.

edit: Sales are not good at all - like 150 cars a month for the whole USA bad. Less than half of the cars made have been sold so far, per this thread:

📊 2023 Nissan Z Sales Figures So Far

https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/nissan-370z-sales-figures/ Jan - 153 Feb - 147 Mar - 166 YTD: 466 Grand Total: 728

www.nissanzclub.com

People are crazy. I'd rather have the Z because of the looks mostly. I think Nissan is probably doing a bad job of advertising and their dealers are pretty crap as well.

 

[Tornado]

That thread hits things pretty on the nose. It's way more expensive than expected (before ADM), isn't as fast as it seems like it should be and it's probably not that controversial to say that the 370z's power wasn't the issue with it in the first place and Nissan only made it worse by making it a fair whack heavier and mostly in the nose.





I suspect the BreezFrees twins being actually legitimately quick cars now probably deflated sales a lot too (plus Nissan taking so long to get this out that BMW put a stick in the Supra in the interim); but dealers marking what is honestly a (very pretty!) half-baked mediocre car into the 70-grand range (on Autotrader I see one that's in the 50s, and I'm not sure if it's MSRP or the base model with 10 grand added to it)? Eat my whole ass, Nissan. I'll go buy a C7 and a BRZ.






I did finally see one though: