A&Q about 350Z
Q:
First, let me say I love the 350z. Might even get one someday. Love my old S30 Zs too!
Perhaps my affinity for the original S30 style Z is why, when I heard Nissan was making the 350Z, I envisioned something like this:
(credit: pic is from www.eurotuner.com)
My first thought when I saw it was, "It looks like a Z car!". Retro design can be a dead end in a way though, so I can't complain about the 350Z - it's a great car. This Z4 seems to have some Z car DNA in it though.
That long hood and short hatchback - sure looks like a modern day version of the 280 I have out in my garage right now. If it had different headlights, maybe something longer and deeper that went back into the fender a little more. Hell, throw some some subtle hood vents on there just to give it a bit more of that old school Z touch.
I don't really care for the side skirting on the Z4 though. The way it curves up in the front and back seems to take away from the line that's started between the door and the rear wheel well. Would look more agressive without that 'swoopiness'.
Anyways, love your Zs. Keep em clean. I'm not putting anything down. Just posting an observation.
Here's a question though. If Nissan came out with a Z that looked similar to the pic above, would you be interested in it? Assuming it had great specs/price of course - equivalent to what we have in the current 350Z.
Cheers,
Shawn
Two Z owners walk into a bar...
Post Edited (Sep 20, 9:38pm)
A:
and Chrysler. If I'd wanted a car that looked like a 240Z, I'd have bought an old 240Z.
The Z4 has a lot going for it. The coupe concept takes away some of the best lines on the car at the transition from the door handles into the rear quarters and back to the tail lights.
Urf. I still think the Z3 coupe was a better execution. Granted, it's a love it / hate it design.
A:
ya got that right man! HATE IT! ;)
that thing looks like 2 different cars wrecked into eachother and stuck that way.
A:
It's not often a convertible model is successfully transformed with a coupe top grafted onto it. Better to start from scratch.
Two exceptions I can recall:
And the Porcshe Cayman.
A:
Z33, WHY DID YOU POST THAT ASTON, thats my dreamcar that I will never have. You just made me depressed. =(.
04.5 silver Touring, JWT-filter, Maya Gr-5's, Fusion/audio, StrosekAeroKit.
A:
yeah that aston is badass about 279,000 or something like that.saw it in a car show about two years ago.fell in love with it but a tad out of the price range.
Z's are like woman maintenance,maintenance,maintenance!
1971 240Z gunmetal metalic 5sp 4:11 gears in the rear
illuminas and purchased from the original owner w/136k original miles
A:
solidus wrote:
> Z33, WHY DID YOU POST THAT ASTON, thats my dreamcar that I will
> never have. You just made me depressed. =(.
Sorry, man. It's a bit out of my range as well, but it sure is nice. Same basic lines as the Z, too, but more refined and muscular.
A:
wheres that picture of the photoshopped 350 with the cockpit pushed back and the hood elongated? Now THAT is what the 350z shoulda looked like.
A:
I could get 9 Z's for the price or that Aston. It is a very hot car...one that I would like to see parked in my driveway.
A:
Another pic of the rear
'71 240ZT
A:
The Vantage V8 is slightly less expensive than the Vanquish and DB9... $110,000 US dollars
"Smokey, this is not Nam, this is bowling. There are rules."
-Walter Sobchak
A:
I see your point. It's just hard for me to imagine any production car's rear visibility being worse than the Z's.
"Smokey, this is not Nam, this is bowling. There are rules."
-Walter Sobchak
A:
I'll take any of the astons. I love them all.
zcrazi
03 chrome silver Touring with chrome wheels,concept LED lights.
VIN#2223
A:
Hopefully the Z4 coupe will have something worth while under the hood. The convertible version out now is slower than snot.
75 280Z: Eibachs/AGX's/intake/85 5spd & Rear end. Soon to be V8 GOD!
02 WRX: 5spd sedan/225 45-17's/Eibachs/Cobb tubular swaybars/Cobb Tuning stage 2/Accessport. 0-60 sub 5 seconds wet or dry.
A:
Lots of replies...
I love the look of the 350Z as well. Overall, I suppose it's a good thing they didn't do a 'retro' Z and from the reading I've been doing on the 350, since before they even introduced it, apparently they did play with the idea of a 'retro' look.
If that was the best they could do, I'm glad they didn't make that thing. The front is cool, albeit slightly miata-ish, but I dislike the back.
Besides, once you go retro.... what next? I mean, what does Ford do next for the Mustang for example. Will it end up like the VW Beetle - no facelifts for 6/7 years? Just minor tweaks? VW is stuck with that design - but that car has a strong specific shape.
The vette for example has changed for the better over the years. No need to make a retro vette.
Then there are cars like Porsches which even though they STRONGLY resemble the design of their classics have never deviated from a specific design benchmark. They retained a 'basic design concept' if you will. A modern Porsche 996, while strongly resembling an original 60's 911, cannot be considered retro as it's never really changed over the years. It's simply been refined and refined as time went on.
I think the Z32 is where Nissan deviated so far from the original design style of the early Z and therefore any attempt to go back to that look would be considered 'retro'. Not that there's anything wrong with a Z32. Hell, that's one of my fave cars - my best friend has a sweet TT...
I guess the design of a modern car, based on a 30 year old car of the same heritage depends on how far they've gone away from the look of it over the years and how far they would have to go to get back. Like the Mustang. It's changed so much between now and then that to go back to the look of the original makes it retro.
That's probably a huge fork in the design roadmap for a lot of car companies. I'm sure there are a lot of meetings about this sort of thing...
Interesting thoughts guys. Thanks.
Oh, and nice Astons...nice dream cars!
Two Z owners walk into a bar...
A:
My vote for what the next 350Z should look like. I see a lot of 240Z, but not in a retro way.
'72 240Z
A:
Yeah, i am just jealous! Cus I am poor and have no money, and I'm a loser. =(. wheres my razor at?
04.5 silver Touring, JWT-filter, Maya Gr-5's, Fusion/audio, StrosekAeroKit.
A:
Naw...your'e not a loser.
I think I remember you tellin me you were at FullSail. When I was considering going into recording/engineering, I actually almost applied there. Funny I ended up with a finance degree and now work for an investment bank.
Good luck...is it fun?
Previously owned: 2005 Z Enthusiast, Super Black, 6 spd.
Currently lease: 2006 Pathfinder S, Silver, Auto
"She is (and always will be) my little deuce coupe, you don't know what I got!"
A:
its alright, I am doing generals right now. =(.
04.5 silver Touring, JWT-filter, Maya Gr-5's, Fusion/audio, StrosekAeroKit.
A:
It doesn't matter who made it or what brand slapped their sticker on it, that last pic is Very Ugly!
'93 Silver N/A
'92 Cherry TT
Post Edited (Sep 22, 4:51pm)
A:
I want another Z, aside from the one I have now. I want a Black 06 track model. Remember that guysz, its almost my Birthday, actually my Bday was the 18th. But remember for XMAS time, k. Thanks.
04.5 silver Touring, JWT-filter, Maya Gr-5's, Fusion/audio, StrosekAeroKit.
A:
So, some of you don't like the Firepower? At least it doesn't look like this......
THE HORROR!!!!
In all honesty I really like the 350Z (as well as all Z's), I think it is one of the best proportioned cars on the road.
'72 240Z
A:
I LOVE IT!
04.5 silver Touring, JWT-filter, Maya Gr-5's, Fusion/audio, StrosekAeroKit.
A:
I almost bought an 85 300 ZX back in '90. Thought it was the coolest ever. Had a little dial that changed the suspension from touring to sport...
None of the 2+2 Zs really do it for me though. Weird proportions.
If Nissan ever makes a 2+2 350Z they deserve to have a chicken bone curse placed on them by a pissed off displaced voodoo queen from deep in the bayous of LA.
Two Z owners walk into a bar...