Schwing!!!

I would be interested in that for sure. V-8 power in the Z would be great!

The v6 already uses premium gas and isn’t the best on fuel economy (not the worst either) but with gas being $4.00 I don’t think a v8 will be offered unless in small numbers.

could be potent.

I could see an Infiniti G45… but not a 450Z. Nissan needs to concentrate on keeping the price down. Infiniti should do it to give them something else to seperate the two cars.

During late 70’s folks were dropping Chevy blocks into Z.

Rather drop a 3L 2JZ turbo into it just to see what happens!

yea, Ive seen Zs from the 70s with small blocks, from what I understand it was a fairly popular conversion at the time…that being said I wonder if the new Z will even need a V8 with gas so expensive and the fact that with the 3.7 giving it 30 more horsepower in a car thats 220 pounds lighter im sure not many will be wishing for something faster..maybe a V8 in the heavier G coupe would make more sense

Gas is really not a deciding factor. Hardly any Z buyers choose one because of the fuel economy. The fuel economy of the VQ V-6 it has now sucks. 21 MPG average is the best you’ll get out of a VQ Z. I’m willing to bet a V-8 powered Z will get almost the same fuel economy. 1 or 2 MPG worse at the most. Do the math: 19 MPG versus 21 MPG equates to $300 more per year if you drive 15k a year with $4 gas. Sorry, but $300 isn’t significant for someone who can afford a $35k-$45k car.

So many people are putting way too much focus on fuel costs, when they haven’t sat down and calculated what the difference really is. It’s really getting ridiculous. Paying $8k for a 1990 Geo Metro just because it gets 45 MPG and isn’t made anymore is stupid. And that’s what’s happening now.

My 05 GTO gets 25, with 400 horsies…

LOL, the ‘best’ conversion I’ve ever seen was a freind put a small block in a V12 jag. I told him he was nuts, but then he told me what a new engine would have cost…

Every time I punch the gas on my Titan and hear that awesome sounding V8 I yearn for a Nissan muscle-car. Not a small-displacement pseudo-muscle car, but a real muscle car with the 5.6L American designed and built bad-ass in the Titan.

To me, the Maxima is the perfect car for the job, but only if they give it rear-drive and a coupe option similar to the Genesis coupe. I’d take a RWD, 5.6L Maxima over the Pontiac G8 any day of the week for 4 doors. Given Nissan’s adept skillz at coupes, I’d say that a 5.6L Maxima Coupe would fit right in among the Challenger, Mustang and Camaro ranks.

Since we know that Nissan isn’t going to build a 5.6L RWD Maxima, we might hope and pray for a 560Z which would be a competitor with the Corvette in both price and performance.

I think the issue is not so much fuel economy (it is probably negligible as Z06ified pointed out correctly) but driving dynamics. V8 weighs 25% more then V6. Car becomes nose heavy, looses balance. The pleasure of driving BMW is because of 50/50 weight distribution between front and rear.

a twin turbo V6 would be a MUCH better offering than a V8.

and uhh Payton Byrd, the 350Z is essentially a rear wheel drive maxima coupe.

The V8 FX is now called FX50, so I would expect Infiniti is preparing some sort of G50 to go against the Lexus IS-F.. which means the Z could pack the same motor since they share the same platform.

I agree with zoomzoomer. Possibly a detuned 5.0 with output near 400 with the G50 getting 430, or just enough to go above M3 and IS-F, would be most likely.

A V8 powered Z??? Interesting. Don’t know how I feel about it though. Yeah if Nissan puts a V8 in the Z then, it’s going up against the Corvette, and I say good luck to that.

Yeah gas prices… **** gas prices!

All Nissan needs to do is offer the TTV6 they have in the GT-R and offer the 3.7L V6 as a base model and then offer the TTV6 for its top of the line model.

I hate to say it, but now is the perfect time for Japan to strike at the American jugular. Kick ‘em while they’re down?

@A4

Are you nutz? Do you know anything about automotive design? There is nothing remotely similar between the Z and the Maxima other than they share a common engine platform and they both have a Nissan badge on them. You cannot take an inherently transversely mounted front wheel drive platform and just say it’s the same as a longitudinally mounted rear wheel drive platform. The Murano and Infiniti G and FX series vehicles share a platform with the Z. The Maxima is actually unique in Nissan in that it’s the only vehicle of its platform.

@Need4SSpeed

I think Nissan would be wise to use a V8 in the Z and not the twin-turbo engine from the GT-R. There needs to be differentiation between the two besides the number of seats. The GT-R is designed to compete with the Porsche 911 as a techno-supercar. The Z should compete with the Corvette (which it has done in the past). Back in 1990 the Z vs Corvette wars were awesome. Unfortunately, as the 90’s went on the inherent advantages of normally aspirated V8 versus twin-turbo V6 simply out-powered the Z as the ZR-1 reclaimed the performance crown that the Z had stolen from the Corvette.

Z06- gotta agree with you. My V8 BMW 545i gets EXACTLY the same mileage (28 mpg Hwy) as my 2001 V6 Nissan Maxima. This despite an engine that’s 1.4L larger (and 103bhp stronger). Must be the Valvetronic.

The best about the new Z, is that its 220lbs lighter. That means, 370Z + DRIVER + FULL tank of gas= Weight of the Old 350Z (without driver, and empty tank). What’s not to like? I’m going to trade the old Nissan in and get about the same mileage hwy with the new Z engine.

AM glad Nissan is lightening its cars. Too bad BMW isn’t.

bring it on

Why a v8??? Don’t be retarded Nissan. Just keep the 6 and lose the weight. Thats all you gotta do.

Very true Payton Byrd. Well they better be able to get 400+ hp out of that 4.5L V8 because it’s going to add weight. Or Nissan is going to have to really find ways to shed some weight of the Z then they won’t need so much HP.

But not to sound like the “Corvette is King” or anything but I just can’t see it competing with the Corvette like it used to back in the 90’s like pre ZR1 as you said… All cars are just getting too heavy.

@Need4SSpeed

I think the 220 pound diet the Z went on would be more than sufficient to counter the added weight of the 5.6L V8. The 5.6L put out 375 lb-ft2 of torque back in 2004, now it’s around 400, and that’s in pickup truck trim. Imagine would it would do with some modernization such as variable valve timing and direct injection. The fact that the Corvette needs 6.1L to produce 405 hp just shows that Nissan can compete with the Vette in the horsepower wars.