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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yeah gas prices… FUCK 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.

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.

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…

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.