Z33 GT-S To Get Boost From Factory

[AZhitman]

The Nissan Z-series of vehicles has a long history of being some of the sportiest, best performing coupes on the market. The current generation houses a 3.5L engine and as such is dubbed the 350Z. It is already one of the most popular platforms for tuners, but if you want more "umph" out of the factory, the team at Nissan may have a "highly tuned" gift for you by 2007. There is a possibility that they're throwing in a supercharger, along with a whole lot of other go-fast goodies.

The plain Jane 350Z will likely still be offered, but for more hardcore enthusiasts, Nissan is said to planning a "GT-S" version (not quite the legendary GT-R, but close enough for the time being) of the sports coupe. This "performance-focused" vehicle will get a substantial "power hike", as well as a "substantially modified chassis."

That's not to say that this is a fully prepped race car. According to Communications Director Wayne Bruce, they wanted to create "a weekend workhorse" for your daily commute and a "weekend warrior" for hitting up the track, all "in one distinctive package". No confirmation just yet, but we can keep our fingers crossed.

[C-Kwik]

Good thing I decided to wait for the 07's. If they do decide to roll it out, I can't wait to see the specs and pricing.

[Exar-Kun]

*ahem*

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/350z_gt-s.asp

drool



WOOHOOO

-Chet

[joe603]

Nice! I wonder if they will offer an Infiniti version??

[x240xdrifter]

how sick would it be if nissan made a gt-r version of the 350?, like make it a rwd/awd twin turbo to compete along side with skylines.....just wishful thinking I guess

[C-Kwik]

I'm all but drooling. But price could get hefty with all the "packs". I would love to get into a fully loaded GT now, but if I could squeeze in even a supercharger pack I'd probably be pretty content. That supercharger kit looks great and while it will probably be peaky in power, it would be under the factory warranty and smog legal. This could really undermine some of the other supercharger kits out there if it's price competetive.

I'm not too fond of the very visible grill opening myself. I've never been a fan of mesh or cleaning bugs out of it. Otherwise, the body kit looks pretty good. I wish they used a lighter color for the proto so you can distinguish the lines better though. And very interesting how the wing sits atop the factory wing. It also looks like that model has headlight washers. Do europeans require that or something? The splitter looks absolutely wicked.

If price becomes an issue, and they offer these add-ons to a track model, I might have to ditch the touring amenities and settle for better performance. Perhaps I should have bought an 06 model. If this thing become official, anyone looking to buy a kidney?

[nsrZ32]

Wow....I've been considering a 350Z as a fun purchase next year....just might have to consider one of these depending on pricing.

[idriveaTTz32]

I can see this being a conflict of interest depending on what the GTR will truly be sold for. If its going to be sold for the rumored 70-80k then nissan can probably get away with a souped up Z. I'd imagine with current price offerings this GTS car with a suspension and engine upgrade only (no aero) would put the Z at around 45K which i think is a little steep for its market, giving it the same criteria for demise as the Z32.

[NISTECH]

I can see this being a conflict of interest depending on what the GTR will truly be sold for. If its going to be sold for the rumored 70-80k then nissan can probably get away with a souped up Z. I'd imagine with current price offerings this GTS car with a suspension and engine upgrade only (no aero) would put the Z at around 45K which i think is a little steep for its market, giving it the same criteria for demise as the Z32.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I can see this being a conflict of interest depending on what the GTR will truly be sold for. If its going to be sold for the rumored 70-80k then nissan can probably get away with a souped up Z. I'd imagine with current price offerings this GTS car with a suspension and engine upgrade only (no aero) would put the Z at around 45K which i think is a little steep for its market, giving it the same criteria for demise as the Z32.

Right, but where the Z32 was ONLY available for 45k, the Z33 will simply be offering a higher end model for those willing to spend more. You can still get into a base model for much less.

Also, I don't see how a supercharged sportscar selling at $45k conflicts with a twin turbo "supercar" selling for over $70k. Porsche has successfully sold cars in both price windows for some time, and their $45k car doesn't come close to offering what the GT-S Z will. I think it's smart to offer a souped up Z to people who can't afford to throw $70k at a single car but still want a GTR--or something close.

If the GT-S were the only version of the Z33 available, I'd agree with your statement completely. But all it'll do as an option is allow people who want a lot more Z for a little more money to get just that.

[joe603]

I just love the fact that they are offering forced induction again! I've been wondering why they havent updated the 300ZX TT setup with the 350Z...

[toykilla]

This is very misleading. The GT-S is a Nissan UK thing. In other words it is an "aftermarket" conversion done by Nissan UK. Not a "factory option"

It will not be available in the US or anywhere else around the world for that matter. The UK guys are lucky if this becomes a reality.

[AZhitman]

BZZZT!

Wrong-O-Matic.

The Nissan 350Z GT-S is a labor of love for seven engineers at Nissan's European technical facility who built the one-off in their own time. Their only restraint was to keep the Z usable, but beyond that the team went hog wild in crafting a concept that held its own running up the hill at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The editors of CAR magazine recently took the 350Z GT-S out for a spin and revealed a few things about the concept of which we were unaware. For instance, a switch next to the gear lever can disengage the supercharger used on the Z's 3.5-liter V6. This means that at the flick of a switch, the car transforms from a snarling 380 bhp beast into the same mild-mannered 298 bhp Z coupe everyone else is driving. Very trick.

There's also a butterfly valve on the exhaust that opens up at high revs, which not only allows the engine to breathe better, but also makes for a soul shaking soundtrack at WOT.

While it's unclear whether the 350Z GT-S will ever be mass produced, Nissan is exploring whether or to sell its components in various packages that can be retrofitted to any 350Z.

[Florida240sx]

I'm ready to get one......

[irax]

NO! NOT ANOTHER CAR WITH AN ELECTRIC CLUTCH! NOOOOOOO!! man.. well its good for me cuz i will be selling those superchargers but bad for nissan owners because it will go out alot quicker then normal, if they put a normal clutch on it would be sooo much better...

[Dano]

Very cool, I hope they actually produce it!

-Dan

[nsrZ32]

From this month's Road and Track

[Shift_Alabama]

*ahem*

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/350z_gt-s.asp

drool



WOOHOOO

-Chet

...amazing...

[nsrZ32]

According to this place....as of Tuesday the 17th....its confirmed they're producing this car

http://www.automotto.org/entry...ction/