4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

Yesterday Autocar claimed that Nissan is moving forward with their new Z car despite their current financial woes, the car will be called the 400Z, and it will use the Infiniti twin turbo V6 with 400 hp as well as continue to use the FM (front midship- engine placement) platform. They say the styling with be influenced by the 240Z in the front and the 300ZX in the rear. The interior will also get an overhaul with new tech. They claim the car will debut within the next 12 months and should be available with a manual transmission. Yay! Nothing too new here, but it sounds more solid that the car is coming. I am just surprised that it will beat the new STI to market.



Yesterday Carbuzz announced that the performance versions of the CT4-V and CT5-V will be called "Blackwing" even though neither will have the Blackwing motor. Instead they are supposed to used improved versions of the engines found in the ATS-V and CTS-V. Both cars were tested around VIR (Virginia International Raceway) and found to be "seconds faster" than their predecessors. The best news is that both cars will be available with manual transmissions. Yay again!

rotarymike

iTrader: (4)

Funny you should mention - I sold the turbovert to fund the FI RHFCs and catback, and we just did our fence too... our backyard fence came out of our home improvement finances - helps that only the back property line is *our* fence.

We both work and are dependent (well, were dependent) on cars to commute - different directions from the house too. So having a spare in the garage for when one needs repairs / is in the shop to me makes sense - to her not so much. For me it doesn't even have to be a sporty car - an old Ford Ranger 4x4 would make a lot of sense as homeowners with a utility trailer and that live in a swamp that is prone to floods and hurricanes and idiots.



That isn't how married finances work lol. It doubled but not enough to afford a divorce...

RMB5190

iTrader: (2)

Agree completely. As long as the family is taken care of, why not reward yourself a little? That said, you could find yourself in a situation like I did. Picked up a cheap third car that I took on as a bit of a project but it's gone past project to full on nightmare. It leaves a pit in my stomach thinking about how much time, energy and research I put into that car and now I can't even stand the site of it. I'm making a change to the stable soon but I say go for it; but be smart.... don't pick up something because it's budget friendly. I ended up with a car that I put < 1,000 miles on in three years and can't go 50 miles before something else breaks*. Now that we have a baby, I have no time to dedicate to diagnosing and repairing the thing every week.

If you go the three car route, it might be worth it to get something a bit newer and already somewhat put together (see. lightly modded). Options are very limited for anything MT, with a decent platform to mod/play with and isn't clapped out. It also might not be the most popular choice on the forums but as long as it works for you and you're enjoying it

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

I've thought about grabbing a pickup too, in fact, my neighbor sold an old 4x4 Ranger. I talked to him about it and his advice was for the $250 a year or so it cost to keep insured and an annual oil change, you can rent the home depot truck a dozen times and still be on top.

rotarymike

iTrader: (4)

But I can't rent the home depot truck and drive it to my inlaws out of state, or rent it after a hurricane when there's no power and trees down everywhere (and I can't get to home depot).

I'm conflicted. My wife doesn't like buying anything without a warranty ie new, after having a lot of maintenance issues with her Mini when it was beyond the 4 year factory warranty. It was a 2 year conversation to get her onboard with buying the used G37, and mostly because I wouldn't shut up about wanting something power/weight like my RX8 and stick shift, but needed to hold the baby seat. I don't want a new anything, I'd prefer old and simple. Something like my 96 Jeep Cherokee, but not an SUV maybe.

Part of the deal with married finances is past agreements - in this case, she supported me through grad school and the first 5 years as a professional not making a lot of income, and some of those living costs were financed. Now we're paying back those loans, and with the new income it just got faster. So in 2-3 years we will be better positioned such that I could accidentally bring a Miata home from the dealer without tanking our plans or relationship. She'd still be mad tho - but not *as* mad, and managing your spouse's irritation level with you is definitely a part of a long term relationship (this year is 16), Incidentally in 2-3 years my daughter will not need a child seat any more so 2-seaters become more practical, if not truly 100% practical.

This isn't to say that I don't see any rewards from the raise - just bought a (nice) guitar and Smith and Wesson is getting my competition pistol back for the custom shop. And swaybars and a tune for the G are agreed to once my current mods are completed.

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

@ accidentally bringing home a new car.

rotarymike

iTrader: (4)

It's like taking your kid to the pound. You're coming home with a kitten whether you want one or not...

RobC7

I think they have an opportunity to make the 400z something really cool, however they need to keep the overall cost down. It can't be as expensive as the Supra. The 300zx TT struggled as the price went up every MY and the 370z started to make less sense once the domestic cars were able to deliver more power and better handling.

CT5V Blackwing I will be very interested in but again there is no way I can swing 85k for the car. I would be in the market for a 2-3 year old car that has taken a depreciation hit.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

If past is pro-log, the base model will hover around $30 and the fully loaded model over $40... with a $50k NISMO making its debut after a few years.

RobC7

31k is today's MSRP and I don't see that going down. The Camaro & Mustang start at 35k & 37k so I would say the sweet spot would be to undercut both of those.

They need to go back to the basics & introduce only two models: base (35k) & fully loaded (45k), only options being transmission & possibly a 'track package'. A year or two into the run introduce a Nismo model that be in the 50-60k range. The Nismo model needs to be a comprehensive power/suspension/aesthetic package that can give the more expensive cars (c8, supra, performance variants of other domestics & europeans) a run for their money.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

I fear they're going to have both Q50/60 power trains... base with 300hp and sport with 400hp.

Much, much, MUCH rather they use the 400hp engine only, but seriously doubt it.

Joyryde

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I'm on the same boat with you on cars. I prefer older cars since the newer ones started becoming too complex for me. I was just talking to a friend over the phone the other day, and he was commenting that he would not want to replace his 2008 Tundra with anything newer, mainly because that truck is already complex. I don't need a flappy paddle double clutch gearbox, I don't need a screen sticking out in the middle of my dashboard, I don't need any electronic nannies to tell me how to drive, and I certainly don't need an electric power steering that feels disengaged. I was also looking at that 90s Jeep Cherokees last year to take off roading and restore. Beautiful machine, the old Cherokee.

So, I saw a Ferrari 812 this morning drive by me. My first time seeing this thing too, since I recall Ferrari hyping this up back in 2017. I've got to say, it looked pretty atrocious. And I'm not the jealous type of person to hate on someone's car because it is expensive, in fact I'm the opposite and always complement them if they look nice. This thing was all black, with dealer plates, and it was probably the first time I thought a Ferrari looked ugly. Looks like the older F12 a bit, but with more Corvette and LC500 mixed into it. Would I want to drive one of those? Yes. Would I own one? No, wouldn't want to be seen in something that ugly plus the nannies have ruined the Ferrari's pleasurable driving ever since the release of the 458 Italia back in 2010 and resulted in the driving experience becoming very boring. A rule of thumb I noticed from Ferrari owners is that anything pre-458 is amazing, while anything post-458 is fast (beautiful too, for some eyes), but very bland to drive ever since they added electric power steering, nannies, etc from what I've been told by owners of both.

Question for you all though. If you had to choose between Ferrari or Lamborghini, which would you choose and which model if price was not the issue? I would choose the Ferrari F40 since it was the last car Enzo Ferrari got to see himself, plus the whole driving experience seems more geared towards my personality. I would drive that thing everyday, and would take it to the race track courses.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

Sorry to hear that your marriage is not what you want financially. That's a bummer. I am married as well and I spend whatever I want on cars because I am good with money and don't waste it on stupid stuff. Maybe you do to, but something is out of wack there if you doubled your salary and are worried about affording a Miata. If money is the issue, just wait a few years to pick one up used for roughly half the price. Used Miatas usually have very low mileage and are well taken care of because they are usually a 3rd, 4th, or 5th+ car.

There is definitely an opportunity for the new Z car to be really good. I hope they pull it off. I know what you mean about the Blackwing. I would actually be more interested in the CT4-V because it will be lighter, smaller, and probably handle better than the CT5-V. Not that there would be a huge difference in price between those two new, but I would do like you and buy one slightly used at half the cost. No need to waste that much money in depreciation. Expensive luxury cars seem to take the biggest hits in value and therefore be the biggest value on the used car market.

I knew I forgot to include something above about the new Z. They are targeting a base price around $40k to undercut the Supra. Nismo is also planning a version, but the rumor is that the performance of the Nismo model will be a bigger step up due to easy gains with a turbo car compared to N/A. A long time ago there were rumors of a 500 hp hybrid model, but I have not heard anything about that in quite a long time.

I agree with you to a point on the styling of new Ferraris as they all look so similar to each other that they are difficult to tell apart sometimes. I'm all for an analog driving experience with a stick shift too, but seriously Joyryde, you need to get off your soap box about any type of new technology in cars being awful. It's getting really old. My boss has had a number of Ferraris post-458. I have been fortunate enough to drive them and they are anything but "bland to drive." Ferraris don't have nannies. They have F1 inspired stability control systems with limits so far beyond the worthless VDC system in our car that it is not even worth comparing the two. The steering and handling in our cars is good, but to compare it to any new Ferrari is like comparing a Pontiac to a brand new Porsche 911. Not even in the same universe.

If I had to choose between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari it would be the Ferrari 288 GTO. The F40 is a good car, but it seems to be everyone's favorite. The 288 GTO was the second Ferrari to be named "GTO" because it was produced for an actual race series- the insane Group B rally cars that got cancelled because they were deemed to fast and dangerous. Another car that was designed for that series, but never got to race was the Porsche 959- just to give you an idea of how ahead of their time these cars were. The F40 looks like a race car, but the 288 GTO is an actual race car and I would argue it has a much more organic and beautiful style. You would normally think it is just a really beautiful classic Ferrari, but underneath the skin it is all race car. A lot of people don't know this, but the F40 actually uses the same engine as the 288 GTO. The GTO is just a lot more rare than an F40. A wealthy local car nut had a 288 GTO and it was even more amazing in person than in pictures. I didn't think that would be possible because I think it would be very difficult to take a bad picture of this car.

Joyryde

iTrader: (1)

Good to see another Ferrari aficionado on here. I honestly preferred the F430 and 360 driving feel more than any of the newer ones. In general, the Schumacher development era had all the amazing models. Yeah, yeah I know about the F1 technology: KERS, e-diff, etc, but it still has nannies at the end of the day, period. F1 tech is for marketing, as I doubt any owner actually uses it to the full potential like the mechanical Ferrari descendants, since the new ones end up sitting pretty at cars and coffee or at a rapper's garage. I know I go on about electronics, and it can be a double sword as well since new technology can be incorporated into older cars like prochargers and turbochargers, but trust me as I used to think the same that more new tech in newer was better until I had to repair that stuff or when it failed on me. Never again. I’m sticking with old cars. The G37 is my limit, but lately I have been annoyed by the constantly lit screen, even when I turn it "off." There's a limit as to how much I want tech, and I'd say early 2000s was that limit since they had what I can handle. The tech masks a driver's real skill, and I don't want a computer telling me how to drive.

Very good choice. Although, you are almost correct with the same engine statement. You see, they have different head gaskets due to turbos and the 288's engine (F114B) has an 80 mm bore and a 71 mm stroke. While the F40's (renamed F120A, but shared the same architecture either way) had an 81.9 mm bore and 69.5 mm stroke. Either way, they still shared the same structure all the way to the 360 (which had an 85 mm bore and 89 mm stroke) from what I've researched long ago. The F40 has gained too much popularity in recent years, I agree, and its mainly due to mainstream exposure (Gas Monkey, videogames, youtube) Before choosing the F40 as one I'd want as a dream, I was torn between deciding the F40 or the Enzo. They're both awesome machines, but I'd end up with the F40 mainly because it has a 5 speed manual transmission (save the manuals ) as opposed to the Enzo's automatic. We can throw in the Maserati MC12 as it and the Enzo are basically the same car, with the MC12 having a detuned engine, steel brakes, and a bit more down-force. But I bet the average buyer wouldn't notice any feeling.

You mentioned Porsche and it brought a flashback of an old friend's Porsche 996 I got to drive, in manual. That car gets so much crap for the headlights, but it's one of my favorites. I still have a photo of me sitting in that car in my photo book. I remember he spent $10,000 dollars for a set of rims, and his wife was about to kill him because of it The 997s are probably the last good generation in my book, as the new ones look generic and they don't have the curves like the 997, and because the new ones have a butt-load of electronics that I do not like. My previous neighbor had a bright red 80s Carrera Turbo with the whale tail. My oh my, that car looked gorgeous. I always inspected it whenever I walked past it.

A little bit of Ferrari candy for your eyes. Still gives me goosebumps to this day, even when looking at online pictures.

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

A relatively undisguised MK8 Golf R was spotted lapping the Nurburgring

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...burgring-tests

Still speculating there will not be a MT. Pretty serious looking seats if you peer through the windshield.