Nissan 370Z 2011 News

In a stronger push for sales before the close of the 2013 books, Nissan has sliced the price tags of the 370Z range, and is offering driveaway pricing on the entry level six-speed manual Coupe until December 31. The price movement means the formerly $69,890 Coupe is $12,960 cheaper at $56,930 and can be driven away for $59,990 until the end of the year.  The seven-speed auto Coupe also drops $12,960 from $72,890 to $59,930. The Roadsters models each slice $10,960, with the manual dropping from $76,890 to $65,930 and the auto from $79,890 to $68,930. To date, Nissan has sold 290 370Zs for 2013, compared to 372 last year – with the sports hero Toyota 86 moving 5892 in that time.  "We certainly hope it will invigorate sales," Nissan Australia spokesman Chris Jordan says. "We're confident in the product and now we're confident the adjusted pricing will let more sports car fans consider the 370Z. It's about opening the car up to a larger slice of the market." The 370Z is powered by a 3.7-litre, double overhead cam V6 petrol engine developing 245kW of power and 363Nm of torque. Standard features include 19-inch alloy wheels, leather trim, climate-control airconditioning,  satellite navigation and a 9.3GB hard disk with a Bose sound system. Nissan 370Z range 370Z Coupe (Manual): from $56,930 (-$12,960) $59,990 driveaway 370Z Coupe (Auto): from $59,930 (-$12,960) 370Z Roadster (Manual): from $65,930 (-$10,960) 370Z Roadster (Auto): from $68,930 (-$10,960) This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

...in all its glory.

It is not aiming for first overall, but believes it can overtake Mazda, Hyundai and Mitsubishi to become the country's favourite all- import brand. Nissan is already doing better with everything from the supercar GT-R to the Maxima, 370Z and Murano, and believes the next-generation Tiida - which could revert to the Pulsar name when it lands in 2011 - will push it to the top. "Our market apsiration is to be the number one full importer in this company. That's the objective for 2012," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia. "Where we sit now is number two or number three. Mazda is now clearly the number one . . . in recent times Hyundai has joined the party so we have three players vying for that spot. We want to leapfrog Mazda by 2012, with two years of brand building and the next generation of cars." It sounds like a big call, and it will not be easy, but Thompson believes Nissan will have the vehicles to get the numbers for position one. "This business isn't rocket science. You have the right products ... and the rest ... and you have market success," he says. Thompson says the next piece of the product puzzle, following the front-wheel drive Dualis price fighter revealed last week, is the Z Roadster. "It's all falling into place. The results are being delivered just as we had planned," he says. "The goal is to be sitting at six per cent. We were at 5.9 last year." It won't dramatically change in fiscal 2010 until the core volume volume models - that's the new Micra and Tiida - arrive." Nissan has tagged its plan as GT2012, but it's not just about numbers. "G is for growth and T is for trust," Thompson says. "The GT-R is a fantastic story. It's not about volume, it's about branding. We sold 300 cars but we had 20,000 visitors to our site each week to check out the car. "Murano, Maxima, Z and GT-R have far exceeded our planning. The Dualis is the fifth piece." He says the biggest problem for Nissan in 2009 is getting sufficient stock of its biggest sellers, including the Navara. "We're restrained by limitations on stock. Even outside of that the big challenge for all of us is what is the natural level of demand."

Those familiar with the venerable 240Z from the 1970s will see some of its classic design cues in the 370Z.The newcomer boasts a sleek aerodynamic shape with a dramatic cantilevered roof — shared with the GT-R — and a road-hugging profile.The bigger-engined 370Z replaces the 360Z, which established itself as a favourite with enthusiasts.The 370Z’s sleek silhouette is defined by its upswept rear-quarter window design, echoed in the upward curve of the sheet metal around the rear wheels that gives the car a moulded look.Nissan designers have paid attention to the car’s detailing and functionality.The turn indicator has been integrated into the Z logo mounted between the front wheel and door, while both the front and rear light clusters curve into the bodywork. Quality is up and the cabin has a luxury-car feel.The new Z’s wheelbase is 100mm shorter than the previous generation Z (a more compact 2550mm instead of 2650mm).The car’s overall length has been shortened by 70mm too, from 4320mm to 4250mm.At the same time, the overall width has increased by 33mm and the rear track by 55mm, bringing a purposeful look.The use of lightweight materials, as well as a more compact approach to the exterior dimensions have reduced weight, which in turn helps performance and dynamics.Nissan engineers have also delivered a much stronger body, with extensive reinforcement to improve rigidity.Joining the 370Z will be the refreshed Maxima, new Murano V6 off-roader and heart-stopping GT-R performance coupe.Even with a price tag starting at $148,800, Nissan Australia has had no problems finding GT-R buyers.Nissan will also showcase its Micra, X-Trail, Navara and Dualis at the show. The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show... 

Everything from the Mitsubishi i MiEV electric city car to the super- luxury BMW 7 Series is locked and loaded for the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from February 27, but extra contenders are continuing to emerge and the organisers are still not sure of the final line-up.The Mazda3 MPS is a secret-but-set star for the show, Subaru will have an electric contender and the all-new Nissan 370Z was confirmed earlier this week."I think it's going to be an interesting mix. But we still have no idea what Ford and Holden will be doing," show organiser, Russ Tyrie of the VACC, says."We are still waiting on Fishermans Bend and Broadmeadows. As usual, they are keeping things very close to their chest."The locals have managed to spring something special in the past so we're expecting a surprise from them. We just don't know what it will be."The third Australian brand, Toyota, has already shown its hand with a giant three-storey stand which will be the first for the brand.But the show will also be a last - at least as it has run for more than 70 years.A single Australian International Motor Show will be run from 2010, starting in Sydney, which means there will not be another major motoring event at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre until 2011.Details of the joint-venture show project, which joins the VACC with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, are still being finalised and Tyrie admits he is more focussed on February 27 than anything in 2010 or beyond."We are very excited at the prospect of being able to stage a truly international show in 2011 in Melbourne. But that's in the future," he says."We have 35 exhibitors this year. And it's a sell-out for stand space."Obviously there is an emphasis on technology this year. That can be in electric cars, or hybrids, or diesel, or even design and lower weight and alternative energy systems."We're starting to see the future of the motor industry being revealed. So this will be an import show. That's why we've chose 'Revolution-Evolution' as the theme for the show this year.Apart from the major brands, Tyrie is rounding up a range of special exhibits that will include the Carver three-wheel vehicle, a Cobra replica built in Melbourne by George Viduvic and his new line of motorcycles."They are called Sucker Punch Sally motorcycles. They are a retro fifties design. I reckon they could be a hit," Tyrie says. 

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M

What should have been the main attraction in the car world was reduced to a sideshow as the heads of America's Big Three sat down in Detroit on the same day to beg for the billions they need to stay in business.There was plenty of shiny new stuff but all the talk was doom and gloom, even from car chiefs who do not have the same live-or-die pressures as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler."I think it is fair to say this is the worst we have seen," the head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker, Carlos Ghosn of the Nissan- Renault alliance, says as he delivers the keynote speech at the opening of LA '08."And we are not certain. Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?", Ghosn says of the critical cash crisis which is affecting nearly everyone in the car world.Still, there is plenty of new stuff and news on the strangely subdued stands in downtown LA.The latest Ford Mustang, for a start.And then the world debut of the latest Mazda3 and Lexus RX, the great looking new Nissan 370Z, the updated Porsche Cayman and Boxster, and even a droptop Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4.It's no surprise, either, that some of the special impact in LA is reserved for cars which are chasing the elusive path to a future beyond petrol that satisfies American lawmakers' deepening desire for transport without emissions.The Mini E is the obvious champion, but LA also has the electric Mitsubishi i-MIEV which is likely to become Australia's first plug-and- go volt car, and all sorts of new-and-old battery-powered concept cars from the Big Three and a growing number of hybrid production cars including the Mondeo-sized Ford Fusion.As well as the radical looking Honda FC Sport Concept, which was done to prove that a hydrogen-powered future car does not have to look as boring or family as the company's upcoming Insight or the benchmark Toyota Prius.The show is a mis-hit for General Motors, which canned its concepts and parties, although Ford stays totally committed with a Mustang which makes the running for an event which typically draws around one million visitors in a city which is the car capital of the USA and, by extension, the world."I think there is a mixed emotion at the show," says J Mays (SUBS: CORRECT), the design director of Ford Motor Company."You still have to try and tug hard enough on the heart strings that people forget about the purse strings. It's a yin-and-yang situation."Looking over at his Mustang, and across to the Honda FC, Mays expresses what many people are thinking. Even at a time when it is more politically correct to attack the car chiefs, and their private- jet flights to Washington, than to talk about a show which takes another important step towards the world beyond petrol."Automobiles are escapism. It's not just transport," says Mays."People ask if it's appropriate to launch the Mustang at his time. Damn right it is. It puts a smile on your face and enhances your quality of life."That is definitely true of the Mustang, which still looks muscular and fresh despite a chassis which trails well behind the Ford Falcon, and the open-air Gallardo and even the second-generation Nissan Cube, which could just make it to Australia one day.And the 370Z looks tauter than today's 350, with the promise of more go and much better cabin quality, and the Mazda3 is fresh and happy.The Mini E looks just like the regular petrol-power car but is a milestone car which has the power and range to win people to electric."It's an important time in the history of the global car industry," says Carlos Ghosn.He worries about the impact of the global recession, and the money pressures on carmakers trying to evolve faster than ever before, and the challenges of safety and emission regulations.But, just like the cars on the LA Show stands, and the regular car people who flood in once the doors are open, he is bottom-line upbeat and bright."The one thing that is certain, absolutely certain, is that people will continue driving cars. Cars have no substitute. We have convergence on the issues, but divergence on the solutions," Ghosn says.And that is pretty much the way things looked in LA.