Infiniti G35 Sedan / Coupe and Nissan 350Z

[Arkaign]

A certain forum member posted this in another thread :

"drawing a parallel between the G35 Sedan and the 350Z is ridiculous. If that's what they're doing, then yes, I disagree with them and I'm calling them ridiculous."

To avoid de-railing that entirely, and to focus on what I think is an interesting subject, I am posting this new thread.

My thoughts :

Edmunds (and many other sites) have noted the great performance of the G series Coupe and Sedan, noting the Z-car heritage and spec/performance overlap of the vehicles, even the price is in a reasonably close range. Considering that the motor, drivetrain, and track performance is so close, I have a hard time agreeing with someone who thinks that drawing a parallel between them is 'ridiculous'. In fact, I find the idea that someone could NOT find a parallel between these excellent cars ridiculous in itself.

Let me go back a couple of years to make a point. And I'll include 2008 specs as well.

2005 G35 Sedan (I'll compare auto to auto or manual to manual) For simplicity I'll start w/autos.

Weight : 3512lbs
Length : 186.5"
Height : 57.7"
Width : 69"
HP : 298HP
TQ : 260FP
DT : RWD
0-60 : 6.1 Seconds
1/4 : 14.3 @ 101MPH

2005 350Z Coupe

Weight : 3217lbs
Length : 169.6"
Height : 51.9"
Width : 71.5"
HP : 287HP
TQ : 274FP
DT : RWD
0-60 : 6.0 Seconds
1/4 : 14.59 @ 99.3MPH (odd, I think the car can do better)

Comparing the 6MT to the Manual-transmission 350Z is more difficult, as different sites have vastly different performance numbers for both vehicles. Safe to say, though, that 5.4-5.9 is the normal range for both vehicles.

To be fair, I'm focusing on the G35 Sedan vs. the 350Z here, as the G coupe is definitely more than an equal to the 350Z in any meaningful way. I can see the viewpoint that the 350Z is more of a 'sports car', and the G35 sedan is a 'luxury sport sedan'. What I have to insist, though, is that there are so many similarities and shared parts that it's impossible to deny them outright.

And finally : The 350Z faring only mediocre in the sports-car world (5+ second 0-60, started @ 260Hp, etc) put it in firing range of the better luxury sports sedans and coupes. The fact is that 0-60 of 5.5-6.0 is very nice for a $30-35k luxury sedan, but at the same time, disappointing for a $30k sports car. Look at the GTO demolish the Z in almost everything for a good example of that. Also wait until Ford starts getting more serious with the Mustang (to coincide with the renewed Camaro), as you'll probably see mid/high 4-second 0-60 runs from the better Mustang/Camaro models.

Thoughts/Observations/Etc? I love AT Garage, Btw Where's Zemnervolt when you need him

EDIT : Added 1/4 times.

 

[Hyperlite]

its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine.

I can respect that, and acknowledge that they are different classes of cars. I do think the overlapping motors/performance characteristics make a respectable basis for comparison, however. I also would wager that a LOT of people who wanted a 350z but couldn't swing it (baby, family needs, etc) jumped on the G35 Sedan, as it's as close as you'll get without breaking the bank, and you get luxury to boot

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine.

I can respect that, and acknowledge that they are different classes of cars. I do think the overlapping motors/performance characteristics make a respectable basis for comparison, however. I also would wager that a LOT of people who wanted a 350z but couldn't swing it (baby, family needs, etc) jumped on the G35 Sedan, as it's as close as you'll get without breaking the bank, and you get luxury to boot

well of course, it depends on so, so many other things. Right, their performance is comparable. Their price may also be comparable, if you have a decked out Z. beyond that...

edit: but once the 370Z hits the market, all bets are off. and i'm hoping the 2011 completely redesigned Z lands about the time i graduate and am ready to buy a car

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine.

I can respect that, and acknowledge that they are different classes of cars. I do think the overlapping motors/performance characteristics make a respectable basis for comparison, however. I also would wager that a LOT of people who wanted a 350z but couldn't swing it (baby, family needs, etc) jumped on the G35 Sedan, as it's as close as you'll get without breaking the bank, and you get luxury to boot

well of course, it depends on so, so many other things. Right, their performance is comparable. Their price may also be comparable, if you have a decked out Z. beyond that...

edit: but once the 370Z hits the market, all bets are off. and i'm hoping the 2011 completely redesigned Z lands about the time i graduate and am ready to buy a car

That should be awesome. Have you seen the tests of the G37 coupe? HOT!

What I'd really like would be a factory turbo 350ZX or in a perfect world, a sub-$40k tuned 5.6L 560ZX Torque, baby! I think the time is right for a V8 ZX!

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

That's a true observation, as to get 500hp you'll need a heavy-duty Turbo+Intercooler, or SC. Nitrous is dumb for an engine as sensitive as the VQ35.

It's just as cheap (or expensive, as it were) to make a 500hp G35 as it is a 350Z.

It's much cheaper to make a 500hp SRT-4, of course, at the end of the day it's still a Neon (no offense intended Zero)

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

That's a true observation, as to get 500hp you'll need a heavy-duty Turbo+Intercooler, or SC. Nitrous is dumb for an engine as sensitive as the VQ35.

It's just as cheap (or expensive, as it were) to make a 500hp G35 as it is a 350Z.

It's much cheaper to make a 500hp SRT-4, of course, at the end of the day it's still a Neon (no offense intended Zero)

oh i love SRT-4's, but a 500hp fwd would be...well, difficult. not to achieve, to control. then again, i don't know if i have ever seen a 500hp srt-4...i'm not sure how much more than engine will give up. like i said though, you can only handle so much more in that car.


Cmon, a V8 in a Z would be blasphemy. i hope the engine size never exceeds 3.7-3.8 liters. now, give me a 4 liter V8 with a 10k redline, then we're talking. on the topic of naming, i heard that they may just start calling it the Z coupe so they don't have to change the name every time a new engine is introduced. anyone know the redline of the VQ37?

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

That's a true observation, as to get 500hp you'll need a heavy-duty Turbo+Intercooler, or SC. Nitrous is dumb for an engine as sensitive as the VQ35.

It's just as cheap (or expensive, as it were) to make a 500hp G35 as it is a 350Z.

It's much cheaper to make a 500hp SRT-4, of course, at the end of the day it's still a Neon (no offense intended Zero)

oh i love SRT-4's, but a 500hp fwd would be...well, difficult. not to achieve, to control. then again, i don't know if i have ever seen a 500hp srt-4...i'm not sure how much more than engine will give up. like i said though, you can only handle so much more in that car.


Cmon, a V8 in a Z would be blasphemy. i hope the engine size never exceeds 3.7-3.8 liters. now, give me a 4 liter V8 with a 10k redline, then we're talking. on the topic of naming, i heard that they may just start calling it the Z coupe so they don't have to change the name every time a new engine is introduced.

I've heard it's possible to make an AWD SRT-4, haven't looked into it though. The SRT-4 motor is really good, and many people have easily hit 350-400hp with relatively minor tuning. 500hp is probably near the upper limit with a totally rebuilt top end, but within the realm of possibility.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

That's a true observation, as to get 500hp you'll need a heavy-duty Turbo+Intercooler, or SC. Nitrous is dumb for an engine as sensitive as the VQ35.

It's just as cheap (or expensive, as it were) to make a 500hp G35 as it is a 350Z.

It's much cheaper to make a 500hp SRT-4, of course, at the end of the day it's still a Neon (no offense intended Zero)

oh i love SRT-4's, but a 500hp fwd would be...well, difficult. not to achieve, to control. then again, i don't know if i have ever seen a 500hp srt-4...i'm not sure how much more than engine will give up. like i said though, you can only handle so much more in that car.


Cmon, a V8 in a Z would be blasphemy. i hope the engine size never exceeds 3.7-3.8 liters. now, give me a 4 liter V8 with a 10k redline, then we're talking. on the topic of naming, i heard that they may just start calling it the Z coupe so they don't have to change the name every time a new engine is introduced.

A V8 in a ZX would be glorious. The 5.6 doesn't weigh anymore than a V6+Turbo setup would, and would have a lot more torque. The engine size has gone up and down for the Z cars over the years, so I don't think a decent V8 should be out of the question. And if you look at how the ZX used to beat up on the Vettes (stock vs. stock of course), it's even more depressing to see how slow the modern 350Z is. I mean, 6-second 0-60 times? 1/4 trap speeds at UNDER 100mph? That's horrible for a modern sports car.

Turbo or V8 or a tuned 350hp V6, we really need a ZX model. It would do wonders for Nissan's prestige and Z sales in general. I doubt Ford would sell half as many mustangs if all that existed was the anemic V6 model. Of course, they sell tons of them, but it's mainly due to the fact that Ford hasn't let the Mustang lose it's prestige against it's relative competitors (GT vs. Z28, etc) over the years. Image is important too! Just the fact that a 400hp/tq ZX existed would boost the image of the 3.5 model.

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Hyperlite

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
its not that its "ridiculous," its that there is no point. The G35 Sedan and the 350z, despite sharing a lot of parts, are in two completely different categories. No, the Z is not comparitively fast. I love it because of its styling, refinement, and ability to easily make it into a 500hp monster. the VQ35 is an undeniably awesome engine. That said, you have a lot more to consider than speed in a stright line. Once again, i fail to see the point of your comparison.

If you're willing to spend a pretty penny sure it's easy

That's a true observation, as to get 500hp you'll need a heavy-duty Turbo+Intercooler, or SC. Nitrous is dumb for an engine as sensitive as the VQ35.

It's just as cheap (or expensive, as it were) to make a 500hp G35 as it is a 350Z.

It's much cheaper to make a 500hp SRT-4, of course, at the end of the day it's still a Neon (no offense intended Zero)

oh i love SRT-4's, but a 500hp fwd would be...well, difficult. not to achieve, to control. then again, i don't know if i have ever seen a 500hp srt-4...i'm not sure how much more than engine will give up. like i said though, you can only handle so much more in that car.


Cmon, a V8 in a Z would be blasphemy. i hope the engine size never exceeds 3.7-3.8 liters. now, give me a 4 liter V8 with a 10k redline, then we're talking. on the topic of naming, i heard that they may just start calling it the Z coupe so they don't have to change the name every time a new engine is introduced.

A V8 in a ZX would be glorious. The 5.6 doesn't weigh anymore than a V6+Turbo setup would, and would have a lot more torque. The engine size has gone up and down for the Z cars over the years, so I don't think a decent V8 should be out of the question. And if you look at how the ZX used to beat up on the Vettes (stock vs. stock of course), it's even more depressing to see how slow the modern 350Z is. I mean, 6-second 0-60 times? 1/4 trap speeds at UNDER 100mph? That's horrible for a modern sports car.

Turbo or V8 or a tuned 350hp V6, we really need a ZX model. It would do wonders for Nissan's prestige and Z sales in general. I doubt Ford would sell half as many mustangs if all that existed was the anemic V6 model. Of course, they sell tons of them, but it's mainly due to the fact that Ford hasn't let the Mustang lose it's prestige against it's relative competitors (GT vs. Z28, etc) over the years. Image is important too! Just the fact that a 400hp/tq ZX existed would boost the image of the 3.5 model.

perhaps, but the V6 mustang would never exist on its own. Ford expanded the model line down. a Z with those numbers would be at least 40k, and no longer compete in that segment.

 

[Arkaign]

Well, that may be so, but Titans (w/5.6L) are only $25k-$30k. I think an aggressively priced 560ZX would sell like hotcakes. Maybe shoot for $36k.

Also, the cheaper 350z would still be available to compete in the mainstream sport segment.

 

[ponyo]

Nissan is releasing ZX model. It's called Skyline GT-R.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Naustica
Nissan is releasing ZX model. It's called Skyline GT-R.

I wish they kept the skyline moniker, but unfortunately, it's just the GT-R .

 

[railer]

the morons over at maxima.org say the same thing about the maxima...."it's like a 4 door z!!!". Well, no it isn't. Or, to put it diffferently, only a moron compares a 4 door luxury car to a 2 door sports car. I makes no difference that they have the same motor. Ford used to put the 5L in their crown vic and Mustang GT. I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

They're both good cars. Just different. Now drop it.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: railer
I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

just to add, didn't (don't) a certain year of siennas have the same engine as the is350?

on topic, i say f the z, g all the way. i don't see anything the z does better than the g. performance is similar. i like the engine noise of the g more (subjective). $5k more gets you better resale value, more practicality, more luxury, more standard options, and a better looking car (again, subjective). i've driven both, same day, both manual. i enjoyed the ride of the coupe g35 significantly more than that of the 350z.

the 2 cars may be similar in many ways, as you've stated already. but think about it, do you think someone looking at the g35 is going to be interested in the 350z? especially if the g35 is a sedan? i really just see the 350z as the modern day boy asian ricer car.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: railer
I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

just to add, didn't (don't) a certain year of siennas have the same engine as the is350?

on topic, i say f the z, g all the way. i don't see anything the z does better than the g. performance is similar. i like the engine noise of the g more (subjective). $5k more gets you better resale value, more practicality, more luxury, more standard options, and a better looking car (again, subjective). i've driven both, same day, both manual. i enjoyed the ride of the coupe g35 significantly more than that of the 350z.

the 2 cars may be similar in many ways, as you've stated already. but think about it, do you think someone looking at the g35 is going to be interested in the 350z? especially if the g35 is a sedan? i really just see the 350z as the modern day boy asian ricer car.

I think it actually probably works like that in reverse quite often. Guy finally has enough money to buy car he always wanted, say a nice Japanese sports car. Guy has wife and infant. Guy's wife would strangle him alive if he brought home a 2 door coupe. Guy buys nimble sedan with same motor/tranny/etc, and smiles all the way.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: railer
the morons over at maxima.org say the same thing about the maxima...."it's like a 4 door z!!!". Well, no it isn't. Or, to put it diffferently, only a moron compares a 4 door luxury car to a 2 door sports car. I makes no difference that they have the same motor. Ford used to put the 5L in their crown vic and Mustang GT. I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

They're both good cars. Just different. Now drop it.

The Crown Vic is MUCH MUCH heavier than a Mustang GT, and also didn't come with a tight 5-speed like the Stang, so yeah, that's a dumb comparison. The Maxima/G35 Sedan/G35 Coupe/350Z are all available with ~300hp motors, 6-speed manuals, and they put similar numbers down at the track. So if you make these valid observations, you're not a 'moron', k thanx.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: railer
the morons over at maxima.org say the same thing about the maxima...."it's like a 4 door z!!!". Well, no it isn't. Or, to put it diffferently, only a moron compares a 4 door luxury car to a 2 door sports car. I makes no difference that they have the same motor. Ford used to put the 5L in their crown vic and Mustang GT. I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

They're both good cars. Just different. Now drop it.

Maxima = FWD, Z = RWD.

G35 = RWD, Z = RWD.

There's more similarities here, bud.

EDIT: G35 also comes in AWD, but that's ignored for this.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: railer
the morons over at maxima.org say the same thing about the maxima...."it's like a 4 door z!!!". Well, no it isn't. Or, to put it diffferently, only a moron compares a 4 door luxury car to a 2 door sports car. I makes no difference that they have the same motor. Ford used to put the 5L in their crown vic and Mustang GT. I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

They're both good cars. Just different. Now drop it.

Maxima = FWD, Z = RWD.

G35 = RWD, Z = RWD.

There's more similarities here, bud.

EDIT: G35 also comes in AWD, but that's ignored for this.

yea only the sedan comes in AWD not the coupe

 

[railer]

one's a sports car and one's a luxo sedan. they're different platforms, and have completely different target markets. what are you going to compare next, a chevy silverado with a cadillac cts? "It's like a caddy...with space for your lawn mower!"

the maxima has a ton more in common with the g35 sedan, than either do with the 350z, fwd vs rwd notwithstanding.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: railer
one's a sports car and one's a luxo sedan. they're different platforms, and have completely different target markets. what are you going to compare next, a chevy silverado with a cadillac cts? "It's like a caddy...with space for your lawn mower!"

the maxima has a ton more in common with the g35 sedan, than either do with the 350z, fwd vs rwd notwithstanding.

I get your side of the situation, but the performance profiles and target markets are actually a lot more similar than you'd like to admit. I'm sure many potential 350Z sales are lost to the G35, as you get the same performance and more amenities and practicality.

Your other comparisons are strawman bullcrap, and not worth discrediting.

 

[alimoalem]

arkaign, i don't think i found one post that fully agreed with you. go to yahoo or google and type in "350z vs" and "g35 vs". see what cars come up. see if anything on the first page has either car compared to the same car (e.g. see if 350z is compared to a 3-series or if a g35 is compared to an rx-8). i don't see them marketed to the same people either.

btw about my previous post, if i'm looking for a sports luxury car, i'll look at what, the infiniti g35, bmw 3-series, and lexus is3xx right? maybe a couple other cars? never would a 350z cross my mind.

 

[railer]

It has nothing to do with what I'd like to admit....why would I care?

You just don't compare sports cars to luxo sedans. Normal people don't anyway.

As everyone has said, they're both great cars. Just stop all the "4 door z" nonsense.

Get what you want, and stop trying to convince us all even tho you got the same car that my grandfather has, you're somehow cool because it's actually a "4 door z". It isn't, and everyone knows that. What's next, school buses vs Land Rovers? "It's like a Land Rover, with room for fifty!"

And I'm sure about ZERO 350z sales are lost to the G35 sedan, because while they use the same motor (like 100's of other vehicles), they are each marketed to completely different people.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: railer
I don't recall anyone ever saying "the crown vic is like a Mustang GT...with four doors!" I think you can get the Quest with the VQ too. "it's like a z....for soccer moms!" Dumb comparison.

just to add, didn't (don't) a certain year of siennas have the same engine as the is350?

on topic, i say f the z, g all the way. i don't see anything the z does better than the g. performance is similar. i like the engine noise of the g more (subjective). $5k more gets you better resale value, more practicality, more luxury, more standard options, and a better looking car (again, subjective). i've driven both, same day, both manual. i enjoyed the ride of the coupe g35 significantly more than that of the 350z.

the 2 cars may be similar in many ways, as you've stated already. but think about it, do you think someone looking at the g35 is going to be interested in the 350z? especially if the g35 is a sedan? i really just see the 350z as the modern day boy asian ricer car.

I think it actually probably works like that in reverse quite often. Guy finally has enough money to buy car he always wanted, say a nice Japanese sports car. Guy has wife and infant. Guy's wife would strangle him alive if he brought home a 2 door coupe. Guy buys nimble sedan with same motor/tranny/etc, and smiles all the way.

i still don't see how this has to do with what i wrote. why don't you reread what i wrote? guy's a college grad and has been working for some time. he finally has enough money to be in the market for a sports luxury car. generally at that point in his life, he either has a small family or will in the near future. what does he look at? a g35 or a 350z? does he think of a 350z? only as seriously as a he does a z06.