For the most part I agree. I'd guess I would need to see the demographical data of the G buyers & leasees. True there are some that would want more performance than the current G even if gas were 5.00 or higher. But I would bet that the many who purchased the car for "image" would consider a 32 mpg TSX if gas were 5.00 or more. Most of the Mustangs you see on the street are the 6cyl not the GT. There will always be a percentage of the public willing to pay for the last nuance of performance. Alienware computers (now owned by Dell) is a perfect example of this. If competitive gaming is your thing they a $4000 notebook for you. Most people (even computer enthusists) are probably NOT posting from the most expensive gaming rigs. Most people want a PC that is reliable (so much for windows), surfs the web, handles email, etc and trade some bleeding edge performance for price and value. Vehicles are essentially the same only a bigger ticket. Infiniti, which targets the upscale performance buyer, cannot achive financial sucess by catering to one facet of it's base Eg. the extreme performance buyer, the guy who want a $5000 sound system in the car, the person who wants 20" wheels and track suspension, etc. They will probably produce a vehicle that will target the "norm" of thier buying public, meaning more performance than the image buyer would require and less performance than the performance enthusiaist would like.

Also, take into account the federal mileage changes and one can't be sure what will happan. It would be alot easier for them to try to get 24 - 25 mpg out of a G than out of a M. My Acura TL (2004) routinely got 24 - 25 mpg, my G, 22 mpg.

Nissan may not want to shun the performance community, but even more than that they probably do not want to limit thier appeal to a "handful" of buyers who care all about performance and little about the financial consequenses of achieving the next 10 hp.

 

"handfull"?.... I think you are missing the point of my posts. If you look at what is happening in the auto industry there are MANY people who want performance.

Bottom line is - if you can’t afford the gas - buy and economy car. The end. The performance cars will continue to have a strong client base.

Not trying to argue, it's just that the idea that performance vehicles have a limited buying base isn’t true IMO. BTW, where I live there are MANY 8 cyl Mustangs. and a bunch of Chargers, and a bunch Vetts, Chrysler 300, etc, etc... I just don't agree with your implication that better fuel economy cars are the direction that the market is going and that performance purchasers are few. All manufacturers are producing both fuel economy and performance based cars. The price of fuel is not going to sway the performance enthusiasts (that are grater in number than you are indicating).

 

I agree

Everyone i know or talked to who bought their G35 was for the 1) Looks, and 2) Performance, Performance, Performance.

I look at all factors, and the G35 has all of them for me.

I think it looks great, in and out, I love the potential performance, high HP, I like that i HOPE like the 06, get the most for the least amount of money compared to the others. I like the mythos, or image that the G brings. I like the upgrades that they've added. I don't like the old mpg of the old, but with all the other likes, i'd be willing to eat that.

 

i dont see the point of the gas discussion

obviously, if you're concerned with the mpgs you wont buy a g35 plain and simple.

and just as obviously, the market for performance cars isnt going anywhere- we're in the middle of a horsepower war if you werent aware.

infiniti will keep doing their thing making refined sporty cars, as will its compeitors.

 

On the other hand, the G35 isn't a true sports car. Nothing under $40K is. People buy the G35 because of the balance between sport, luxury, and value. It's marketed to the daily driver as Infiniti's production numbers suggest. We're also talking about a V6, not a V8. NISMO certainly could opt to tune the VQ engine for more MPG as opposed to horsepower, but they opt not to. People have the right to complain about fuel economy in the crowded $35K sport sedan segment. If gas prices continue to climb towards $5-6/gallon, that's going to (NO QUESTION) reduce the popularity of these vehicles. The truly wealthy will have no problem affording fuel at any price, but the drivers of $35K cars are still common folk who will think twice if it costs $100 to fill up their car for their commute to and from work. That's a fact.

I keep hearing people on message boards shrugging off rising fuel costs, and my response to them is.....We'll see.

 

[QUOTE=tekknikal]we're in the middle of a horsepower war if you werent aware.

Precisely! And that's why the '07 G35 will probably have "official" HP slightly more than the IS350.

And so on and so on...

 

While there is certainly a correlation between power and fuel economy, there are also ways to improve both hp and mileage, with no compromise except slightly increased engine manufacturing costs. If anyone has read up on the new BMW 335 engine, then you might know what I mean. Here are just a few of the features which satisfy both the power-hungry and the fuel-misers.

1. Second Generation high-precision Direct Injection. Bmw says these increase power by 10% and save 3% in fuel economy. Also allows for a wider 'lean burn' mode. Basically, vaporization of the fuel cools the air, allowing for a higher compression ratio, directly improving performance and efficiency.

2. Brake Energy regeneration: uses oversize battery and engages alternator only during deceleration. Basically a semi-hybrid system, frees up hp from running alternator. EU test cycle shows fuel economy improed by 3%.

3. Electric water pump: variable speed water pump allows engine to heat up faster and frees up hp. Also improves emissions.

4. Though this really shouldn't count because it adds a good deal of cost to the engine, the turbos use a special heat-resistant material which makes them immune to high exhaust gas temperatures in the interest of a fuel-efficient combustion process particularly under full load.

So overall, I would expect a 8-10% increase in fuel economy without sacrificing any performance. You really gotta hand it to those engineers at BMW for enhancing all of these systems. Even though the VQ is '80% new' I doubt it has many of these features, most notably DI? I haven't read any literature saying that the G35 will be equipped with DI. I could care less about the other systems but I think the benefits of DI are too obvious to ignore.

Let's hope they figure something out soon.

 

Speed Channel had a test driver segment of Lexus’s GS hybrid (not sure which model)... I wasn’t paying a lot of attention but the reviewer was praising the TQ from a stop, slow roll and in the mid RMP range. So clearly they hit the mark with fuel eco and performance as well... There is a car for everyone, but personally I’ll pay the extra fuel cost rather than several grand more for better mpg. Of course if there were a car that had incredible performance that happened to get great gas mileage and was reasonably (fair) priced – I’d be all over it.

 

The lexus hybrids are more oriented towards performance rather than fuel economy. The toyota hybrids are more oriented towards economy. Look at the actual test mileage for the RX 400h...it's just barely above that of a RX350. They increase the numeric value (gs450h v gs430 rx400h v rx350) because they want to give the impression that the hybrid system gives it more power....which is certainly does, but testers also note the extra weight of the hybrid system affects overall performance.

And if you're looking for a car with tons of performance, great mileage, and a reasonable price, look at the new corvette.

0-60 at lightspeed, handles well, 19/28, $43k

 

i went to test drive cars this weekend. went to test drive the a3, a4 (both 2.0T) and the FX and M. i have to say, the a3 is actually a very fun car to drive. although it's FWD, the car actually pulls very hard. the a4 is much more refined than the a3, but still has a nice feel to it. the interiors for audis are both drab.

anyways, back to the topic at hand. i was test driving the FX and M and got to the topic of the 07 sedan. the salesman recently went to an infiniti training seminar and according to him, they are planning to trickle out some 07 sedans in late june. i told him the estimated november and he said they're planning to go full force around october. i don't take much credibility to what dealerships/salesman say, but this has gotten me very excitied.

hope VPP is available as well!

 

I wouldn't take any stock in what that salesman said. All the official press releases say November. What reason does Infiniti have to lie in their press releases? That salesman doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

Nissan 350Z
Ford Mustang GT
Mazda Miata
Pontiac Solstice
Honda S2000
Mazda RX8

All true sports cars, all under $40K. I'm sure there are others that I missed.

 

It may not be a true "sports car", but isn't it considered more of a "grand tourer"? I forgot which website that said that but I'll try to find it.....

 

The only car on your list that I would consider to be a true sports car is the Honda S2000, and I've driven them all. The RX8, Pontiac Solstice, and Mazda Miata? Are you kidding me? LOL

 

Well, back on topic.

Still haven't been able to confirm if the 310-312 hp I was told by
my local dealer's GM is correct yet.

But here's another perspective on the power.
For 2007 ALL car engines must be certified under the NEW SAE standards.

Well, the 265 hp rating for the Nissan Maxima with our current 3.5 VQ
is now rated at 255 hp and 252 tq

If the new VQ is indeed 310-312 hp that's a respectable power increase with no increase in displacement.