J.A. Ackley said:
In reply to roninsoldier83 :
According to Chevrolet's site, a baseline 2024 C8 is $68K for my area. It's not too much higher, indeed.
I have heard automaker execs say that many cars today within a category perform alike and for around the same price. So, what they're trying to sell is the driving experience. That's where they feel they can differentiate themselves.
For example, let's say the M2, Supra and Z NISMO perform alike, for argument's sake. They package that performance in very different ways.
Nevertheless, the C8 Corvette offers a great value for its package. Our track tests have proven that for the Z51 and Z06 packages.
I'm with you. I understand the argument behind not necessarily beating your competition with objective performance measurements, but trying to sell customers on the basis of subjective driving experiences. My issue with this Nismo, and the other sedan-derived "sports cars" is mostly based on a lack of perceived value in my eyes. My rationale:
-I can pay $65k for a tarted up Nissan 350Z (same chassis, 20 years later), or I can spend just a bit more for a mid-engine V8 powered C8 Corvette that looks like a supercar, performs like a supercar, has a variation of an LS (tried and true, relatively reliable design that will take track abuse) and has the road presence (if you care for that sort of thing) that no Z car will ever match. That's a tough experience to beat for the money.
-I think of the Z as a Japanese pony car. Right, wrong or indifferent that's how I've always seen them. They've bloated the Z up to the 3500-3600 lbs range, which I see as being extremely close to Mustang/Camaro weights (a bit lighter, as the American's seem to run 3600-3800 lbs). But for the extra curb weight, the trade-off with the Ford/Chevy is that you get a ~450-500hp V8 that makes glorious noises for far less money than the Nismo... and if we're comparing apples to apples, in terms of "specialty" products, the new Mustang Dark Horse undercuts the Nismo by around $5000. I'm not sure if it's fair to mention the Camaro's SS 1Le package, which, it's not a specialty vehicle per se, but it's more track oriented (like the Nismo), while undercutting the Nismo's base price by a jaw-dropping $18,000. There's an argument that the Z Performance trim is more applicable, except for one small issue: the pony cars equipped with their respective track packs don't fall apart on track, the Z Performance pack does. I feel like the V8 pony cars also offer a more fun experience, for less money...
I just can't justify this car's price. I feel the same way about the Supra to a degree- but at least the Supra's base price of $55k (for the 3.0L) undercuts the the C8 by $13k, making an argument for it's performance deficits with substantial savings off of the price of the car. Although when you start throwing options at the Supra, yet again, the C8 starts to make more sense. I don't appear to be the only one that sees this logic, as the market as a whole agrees with this rationale, evidenced by Chevy moving 34,510 C8 Corvettes last year, while the Supra only managed to sell 4952 copies. Granted, there is an argument for the C8 being a more recently launched product, but the Supra has never topped 7000 units. Clearly, the market sees the value in the Corvette to a much greater degree.
I think the Nismo (and maybe the Z in general) will be a flop. The updated suspension on the Nismo should have been found on the Z Performance for far less money. If I was shopping in that market, I don't think I would give the Z a second look. For the record, I've never owned a pony car or a Corvette (driven quite a few of them, and full disclosure, my wife did own a 2016 Camaro SS 6MT), but I have owned a Z33. I wanted Nissan to knock this one out of the park, but it looks like they missed the mark.