Three weeks ago, Inside Line attended the introduction of the Nissan Nismo 370Z at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, CA. The event was to be a half-day of track driving in the new Z. We started the day with some sunrise powerslides in the car - the only example in the country -- for our photographers.
By mid-day, after four journalists had rotated through the car, its differential expired in an anticlimactic failure which quickly landed it on jack stands for a rear-end swap with a Sport Package Z, which uses the same viscous limited-slip differential.
Normally, this wouldn't be such a big deal - parts break, cars fail -- but this time it feels like news.
Some readers might remember that the first 370Z we tested - a prototype -- was fitted with a differential oil cooler. The production car has no such part, nor is one available. So we imagined that with the added power and grip of the Nismo 370Z, an upgraded differential with greater heat capacity and durability was an obvious choice. We were wrong. And so was Nissan.
It seems at least plausible that the Nismo 370Z's differential isn't adequate for track use. The powerslides we did in the car in the morning certainly did the differential no favors, but shouldn't a track car be able to do some powerslides? We think so.
Perhaps more telling is the fact that someone, or multiple someones, on the development team thought a differential cooler was important enough to install it on a prototype. Clearly, this wasn't the first failure. And we doubt it will be the last.
Finally, this oversight seems more significant by virtue of the fact that the Nismo Z at the introduction was also fitted with an engine oil cooler - something the production Nismo 370Z won't have and something Nissan is none too eager to discuss. Dealers do sell and install this part which is required for track use, but it will run you about $460 for installation and $780 for the parts -- cost Nissan clearly doesn't want to add into the 370Z's MSRP. Whether it needs it or not.
Discussion: 370Z Oil Temperature Problems
cruiserhead1 says:
11:12 PM, 06/ 9/09
Bean counters, there is a reality check on aisle 1. Nissan bean counters to the red courtesy phone please...
firelicked says:
01:24 AM, 06/10/09
..."After the differential had been repaired later in the day, another of our colleagues unceremoniously answered that question by driving the car off the track at Turn 3 and destroying it." The diff or the car??? Pics if it's the latter? (if everyone was ok of course)
billt9 says:
02:50 AM, 06/10/09
Dumb ass cost cutting.
What a piece of crap.
Boycott Nissan.
This non-cooled differentials, brake fade, brake failures. That's too much of a quality slip.
Back to quality assurance!
Who's idea were these?
"Ooh 90% of the public won't even experience these situations"
*CRACK* goes the CVT case on a routine daily commute to work.
"uh let's beef up the CVT casing for next year."
...
...
...
Are they doing this same crap all over again?
I hope Nissan sales tank to 1 car per month and everyone buys Mazda instead for Japanese sportiness. That's right.
felonious says:
07:47 AM, 06/10/09
Don't hold back billt9, how do you *really* feel? :)
roar02ram says:
08:35 AM, 06/10/09
It seems that Nissan could've turned this into a profit opportunity at the very least by offering a "Track Package" for the NISMO Z, if not the other ones as well that included, among other things, oil & differential coolers.
alman08 says:
09:02 AM, 06/10/09
this is crazy... a serious sport car (NISMO) failed like this.
"Dealers do sell and install this part which is required for track use, but it will run you about $460 for installation and $780 for the parts -- cost Nissan clearly doesn't want to add into the 370Z's MSRP. Whether it needs it or not."... I would think that for those who would want to buy a serious sport car, they wouldn't mind spending a tad extra, right?
anythngbutgm says:
09:28 AM, 06/10/09
Broken or not, that car looks fantastic. WHere can I find a set of those rims!
iskch says:
09:30 AM, 06/10/09
All car manufactures cut corners and if you want something a little bit different cost you big bucks.
bankerdanny says:
09:40 AM, 06/10/09
Would a diff blown during a track day be covered by warranty (it's a high performance version intended for track use after all). If so, wouldn't it be better for Nissan to split the difference and increase the price slightly and eat some of the cost than to pay to replace differentials?
I can't believe it's cheaper to replace 2 or 3 blown diff's at what, $2k each, than to reduce the profit by a couple hundred bucks per car on what will be a very limited volume model anyway.
clarkma5 says:
10:17 AM, 06/10/09
Perhaps the solution is to put a real differential into the Z finally? Enough of this viscous nonsense.
stovt001 says:
11:03 AM, 06/10/09
I find it so telling that someone with the screen name "anythingbutgm" is flippantly ignoring a massive failure caused by cost-cutting on a foreign car. What a mentality.
I think a simple solution is to make a track package with the two coolers available as a dealer installed option. It is there for the minority of buyers who will take the cars to the track.
bankerdanny says:
11:26 AM, 06/10/09
stov, if you are buying a regular Z sure. But isn't the Nismo supposed to BE a track ready car? For the extra dollars I am already paying shouldn't I expect to get a car that can survive a few trips to the track?
anythngbutgm says:
12:08 PM, 06/10/09
I find it so telling that someone with the screen name "anythingbutgm" is flippantly ignoring a massive failure caused by cost-cutting on a foreign car. What a mentality.
Huh? if you have a problem with my screen name, take it up with the mods. Thanks
I also said it looked good, that's all.
charlesncharge says:
12:22 PM, 06/10/09
Hello, Nissan, the Hyundai Genesis coupe, I believe, comes standard with a TORSEN LSD. That's the type of LSD that most serious RWD cars have come with in the past, ones that possessed real handling prowess:
RX-7 TT
Supra TT
S2000
'07 STI & later (rear diff)
Recent Porsche models (optional)
Hell, even the last generation Camaro Z28 models came w/TORSEN Diffs.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential6.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsen
I, for one, wouldn't touch this NISMO 370Z w/10' pole, considering it's got a grenade for an LSD, not to mention requires an engine oil cooler.
BMW had oil temp issues on their early I6 TT non-sport pkg. equipped cars, and what did they do?...they fitted engine oil coolers!
estreka says:
01:40 PM, 06/10/09
This is quite newsworthy.
stovt001 says:
04:06 PM, 06/10/09
bankerdanny, maybe its just here in Southern California, but I see many Nismo 350Zs, and many similar cars, owned by guys who couldn't hit an apex if the Stig used the Force to guide their hands and have no idea tracks even exist, but like the loud exhaust and having a car already half-way riced up from the factory. They'll floor it from a stop and talk about drifting, but that's about it. They needn't waste their money on coolers.
dat2 says:
11:38 AM, 06/15/09
Well I agree with previous comments that these parts should be part of an option package. I agree that some Nismo buyers will not be tracking the car and don't need the coolers. Also, FYI, Nissan has used Torsen type diffs many times in the past, they are just called "Helical" LSDs. They've come in the Spec V Sentra, the S15 Silvia, etc. Also, BMWs still don't even come with LSDs. Most BMWs come with open diffs without LSD even available as an option. So yes Nissan could do better than the Viscous type diff but at least they've been offering those in a lot of cars all these years. Let's just hope for an upgrade to Torsen/helical and screw the diff cooler. The engine oil cooler, on the other hand, sounds like a requirement for track duty.
dmpete says:
07:42 PM, 07/17/09
Well having owned the 350Z and an E46 M3, driven the 370Z, and 350 Nismo, I like the looks of the new 370 nismo, but if the numbers don't drastically go down, i may have to stay w/ the euro's. It bothers me too, because I like Z's very much, the nismo 350 is a blast too drive, it just doesn't have the pull of the bmw though. I really hope nissan listens to us and puts the oil cooler in the nismo from the factory, it really is stupid of them. I thought it was kinda fishy that they would push a nismo version of the 370 before the regular version had a chance to be put through the paces so to speak...