Filed under: LA Auto Show, New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Convertibles, Coupes, Nissan
Spy Shots? Nissan 370Z convertible poses for IL
Here's a question: Are spy shots really spy shots if the subject has been perfectly posed for the cameras? Our answer is "no," with the addendum that automakers regularly parade vehicles around in the hopes that a KGP or Lehmann lens is close by.Further proof that InsideLine has pictures of Carlos Ghosn in a compromising position comes in the form of two shots of the next generation Nissan 370Z convertible wearing a bit of camo to cover its new nose and redesigned rump. However, further inspection – and a quick read of the text accompanying the pics – reveals that the images are merely Photoshopped versions of the mule that Nissan graciously delivered to InsideLine earlier this month, with the roof and white taping artfully removed.
According to IL, the drop-top Z will continue to use a power-folding soft-top, rather than the expensive and heavy mechanized hard-top coming to the Infiniti G37 convertible. It's a move that should keep both cost and weight in check, making it easier for the new 3.7-liter V6 to motivate Nissan's iconic Z.
Both six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic gearboxes will be offered when the convertible 370Z goes on sale next year, and IL says that the drop-top will be unveiled at the 2009 New York Auto Show, a few months after the coupe debuts in Los Angeles this November.
[Source: InsideLine]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Amien 8:40PM (10/23/2008)
"Further proof that InsideLine has pictures of Carlos Ghosn in a compromising position"
I LOL'ed.
Reply
MachinaDC5 8:41PM (10/23/2008)
Baby got back, that's for sure...
Reply
BoxerFanatic 9:19PM (10/23/2008)
What is with the new designs all having very thick wheel arches?
This, the new TL, and others that have been very recently refreshed, especially from Japan, seem to have very pronounced wheel arches, between the fender crease, and the actual opening of the wheel well.
The design is not really inspiring me that much, to be honest. The engine seems nice, but the bodywork seems a bit too blocky and odd.
Reply
skipper 1:58AM (10/24/2008)
What you refer to thick wheel arches is called wheel flats.
Wheel flats accomplish two things: they emphasize the wheel opening making the car appear to have larger wheel/tires and create an illusion of thickness to the body work creating an impression of quality.
To illustrate my point, have you ever noticed those horrible aftermarket grills commonly placed on 300c's. They look cheap because they don't appear to have the quality and thickness i.e. chrome bezel light catcher that the Bentley and rolls grills have. They appear thin and cheap.
duo 5:24AM (10/24/2008)
Finally! Someone else that also thinks the new trend of really thick wheel flats are a bit too much. I can understand what you mean by wheel flats enhancing the look of the wheels by making them look bigger, but the way the manufacturers are going no size wheel will ever look big enough for their cars.
R-Yo 9:27AM (10/24/2008)
Well don't forget that the previous Z rode pretty much the same look except they weren't flat and they had those three dots, which I still liked over a lot of other companies wheels.
Honestly, I was hoping for them to use the wheels in the spy shots, the dark grey ones, those looked nice.
BoxerFanatic 11:15AM (10/24/2008)
@skipper,
Thanks for specifying that. Interesting stuff.
I can somewhat agree on the grillework example you mentioned...
And while I don't necessarily disagree with you, and I think a lot of people do equate visual weight and thickness with robustness and quality... I don't necessarily cling to that impression myself, in every case.
I like classic cars, too, especially european sports cars. A lot of them had no wheel flat at all. The compound curve of the fender just rolled into the wheel well.
I can see where wheel flat area would emphasize wheels... but wheels are already getting quite large. Most cars like the Z use 17-18 inch wheels standard. In rural areas, it can even be difficult to find tire service vendors who want to work with wheels that big, and tires continue to be expensive for wheels that big.
If the bodywork (wheel flats specifically) make the wheels look less significant, by the fenders becoming more pronounced, then people will think that the cars need to be fitted with 19s, or 20s. to look more balanced. Some people will think that anyway, regardless...
And actually, in terms of performance, those wheels and tires continue to get heavier as the diameter increases... and it isn't necessary, technically to have wheels that big, neither for contact patch, nor brake clearance. It becomes a weight penalty for appearance, or the car looks a bit odd with "normal" sized wheels.
If Nissan is equating the visual "thickness" of the body lines, then that might explain why the car looks so tall up to the belt line, and so slab-sided.
Personally, I like sports cars that look more lithe and curvaceous, than thick and flat-sided. But that is just my opinion.
Torrent 9:20PM (10/23/2008)
Doesn't look as bad as the coupe.
Reply
Mi key 9:25PM (10/23/2008)
Very nice.
The Nissan has had reliably good designs on the Z. Even in its fatter yrs (the mid-90’s) it always looks brilliant. The only other automotive brand that has had the same great style has been GM with the Corvette.
Reply
MajorGeek 9:39PM (10/23/2008)
I would disagree, the Z car for me personally had its best years in the 90's up to I think 95. They should have modernized that look again IMHO. People used to ask me what the car was because they loved my almost 10 year old design. I dont care for the new Z, nor what I see of the upcoming one. Let me change that. I like it, I just don't love it, it does not stand out like a Corvette and it should. I had a 280z when I was younger (they called it the poor mans Corvette back then) and a 1995 300zx Twin Turbo a few years ago. Its too bad that the GT-R is the real muscle now and the Z is now its bastard cousin. Probably a lot of Nissan fans will disagree, but thats my 2, ok 5, cents.
Mez Jr 5:50PM (10/24/2008)
@ MajorGeek
The only issue I have with the Z32 is that it looks really generic from the front and side. It was great for its time and kicked off the Japanese supercar run, but the reason most people don't know what it is would be that it sold so poorly after '90.
Some Car Guy 10:09PM (10/23/2008)
Is it all about style? Seriously. I frequent this site as a car guy, but cars are more than just their outward appearance. I think the car looks pretty good, but so what if you don't? Let's applaud a major manufacturer for FINALLY making an effort to make a car lighter. Granted we don't yet know how much weight is lost or if it's just hype, but give it a chance. The fact is, if someone wants a good all-around rear-wheel drive sports car at a reasonable price there aren't many choices.
Reply
Cardude 2:19AM (10/24/2008)
I prefer the coupes. All Z car convertibles have been ugly to me, and convertibles in general these days have become nothing but fake poser mobiles anyway. I'll take a new Z t-top, like my old 1987 Z car turbo had. Some car guy you think there's not enough sports car choices? That's odd, there's more and more of the things coming out every day now. The 1990 1996 Z cars were among the most beautiful ever, and the 1979 1983 280 ZXs were very nice too.
Reply
Christian Aviles 3:25AM (10/24/2008)
Those humps behind the seat. Photochopped from a Pontiac Solstice. Not a bad design to chop from.
Reply
chuckles 5:21AM (10/24/2008)
something about looking at the front 3/4 angle doesn't match looking at the same from the rear for me. Overall the proportions look right and I'm sure its just the two pictures being back to back (no profile stance.) I do have to say that I'm not a fan of the headlamps and tail lamps. Why the random flair jetting back in the bulb housing? It matches the flow of the body, but ends up looking like nothing more than an eye sore for me. Same with the new maxima, looks great until I see the headlamps.
Reply
Bradley 8:32AM (10/24/2008)
The photochop image uses a Pontiac Solstice seats and deck humps.
Reply
cbraundesign 9:45AM (10/24/2008)
I think the new Z is turning out to be a winner. I was nervous at first with the L shaped lights, but I think they actually managed to improve on a good design. That is rare in the auto industry these days (think: TL).
Reply
benzaholic 11:45AM (10/24/2008)
What ticks me off is that IL headlines their article (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=134228) as, "First Photos of the 2010 Nissan 370Z Convertible," but they don't say anywhere in the text that their two images aren't real photos. The only clue is the image credits, reading, "Photo illustration by Nick Wilcox."
There used to be a site called mbspy.com tracking upcoming Mercedes models, and the author there also complained about photos of imaginary vehicles. He even pointed out KGP in particular, one of the major spy photo sources, as frequently distributing mocked up images.
If they're not photos of actual vehicles, don't describe them as such. Retouching backgrounds is fine, and tweaking contrast, etc., to see past today's camouflage is reasonable, but don't invent body details and tell us it's a photo, please.
Reply
Typesbad 2:06PM (10/24/2008)
The car looks better proportioned then the current model, and the details look cleaner. I'm glad they stuck with the soft top, for the very reasons stated.
Reply
Nick Wilcox 3:46PM (10/24/2008)
benzaholic
If you guys can't tell the difference then I've done my job ;) ha ha
And as for the accurarcy goes, I'm estimating 95% of the front illustration will be correct. A lot of time was spent to get the front end as close to what it will look like, under all that camo, as possible.
bradley, Christian Aviles
check out the chop now.. additional work was done to that image
Reply