Gandalf The Silver

it. If you're so topic conscious, I wonder why you brought the Honda VTEC into the picture...not like I care. The more conversation, the better, at least in most public forums.

YOU made the first correlation between the Nissan and the Audi engine, implying somewhow that the Nissan's larger displacement somehow takes away from what a great engine it is. That wasn't me!

All I originally posted was a link to the full top ten list and took an opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of the Japanese engineering that many around here can't stomach. In what way did this have anything to do with any shortcomings of Audi's 3.0?

I've never driven a G35, but I've driven a 3.0. Much like my 1.8T it provides "adequate" power and is hurting in the low-end. Several professional reviewers have said the same. And it's easy to surmise from the reviews of the Maxima/G35 that these and other issues don't exist in the Nissan 3.5L. Keeping in mind, of course, the relevance of the application in which the engine is being used.

It's pretty easy to READ about engine characteristics (smoothness, power delivery, noise level, hp/torque etc.). If we were talking about chasis/handling characterstics of the G35 vs. the A4 then that would be different, but those characteristics are irrelevant here.

Considering your obvious bias against "Japanese" technology, in addition to your possible bias as an owner, forgive me if your hands-on experience with both engines doesn't override, in my mind, what experts the world over have reported on Nissan's "world class" 3.5L V6.

You've driven a G35 and disagree...fine. I appreciate your insights and take them with the obligatory grain of salt. I've driven the 3.0 and think it would be better served in a much lighter car. Never did I say that Audi had crap technology or anything.

And, by the way, I use a staff, not a wand. Us wizards of the "old guard" can't stand them new-fangled wand thingies!

Auto Union Jack

My goal is to point out that current Japanese technology is not quite the rave when looking at German technology related to cubes per power output. You should drive the G35. Then, you can see what a nervous handler it is. The 3.0 may be adequate in power, but is impressive in terms of power output per cubes. Doesn't it just about match the BMW 3.0 L ?

Gandalf The Silver

I sarcastically stated that Boxster engines must suck. Of course they don't suck in reality!

A 3.4L 265HP Boxster compared to 3.5L 280HP Nissan would be like splitting hairs, to claim that one is vastly superior in it's cube efficiency compared to the other (even though the Nissan DOES win the power:cube output ratio, mathematically).

But there's a reason that Boxster's cost significantly less than 911's, and the engine is certainly one of those reasons!

Successful engineering is not limited to coming up with the most powerful this or that. Great engineering might involve size reduction, noise reduction, or fuel efficiency, among several other things. Doing something spectacular at a significantly reduced cost, is also many an engineer's dream!

I'll take your word for it in regard to the handling characteristics of the G35. But I was only talking about engines here.

IMO, the A4 is superior to the G35 in pretty much every aspect I can think of, except the engine and passenger room (and the availablity of full-screen NAV in N. America, for which I personally don't care about).

Auto Union Jack

IMHO,cost is a separate issue than technological innovation. Most often, you get what you pay for

Gandalf The Silver

I guess time will tell. That $27K Z car will be a marvel to me if it can truly deliver!

Auto Union Jack

Can't wait to drive it, but I doubt Yukawa can best 80K+ german sports cars with his budget, because you get what you pay for.