| 777 | Date: Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 16.15 | Message # 1 |
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Group: User
User ID: 777
Joined: 18 Oct 2010
Messages: 1035
| There's no contest. Since its redesign, the Nissan 370Z is the best new sports car you’ll find for less than $40,000; it's the poor man’s Porsche of the moment. Its only real competition is the Mazda RX8, a brilliant handler, but without the ponies or the torque to keep up with the Z.
I’m therefore happy to report that an even-better version, the Nismo 370Z -- a factory-tuned scorcher with an added injection of style and performance -- still sneaks under the 40-grand mark with a base tag of $39,910.
The Z is already a looker. And the Nismo version, lovingly reworked by Nissan’s motorsports and performance parts division, boosts the visual drama with aerodynamic bodywork that includes a longer and lower nose, side sills and a wing on the back that manages to look more Porsche 911 Turbo than a teenager's do-it-yourself job. 19-inch wheels are the final bodacious touch -- a set of ultralight deep-dish Rays-forged alloys. Power jumps to a nice, round 350 horses, up from 332 in the base model. A beefier suspension, thicker anti-roll bars, specially tuned exhaust system and several zesty interior touches complete this potent package.
During my weeklong test, the Nismo Z proved an attention-getter, whether it was parked or on the move. Another sign of a serious sports car: The Nismo comes only with a 6-speed manual transmission, which of course includes Nissan’s ingenious Synchro Rev-Match function, which automatically blips the throttle when you downshift to perfectly match engine revs when you’re storming into turns.
The Nismo did get some unwanted attention in February, when Car and Driver magazine bored one into a wall at Virginia International Raceway. And it wasn't because the test driver screwed up, but instead because the Z’s standard brake pads failed spectacularly and proved unsuitable for track use, a fact that Nissan acknowledged almost immediately. It was a remarkable design oversight for a car that any buyer might assume was designed to go straight from the showroom to a club track day or autocross event. After the crash, Nissan began offering sturdier, high-performance brake pads as an option on both standard 370Zs and the Nismo edition, including on the model I drove. Those optional brakes did kick the Nismo's price to just over 40 grand, but they're definitely worth the extra $580 for anyone who plans to explore the outer limits with his Z.
On the brighter side, another thing I love about any 370Z: It's a grown-up’s sports car. It forgoes any of the juvenile attitude of a Mitsubishi Evolution or Subaru WRX. Don’t get me wrong, I love driving both, but it’s slightly embarrassing to pull up in one if you’re much over 35 -- it's the automotive equivalent of wearing a backwards baseball cap and an Ed Hardy T-shirt. The Z, in sophisticated contrast, is as at home in a valet line at a fine hotel as it is storming the local two-laners.
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