Scooby Guru
Member#: 73805
Join Date: Nov 2004
Vehicle:24 TypeS ZO6 White
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Nissan 370Z, a Baby GT-R is born.
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Back when the first Fairlady Z or 350Z came to the market, we had the chance to test both stock and Nismo version of this new coupe from Nissan, and despite Nissan’s efforts to offer an elegant roadster with a sport pedigree, we were quite disappointed with it, yes for sure the Nismo version was stunning but the stock version was just a fat lady in a fancy dress.
Discontent by this experience, but with striking memories of the all mighty GT-R, we had some mixed feelings about this new Z, and its new design “truncated” rear end did not appeal much to us in the beginning… But man… We were wrong.
Design
Regardless of its design, similar to the old 350Z, the New 370Z is a completely new and different car. Yes, the 370Z is from the ground-up a brand new car, where Nissan learned from its GT-R experience to bring the most of it.
In every aspect our new 370Z has been revisited, re-engineered or redesigned to better create a more polished performance machine.
Lighter than the 350Z, with a shorter wheelbase, better suspension and with improved rigidity, our new Z is an amazing sports machine fast and agile.
Interior
Once seated behind the wheel you will immediately feel many changes here as well, like the car itself and design, the interior has been also redesigned, to offer a better driving experience, comfort and to match the actual standards.
Equipped with better material and better built, the new 370Z has nothing to be ashamed of compared to other sports car manufacturers like Porsche for example.
Specs & Tech
Under the bonnet you will find the usual Nissan V6, but here as well reworked and retuned to offer 17 more HP than on the previous 350Z. Jumping from 3.5Lto 3.7L with now 332Hp with a red line at 6500rpm, our new Z is capable of achieving 0 to 100 (Naught to Sixty) in just 5.1 sec… Pretty descent spec and time for a car that just coasts around 44 000 € in Europe!
With all these in mind we decided then to give our car a Try and we would like to express our gratitude here to Nissan France for giving us almost a week to fully enjoy this new 370Z.
We already knew that this new Z had nothing in common with its predecessor, and Nissan France insisted on underlining this fact, and oh boy they were right!
Faster, Sharper and more demanding that its fat sister ,the 370Z is utterly a new sports machine.
Better stuck to the road, easy to drive in general, the Nissan 370Z gave us a new idea of what a compact sports car should be, or I dare to say MUST be… And here I am afraid; Porsche has a lot to learn in order for its Cayman or Cayman S to match Nissan’s 370Z’s pleasure of driving and performance.
We will even go further to compare by saying the 370Z has a mini GT-R when it comes to raw power and sports driving pleasure.
More accessible thanks to its new automatic heel-and-toe mode on the 6 speed manual gearbox version, better known as SynchroRev Match that will automatically blip the throttle during downshifts eliminating the need to heel-and-toe downshift. Our new 370Z can unveil the “pilot” in you without the needs to spend hours or even years to perfect the art of heel-and-toeing. Yes, the 370Z is a fun car to drive and even more fun when you know how to handle this beast.
On the Road
Now this said, driving a 370Z everyday is quite an easy thing, but being capable of truly mastering it is another thing. Unlike its predecessor or its competitor the Cayman S, the 370Z is a VERY demanding car, and could easily be your downfall if you start to drive like a jerk. Do not get me wrong here. The 370Z is a safe car, but if you ever want to drive fast you`d better know what you are doing, and despite its more rigid body, improved brake and safety features, the Nissan 370Z is a real sports car needed to be treated as such when pushing it.
We will even compare the shear power and sports driving experience of this Z to the New E92 BMW M3 where fast cornering needs to be executed by talented pilots.
Conclusion:
There are no doubts that this new Nissan 370Z will be for a long time one of our favorite Japanese sport coupe, cheaper than a Cayman S, Better on the day to day basis than a Cayman S, more enjoyable to push to the limit than a Cayman S, the New 370Z is a must have for any serious driver whiling to drive something different. But here again let us underline the fact that this new 370Z is no longer your good old 350Z and driving fast with this new wonder will force you to reconsider your driving skill.
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http://www.nihoncar.com/review-496-X.html
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