According to Nissan, this technology — seen for the first time in a production car — took five years to develop. And let me tell you, it works. A 7-speed automatic will also be available. The 370Z sprints to 60 mph in a scant 5.1 seconds, which bests the old car's mark by almost a half second, and to the quarter mile in 13.7. We performed our tests at an elevation of 1500 ft., so don't be surprised if the car runs a 5.0 or better when we get our hands on one here near sea level.
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Yukawa's crew used the Porsche Cayman S as the 370Z's handling benchmark. At Nissan's proving grounds in Rikubetsu, Hokkaido, the new Z shined, keeping pace with the Cayman S on the road course's many tight corners. Turn-in response is much crisper than before, and the steering exhibits a livelier feel. There's a little body roll, but nothing to upset the car's overall balance. The neutral nature of the new Z allows you to get back on the throttle more aggressively after a corner's apex because the rear tires stay planted. Credit here also goes to the sticky Bridgestone Potenza tires. (The base 370Z comes with Yokohama Max Performance Summer tires, 225/50R-18 front and 245/45R-18 rear.) The front suspension of the 370Z has been revised, now with upper and lower A-arms. In back, the multilink setup remains basically unchanged. Drifters will be happy to know that it's still easy to clutch-pop the new Z into an elegant slide, while freeway commuters can take comfort in the car's smooth ride quality. The car recorded phenomenal handling numbers, eclipsing those of the Cayman S. It registered 0.97g on the skidpad and ran through the slalom in 71.4 mph.
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There's good news and bad news inside the 370Z cabin. First, the good: The center dash no longer has the cheap plastic surface we've all come to hate. The entire section is now upholstered in faux leather called Sofilez that's more tasteful in look and feel. The bad: The design of the fuel level/engine temperature gauge. You look at it and ask yourself: What were Nissan designers thinking? Not only is it really odd looking — a small metal plate that's aesthetically inconsistent with the rest of the instrument cluster — but it's unreadable when driving in sunny conditions. I'll take the old needle gauge any day. Note to Nissan: Keep the old gauge on standby, you'll no doubt get complaints.
The 370Z hits dealer showrooms in January, and although pricing has not been announced at the time of writing, the base car will come in around $30,000, with the top-of-the-line model topping out at about $35,000.
It's nice to see that the Z has evolved effectively, yet gradually, with its main attribute — value — firmly in place. The 370Z continues to offer the style and performance of European sports cars at a fraction of their price, a tradition started by the original 240Z back in 1970. It's a package that's hard to beat, especially in today's woeful economic times, and once you drive it, you too will be grinning like Yukawa.
