Car Gazing
Nissan's sports car legend lives on
By Derek Price
Driving Nissan's 350Z down a winding, two-lane country road – just as flowers start to bloom and trees sprout their lush, green leaves after a brief wintry nap in Texas – I had an automotive epiphany.
"This is what heaven feels like."
It happened somewhere between the quick gearshifts on the six-speed transmission, the musical howl of the V6 engine, and the smell of new life in the March breeze. It was the sheer joy of driving, the kind that only a great sports car can arouse.
Ever since its introduction in 1970, Nissan's legendary line of Z cars has been designed to elicit this kind of thrill from people who love to drive. It's not the best commuter car and certainly not ideal for long, straight shots down the Interstate – that's what Cadillacs and Lincolns are for – but instead favors the joy that hides around every twist in the road.
It's the kind of car that just makes you smile.
The secret to the new Z's fun lies in its simple formula: a powerful engine, firm handling, and gorgeous styling.
The heart of every sports car is its engine, and Nissan put a real gem in the 350Z. This 3.5-liter, six-cylinder powerplant is placed behind the front axel to give the Z not only a robust 287 horsepower, but also excellent balance through corners. It sounds great, too, with a deep growl that trumpets out the exhaust.
Equally important to the quintessential sports car, though, is crisp, responsive handling. Nissan engineers got this feeling nearly perfect on the latest Z, making it feel tossable, light and lively. The ride is firm but not uncomfortably so, providing enough feedback to give the driver confidence with every turn.
A precise steering feel and inspiring brakes add to the 350Z's driving charm. It feels like a car you could drive to the racetrack, but it's still one you wouldn't mind driving to the grocery store.
In fact, just as impressive as the Z's performance is its relative practicality. Compared to other two-seat sports cars, the Z has a fairly large cargo area, glove box, and storage bins in the cabin. It even has two spacious cubbyholes tucked behind the seats, perfect for packing a few extra supplies for a weekend road trip.
Still, it's a sports car, so there are some drawbacks from a practicality standpoint. First, there are only two seats, so family transportation is out of the question. Second, the engine is moderately noisy – great for fun blasts down country roads but not so great on long highway trips. Finally, the ride is bumpy and rough compared to an average family sedan.
The Z's cabin is remarkably comfortable and well refined. Materials are of high quality, and aggressive interior styling echoes its raw driving feel with brushed aluminum trim on the instruments, door handles, and other places. Much of the modern interior styling has roots in the original 240Z.
Perhaps the best part of the new Z is the one thing that has nothing to do with how well it drives: the price. It starts at $26,370 for the well-equipped base model and works its way up to $34,180 for the fully loaded "track model."
Compared to other sports cars, that's several thousand more than a Mazda Miata, but you get a little more style and a lot more performance with the Z. It's also significantly less than the Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, Chevy Corvette and Audi TT, so it neatly fills the gap between the lowly Miata and the super-high-performance sports car kings.
In addition, if you want the wind-in-your-hair thrill ride of a roadster, Nissan offers the convertible Z starting at $33,850. Options include a navigation system for $2,000, side air bags for $570, and "liquid aluminum" paint for $1,100.
Not bad for a little slice of heaven.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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