>>For a long time, Nissan lost its way with the Z. They got big, disco, bloated, then all of a sudden, it came home and here it is in touring coupe form with an automatic transmission. Hold your judgment while we check the tech.
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A virginal coat of white paint belies the saucy persimmon interior on our test car. Outside, it's the first Z since the first Z that knows what a Z is suppose to look like. Our car has a sport package that lays on those 19 inch RAYS alloys and front and rear spoilers. Now, inside the 370Z, wait, down here, way down here, keep coming, keep coming, Charlie, yeah, I'm sitting on the ground basically in this car. Now, Brian Tong drives one of these but he, of course, he fits in my hip pocket so this is enough room for him. For the taller folks, it's definitely a snug cabin but that's part of the sporting mission of this car.
Now, our vehicle is a Touring edition which means it has a fair amount of amenities as part of its trim level but is not necessarily equipped with everything. One thing we do have though, luckily for the first time, in a Z that's been delivered to us for review is a navigation system, right here. Pretty good resolution, scrolling is a little rough, oh crap, they never send us one with nav so all I got here is a sunglass binnacle. Here's our Touring entertainment system. We've got a 6 disc changer for MP3, WMA and standard audio CDs of course, AM/FM obviously, no HD radio going on here, XM is your satellite radio choice, auxiliary input jack is all you've got going for iPod or other advanced connectivity. Everything goes out through a Bose branded audio system of non-specific wattage. Eight speakers around the cabin, two of those are subs in this little space. Yeah, you'll feel it.
Shifting, now, you do have the ability to use these paddles. But of course, to use those, you have to get an automatic. There's no DCT in this car, either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed auto. Luckily, the paddles are mounted on the stirring column just like on a GT-R. Unluckily, you've got an automatic transmission on the other end of them. Now, ever since this edition of Z came out, this generation nails the interior look that harkens back to the original Z. They got the little eyebrow gauges right. You've got a good looking sporting cluster. You still have this ugly nasty little Nissan orange display on the left that's really tacky looking. Cover that up and it's a real handsome cabin. Take your hand away and yuck.
Speaking of yuck, what the hell's with the upholstery in this thing? Orange suede, is it 1973 in someone's sunken living room? Key party on wheels. Now, all Zs except the NISMO car are powered by a 332 horsepower version of Nissan's 3.7 liter V6. Two hundred and seventy foot pounds of torque actually feels like more on the road. Zero to 60 happens in about 5.5 seconds and the MPG remains about the same as that baby seated maximum you just drove by, 1926.
>>Okay, everyone groans when they hear you got a 370Z with an automatic in for review but I got to tell you, I've driven far worse automatics. This one's not bad. I never found myself hating this gear box and the proportions on this car are just right. Looks like its right and drives like its right. You never feel like the car is bigger than it looks. What I'm struck by driving this car is it is a memo to so many makers of other sporting cars who can't get the suspension right, either too firm because they're trying to be sporting, too wallowing and they can't support the sporting nature of their sporting cars. Just do what these guys do, it's exactly right.
Okay, let's price this undeniable value in sport motoring. 370Z Touring which is fairly nicely loaded up, it's going to run you about $36,800 and that includes the automatic. Shift it yourself and you'll save $1,300. The navigation head unit is big tech toy to go yah, or nay on. That's hard drive nav, some space for you to rip music and all the modern digital inputs like iPod and USB and HD radio, you want that, it's $1,850, it's not badly priced. $3,000 for the sport package, we have that, 19 inch RAYS, performance breaks, front-rear spoilers, limited slip dif, also if we had a manual, we'd have that crazy Nissan Synchrorev Match make you like you know how to shift really well technology.
