Passport Nissan

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Driving Impressions

The pre-2009 350Z was fun to drive, but the Nissan 370Z is a revelation. Where the 350Z was somewhat crude in certain circumstances, this one is much better integrated. One can better appreciate a cohesive sense of control from the wheel and pedals. The control relationships just seem better networked, all on the same page.

With the shortened body came increases in torsional rigidity at both ends of the car, and this solidity concentrates the feeling of agreement from all parts of the chassis. It now feels agile rather than brutal, supple rather than rigid, and it is easier to drive as a result. To make up for the loss of the top, the roadster gets additional reinforcements in the A pillars, side sills and behind the seats, as well as an underbody M brace. The Nismo gets a front strut tower brace.

We tested a 370Z coupe with the Sport package at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park in Nevada, and the car took to the course as if it was born for the track. The Sport package adds wider 19-inch wheels, a limited-slip differential and Nissan Sport Brakes, with 14-inch-diameter rotors up front and 13.8-inch rotors in the rear. Since the 370Z uses a much-modified version of Nissan's FM platform, we expected some of the tail-happiness we've seen in cars using that chassis. But while we could occasionally provoke a spot of tail-wagging by adding too much power at corner exits, or by turning hard on a trailing throttle, the transition was progressive and easy to read. We were also pleased that the electronic stability control system left plenty of room to kick out the tail, but we were more impressed that the tail was so controllable with the ESC turned off.

The steering is weighted just about perfectly for a sports car. The Z steers with great precision, turns in decisively, and will tighten the line even at high lateral-g loadings. There's simply more grip than you first think. And the big brakes as fitted to Sport models work quite well. We were able to get them smoking, however, after several strenuous laps around Spring Mountain. We would definitely recommend the Nissan Sport Brakes to anyone intending to drive their Z regularly on twisty canyon roads or occasionally take it to a racetrack.

During aggressive maneuvers, the Nismo performs very much like a coupe with the Sport package, only with a considerably harder ride. The Nismo's performance tuning makes it too harsh for street use, unless you live in an area with glass smooth roads. The suspension is so stiff, in fact, that it can make the car skip over highway joints and tar strips when there is a lateral load. In these instances, the base suspension would be more likely to maintain contact with the road.

The roadster, on the other hand, is softer than the coupe. Without a solid roof structure, it is more prone to flex, though we find it to be one of the most solid convertibles on the market. Buyers who don't regularly push the car to or near the limits of adhesion will notice little difference in handling. However, if ultimate performance is the goal, the coupe is the choice.

For those not practiced at the art of double-clutching and heel-and-toeing, Nissan's SynchroRev system, the first ever offered with a manual transmission, helps out enormously by blipping the throttle on downshifts to match engine speed with rear-axle speed for smooth synchronization.

Unlike true double-clutching, SynchroRev does not first select neutral then rev the engine to the required speed, so the synchronizers are still called upon to help out. You can feel the sensation through the shift lever as the synchros clutch in, and the purists among us would still prefer to do our own legwork. But there's no denying that it's a brilliant idea for most people, and even for purists on occasion.

Cars with the automatic transmission also have a rev matching feature called Downshift Rev Matching. This works well, too, preventing the car's balance from being upset as you downshift for that next fast corner. The automatic is also well matched to the engine, making the power easy to tap.

Nissan's VVEL variable-valve timing systems has endowed the 370Z with a very broad torque spread, so forays to the 7500-rpm redline are not often needed. But when you do venture there, the famous high-rpm hullabaloo and clutch growl we know so well from the VQ-series engines turns back up. But it's hardly there at all at lower engine speeds, and that's another sign of the car's improved manners.

If you didn't know the difference, you might swear the 370Z had a V8. Nissan wouldn't give a 0-60 mph estimate, but Road & Track magazine pushed a Z to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds. That's faster than the torquier, V8-powered Ford Mustang GT. Drivers will notice little difference between the 332-horsepower base engine and the Nismo's 350-horse version, other than the fact that the Nismo is considerably louder. The Nismo's constant engine and tire drone is another reason this car is meant mostly for the track.

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