Our society revolves around good looks. No matter how much we try to deny it, beautiful people (and by association, things) do well. If you're attractive, you're better received, people are more open towards you and you generally go farther -- provided you're not a complete bitch.
See, looking good is only half the battle. You've got to have the personality to match the goods or people will start to get annoyed, gently start to ignore you and suddenly you're sad and lonely with 15 cats (but a perfectly symmetrical face). And here's where the car review starts: The 2013 Nissan 370Z is a looker, if ever there was one, but my God does it ever have an attitude problem.
Looking the part
For 2013, the Nissan 370Z got a bit of a facelift. It wasn't much, just enough to clean up the lines, adding LED "fangs" to the outer edges of the front bumper to make the car look a wee bit more aggressive (but just as attractive). If nothing else, this car is ideal for ogling.
Some cars are overtly sexy, and the Nissan 370Z is one such vehicle. Sensual lines, curvacious in all the right spots and with a rear end that rivals one of the Kardashians, this Nissan is the GT-R's hot younger sister that everyone wants to hit on -- until she opens her mouth.
But before you let her talk, get to know the inner her. The 2013 Nissan 370Z's interior was also updated (slightly). New dark-trim finish and an available Bose stereo system (with a few extra speakers) make sitting in the Nissan 370Z as pleasing as standing outside looking at it. My particular tester was a blonde through and through, with a creamy beige interior beneath her pearly white exterior. The effect was feminine and rather classy.
Then there's the personality
Leave the Nissan 370Z parked to be admired and it's truly a great car. However, for just over $40,000 (base MSRP) you're going to want to do more than look at it, and that's a shame.
Here's the thing: For me, the Nissan 370Z has no personality, and that's where the attitude problem comes into play. Sure it's got a hot set of legs (19" alloys with red caliper brakes thanks to a Sport Package to be precise), but the conversation is just so dull and boring there's no way the relationship could last.
Equipped with the same 3.7L V6 found in Infiniti's G37, the 370Z is good for 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Those aren't small numbers, not by any means. In fact, they're quite decent for a sporty coupe such as the 370Z, and yet they do nothing for me. There's no rush of emotion upon downshifting and depressing the throttle, no pulse of adrenaline when the ignition button is engaged and the first gear selected.
The Nissan 370Z is currently the only car in North America to offer a synchronized downshift rev match with a manual transmission. Basically that translates into: It's the only car in NA that will make you a lazy manual driver. The car does all the work for you, automatically bumping up your revs when you want to downshift so you can make the perfect gear transition. Sounds cool for first-timers, perhaps, but as someone who likes to drive and someone who likes to boast a rather good downshift ability, it's a bit gimmicky.
Carrying the conversation is tiresome
Driving the 370Z does nothing for me, either. The transmission is responsive enough and the gears are easy to click through, but there's no excitement in it. You can hear mechanical components working (if you turn down the Bose stereo) which can be cool and "raw" but gets old rather quickly. And as for an exhaust note, well it's there, but not to the level you want in a sporty coupe. Give me a 350Z or G35 wail over the 370Z grumble any day.
Steering responsiveness in the Nissan 370Z also feels a bit disconnected for me. This is supposed to be a sporty car, but I just didn't get that sense. Sure the suspension -- handled by a double wishbone setup in the front and multilink in the rear -- is good, helping the car hug corners rather well and pull spirited maneouvres, but it's nothing to get too excited about. It just is.
Would you bring her home to meet the parents?
Probably not. The 2013 Nissan 370Z isn't very practical either. Sure, a two-seater isn't supposed to be practical (that's the allure of a two-seater when you're a bachelor or looking for a weekend cruiser), but there are other just-as-impractical cars I'd rather spend 40 grand on (like a Mazda MX-5 or the Subaru BRZ, both of which would cost me less). And that's the thing; there are other options. And if you do your homework, you are very likely going to choose those other options over the 370Z.
This 2013 Nissan 370Z review was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
See, looking good is only half the battle. You've got to have the personality to match the goods or people will start to get annoyed, gently start to ignore you and suddenly you're sad and lonely with 15 cats (but a perfectly symmetrical face). And here's where the car review starts: The 2013 Nissan 370Z is a looker, if ever there was one, but my God does it ever have an attitude problem.
Looking the part
For 2013, the Nissan 370Z got a bit of a facelift. It wasn't much, just enough to clean up the lines, adding LED "fangs" to the outer edges of the front bumper to make the car look a wee bit more aggressive (but just as attractive). If nothing else, this car is ideal for ogling.
Some cars are overtly sexy, and the Nissan 370Z is one such vehicle. Sensual lines, curvacious in all the right spots and with a rear end that rivals one of the Kardashians, this Nissan is the GT-R's hot younger sister that everyone wants to hit on -- until she opens her mouth.
But before you let her talk, get to know the inner her. The 2013 Nissan 370Z's interior was also updated (slightly). New dark-trim finish and an available Bose stereo system (with a few extra speakers) make sitting in the Nissan 370Z as pleasing as standing outside looking at it. My particular tester was a blonde through and through, with a creamy beige interior beneath her pearly white exterior. The effect was feminine and rather classy.
Then there's the personality
Leave the Nissan 370Z parked to be admired and it's truly a great car. However, for just over $40,000 (base MSRP) you're going to want to do more than look at it, and that's a shame.
Here's the thing: For me, the Nissan 370Z has no personality, and that's where the attitude problem comes into play. Sure it's got a hot set of legs (19" alloys with red caliper brakes thanks to a Sport Package to be precise), but the conversation is just so dull and boring there's no way the relationship could last.
Equipped with the same 3.7L V6 found in Infiniti's G37, the 370Z is good for 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Those aren't small numbers, not by any means. In fact, they're quite decent for a sporty coupe such as the 370Z, and yet they do nothing for me. There's no rush of emotion upon downshifting and depressing the throttle, no pulse of adrenaline when the ignition button is engaged and the first gear selected.
The Nissan 370Z is currently the only car in North America to offer a synchronized downshift rev match with a manual transmission. Basically that translates into: It's the only car in NA that will make you a lazy manual driver. The car does all the work for you, automatically bumping up your revs when you want to downshift so you can make the perfect gear transition. Sounds cool for first-timers, perhaps, but as someone who likes to drive and someone who likes to boast a rather good downshift ability, it's a bit gimmicky.
Carrying the conversation is tiresome
Driving the 370Z does nothing for me, either. The transmission is responsive enough and the gears are easy to click through, but there's no excitement in it. You can hear mechanical components working (if you turn down the Bose stereo) which can be cool and "raw" but gets old rather quickly. And as for an exhaust note, well it's there, but not to the level you want in a sporty coupe. Give me a 350Z or G35 wail over the 370Z grumble any day.
Steering responsiveness in the Nissan 370Z also feels a bit disconnected for me. This is supposed to be a sporty car, but I just didn't get that sense. Sure the suspension -- handled by a double wishbone setup in the front and multilink in the rear -- is good, helping the car hug corners rather well and pull spirited maneouvres, but it's nothing to get too excited about. It just is.
Would you bring her home to meet the parents?
Probably not. The 2013 Nissan 370Z isn't very practical either. Sure, a two-seater isn't supposed to be practical (that's the allure of a two-seater when you're a bachelor or looking for a weekend cruiser), but there are other just-as-impractical cars I'd rather spend 40 grand on (like a Mazda MX-5 or the Subaru BRZ, both of which would cost me less). And that's the thing; there are other options. And if you do your homework, you are very likely going to choose those other options over the 370Z.
This 2013 Nissan 370Z review was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
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