And the new car steers with such surgical precision that you’ll be carving through every road curve. On a track, the car instantly feels at home and displays superb handling characteristics. In tight corners, the 370Z’s front end stays so firmly planted to the surface that its rear wheels eventually end up capitulating and start losing grip, easily cured with a variation of throttle input.
Improved cockpit
The 370Z’s interior is an improvement over the one in the old 350Z for many reasons. In addition, it retains some useful features, like the instrument pod that tilts with the steering wheel.
The dashboard boasts a rounder, more modern design but the basic layout is about the same. The seats are very supportive and hold you in place while cornering, while interior space is tight but tolerable. By accident, our elbow sometimes presses on the button that opens the storage compartment between the seats.
Some of us find the cabin noisy, however; engine noise is just about omnipresent and road noise over cracked pavement filters though. There isn’t much trunk space, and rearward visibility is limited and makes backing up a small challenge in crowded shopping center parking lots.
Competition
The Nissan 370Z has a base price of $39,998, which is almost ten grand less than the 2008 350Z; that’s good news. Our test car also included the $4,000 Sport Package which includes the aforementioned SynchroRev Match, front and rear deflectors, high-performance brakes and 19-inch wheels.
The Z has a few rear-wheel drive enemies, and two front-wheel drive ones:
BMW 135i, 300 hp, $41,700
Chevrolet Camaro 1SS, 426 hp, $37,995
Dodge Challenger R/T, 375 hp, $35,295
Ford Mustang GT, 315 hp, $36,999
Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT, 306 hp, $34,995
Mazda RX-8 R3, 238 hp, $41,995
MINI John Cooper Works, 208 hp, $38,390
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P, 265 hp, $34,798
As you can see, the price drop makes the Nissan more competitive, although it’s still one of the most expensive here.
 |
| The seats are very supportive and hold you in place while cornering, while interior space is tight but tolerable. |
Improved cockpit
The 370Z’s interior is an improvement over the one in the old 350Z for many reasons. In addition, it retains some useful features, like the instrument pod that tilts with the steering wheel.
The dashboard boasts a rounder, more modern design but the basic layout is about the same. The seats are very supportive and hold you in place while cornering, while interior space is tight but tolerable. By accident, our elbow sometimes presses on the button that opens the storage compartment between the seats.
Some of us find the cabin noisy, however; engine noise is just about omnipresent and road noise over cracked pavement filters though. There isn’t much trunk space, and rearward visibility is limited and makes backing up a small challenge in crowded shopping center parking lots.
Competition
The Nissan 370Z has a base price of $39,998, which is almost ten grand less than the 2008 350Z; that’s good news. Our test car also included the $4,000 Sport Package which includes the aforementioned SynchroRev Match, front and rear deflectors, high-performance brakes and 19-inch wheels.
The Z has a few rear-wheel drive enemies, and two front-wheel drive ones:
BMW 135i, 300 hp, $41,700
Chevrolet Camaro 1SS, 426 hp, $37,995
Dodge Challenger R/T, 375 hp, $35,295
Ford Mustang GT, 315 hp, $36,999
Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT, 306 hp, $34,995
Mazda RX-8 R3, 238 hp, $41,995
MINI John Cooper Works, 208 hp, $38,390
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P, 265 hp, $34,798
As you can see, the price drop makes the Nissan more competitive, although it’s still one of the most expensive here.
 |
| There isn’t much trunk space, and rearward visibility is limited. |