The seats are tight and propose the kind of support you need on a track. The steering column is not telescopic, however the seats’ multiple adjustments make up for this shortcoming. Amongst the plethora of gauges, what is lacking is a digital speed readout somewhere in the centre-mounted tachometer. The speedometer is where it belongs, to the right of the tach, however on those occasions where it would be important to know how fast you're flying by traffic, it is difficult to consult as the numbers are very small and partially hidden.
If she had a set of wings...
The new VQ37 in the Z is, in a word, phenomenal. Generating 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, the very healthy 3.7L V6 has power to spare, not that you would want to give any of it up. With the Go pedal down, the car surges forward off the line very rapidly and builds prodigious amounts of speed as the tach needle climbs to a vertical and continues beyond. There are, in fact, two ways of achieving this.
The first is with the help of the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Featuring an optional SyncroRev Match (throttle blip) system, this transmission would appear to be the way to go to maximize driving pleasure, or so I have read. My tester, a Sport Package (big brakes, spoilers and 19” wheels) endowed car, was equipped with Nissan-Infiniti's 7-speed automatic transmission, the other way to go.
Now, I'm no big fan of slushboxes in performance cars; when left in “D” the experience is practically soul-robbing, in other words, fluid and efficient. However, when the lever is pulled into “M” for manual mode, the driver can make use of the steering column-mounted paddles. Aggressive driving is what this car prefers. If your goal is to reach the next light as quickly as possible or to merge on to the highway ahead of everybody, tapping the big paddles is best. However, if you like to drive in manual mode casually, the autobox's programming will not allow for very smooth transitions.
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| Generating 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, the very healthy 3.7L V6 has power to spare. |
If she had a set of wings...
The new VQ37 in the Z is, in a word, phenomenal. Generating 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, the very healthy 3.7L V6 has power to spare, not that you would want to give any of it up. With the Go pedal down, the car surges forward off the line very rapidly and builds prodigious amounts of speed as the tach needle climbs to a vertical and continues beyond. There are, in fact, two ways of achieving this.
The first is with the help of the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Featuring an optional SyncroRev Match (throttle blip) system, this transmission would appear to be the way to go to maximize driving pleasure, or so I have read. My tester, a Sport Package (big brakes, spoilers and 19” wheels) endowed car, was equipped with Nissan-Infiniti's 7-speed automatic transmission, the other way to go.
Now, I'm no big fan of slushboxes in performance cars; when left in “D” the experience is practically soul-robbing, in other words, fluid and efficient. However, when the lever is pulled into “M” for manual mode, the driver can make use of the steering column-mounted paddles. Aggressive driving is what this car prefers. If your goal is to reach the next light as quickly as possible or to merge on to the highway ahead of everybody, tapping the big paddles is best. However, if you like to drive in manual mode casually, the autobox's programming will not allow for very smooth transitions.
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| A moderate application of throttle pressure is met with vigorous forward thrust and a menacing wale from the exhaust. |