But enough of that, let’s pull over and hit that power roof button. It operates with no manual latching, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the elegantly choreographed transformation. The roof de-latches, raises, folds, and gets tucked into its assigned space behind the rear seats, all in a mere 20 seconds.
Now we’re cruising at speed in an open top sports car in November. And we’re entirely comfortable. Like all modern open-top sports cars, you sit deep into the vehicle, sheltered behind a steeply raked windshield, with access to a powerful heater and heat-able seats. Open top? Yes. At the mercy of the elements? Not so much.
Performance Plus
While peak torque, at 270 ft-lbs, is substantial, it’s not outrageous and hides out fairly high in the rev range (5,200). But this doesn’t seem to affect the get-up-and-go.
The Z feels powerful in all situations.
Some credit for this has to go the smooth shifting 7-speed transmission. (Though at certain times, when I asked for full warp speed, it seemed to hesitate slightly, like it needed a few heart beats to crunch some numbers and sort out the launch sequence.)
The level of speed and handling on offer here can only be fully exploited on the racetrack. Spirited driving around town reveals a car with tremendous grip and acceleration, with virtually no body lean.
The engine sound track is only okay. Not really visceral or emotive. The steering feel also detracts a bit from a pure sporting experience, by being a bit too strong on centre. It will corner as if on rails, but the steering wheel says, “I’d rather go straight.”
The ride is quite comfortable, for such a low slung, performance machine. If you’re not in a racey frame of mind, the Z car can chill out with you, and be as relaxing to drive around town as a Sentra.
While extremely athletic and capable, it doesn’t feel as sport-prioritized as Porsche Boxster, Honda S2000, BMW Z4, or the (much cheaper) Mazda MX-5.
It exudes the more all-around sport and touring competency of say, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and, of course, of its platform cousin, the Infiniti G37 Convertible.
 |
| The ride is quite comfortable, for such a low slung, performance machine. |
Now we’re cruising at speed in an open top sports car in November. And we’re entirely comfortable. Like all modern open-top sports cars, you sit deep into the vehicle, sheltered behind a steeply raked windshield, with access to a powerful heater and heat-able seats. Open top? Yes. At the mercy of the elements? Not so much.
Performance Plus
While peak torque, at 270 ft-lbs, is substantial, it’s not outrageous and hides out fairly high in the rev range (5,200). But this doesn’t seem to affect the get-up-and-go.
The Z feels powerful in all situations.
Some credit for this has to go the smooth shifting 7-speed transmission. (Though at certain times, when I asked for full warp speed, it seemed to hesitate slightly, like it needed a few heart beats to crunch some numbers and sort out the launch sequence.)
The level of speed and handling on offer here can only be fully exploited on the racetrack. Spirited driving around town reveals a car with tremendous grip and acceleration, with virtually no body lean.
The engine sound track is only okay. Not really visceral or emotive. The steering feel also detracts a bit from a pure sporting experience, by being a bit too strong on centre. It will corner as if on rails, but the steering wheel says, “I’d rather go straight.”
The ride is quite comfortable, for such a low slung, performance machine. If you’re not in a racey frame of mind, the Z car can chill out with you, and be as relaxing to drive around town as a Sentra.
While extremely athletic and capable, it doesn’t feel as sport-prioritized as Porsche Boxster, Honda S2000, BMW Z4, or the (much cheaper) Mazda MX-5.
It exudes the more all-around sport and touring competency of say, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and, of course, of its platform cousin, the Infiniti G37 Convertible.
 |
| While peak torque, at 270 ft-lbs, is substantial, it’s not outrageous and hides out fairly high in the rev range (5,200). |