The only gearbox available is a 6-speed manual that also features the Nissan’s SynchroRev Match that automatically blips the throttle during gear changes and makes novice pilots look like a hero. For those who are experienced enough to do it on their own, it can be deactivated.
We recorded a 0-100 km/h time of 5.4 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.6 seconds at 165 km/h. The car could be quicker, but we’re experiencing a driveline jerk at the start of every acceleration run.
For NISMO duty, the car’s suspension has been reworked, or simply put, seriously stiffened. Spring rates, damper rates and stabilizer bars have all been dialled up, especially at the rear. This produces two instantly noticeable results.
Number one: this car exhibits no body roll whatsoever on public roads; fling it down a banked highway exit, execute emergency lane changes to your heart’s content and take any twisty back road, the NISMO tracks like it’s on rails. The surgical, speed-sensitive power steering also contributes to that feeling, although an impromptu sneeze could make you steer the car into a ditch.
Number two: around town, this NISMO is intolerable. You’ll have the impression that there is no suspension at all, and the bone-jarring ride is tiring, if not irritating. This ain’t no boulevard cruiser.
Inside, the NISMO 370Z gets stripped down. The run-of-the-mill Z’s power-adjustable and heated leather seats are gone, replaced by manually-adjustable, two-tone cloth seats with NISMO logo stitching.
But what’s this? A CD player that doesn’t read MP3 files? Four speakers, all mounted up front? No Bluetooth connectivity? No USB port? We can understand Nissan wanting to skim the equipment list to keep the car’s weight down, but seriously, taking the stereo out of a $15K Versa and putting it in a car with this price is not cool.
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| The car handles superbly, but the ride is harsh. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
We recorded a 0-100 km/h time of 5.4 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.6 seconds at 165 km/h. The car could be quicker, but we’re experiencing a driveline jerk at the start of every acceleration run.
For NISMO duty, the car’s suspension has been reworked, or simply put, seriously stiffened. Spring rates, damper rates and stabilizer bars have all been dialled up, especially at the rear. This produces two instantly noticeable results.
Number one: this car exhibits no body roll whatsoever on public roads; fling it down a banked highway exit, execute emergency lane changes to your heart’s content and take any twisty back road, the NISMO tracks like it’s on rails. The surgical, speed-sensitive power steering also contributes to that feeling, although an impromptu sneeze could make you steer the car into a ditch.
Number two: around town, this NISMO is intolerable. You’ll have the impression that there is no suspension at all, and the bone-jarring ride is tiring, if not irritating. This ain’t no boulevard cruiser.
Inside, the NISMO 370Z gets stripped down. The run-of-the-mill Z’s power-adjustable and heated leather seats are gone, replaced by manually-adjustable, two-tone cloth seats with NISMO logo stitching.
But what’s this? A CD player that doesn’t read MP3 files? Four speakers, all mounted up front? No Bluetooth connectivity? No USB port? We can understand Nissan wanting to skim the equipment list to keep the car’s weight down, but seriously, taking the stereo out of a $15K Versa and putting it in a car with this price is not cool.
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| Manually-adjustable cloth seats replace the Z’s standard leather and power adjustability. (Photo: Nissan) |