Nissan 350Z
Canadian correspondent Nauman Farooq gets his mits on the new Z Car. Badge engineering or rebirth?
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If you look at every great auto-producing nation in the world, theyall have one thing in common, and that is they all have a sports car as theiriconic car. For America, it's the Chevrolet Corvette, which has been with us fora remarkable 50 years. The style-conscious Italians might have a few choices for a symbol of their automotive expression, but the name thatcomes to most people's lips, is Ferrari. You Brits are of course spoiled forchoice with Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lotus to name just three.
However, go east to Japan and you have the Z car. The "Z" carstarted life in 1970 as a Datsun with the 240Z and a long line of cars hasresulted in a healthy DNA of sporting prowess even after rebranding as Nissan.
Newborn
The last generation 300ZX bowed out in 1996 and since then Nissan had nothingto truly represent the badge in North America. That however is no longer thecase. Welcome to the present day and the reintroduction of the "Z" car inthe new 2003 Nissan 350Z. This latest "Z" has nothing mechanically incommon with the previous cars, but the "Z" DNA is very clear. Thestyling picks up on many cues from the original 240Z whilst bringingthe whole concept very much into the 21st century.
On the outside it's tempting to draw parallels with Celica headlights, a 911roofline and a rear not unlike the TT's. The large rear is compromised on theinside however with a strut brace reducing useful space dramatically.
That brace is there to stiffen up the rear and improve the handling. Andhandle it will, very nicely too. Whether you stay with the regular car (like theone I tested from Dermac Nissan in Brampton, Ontario - Canada) or opt for thetrack pack, you'll get a car that can handle most anything you can throw at iton a local road. This is a heavy car though and it does let you know it as you startpushing it in the corners, but trust the suspension design, trust the tyres, andmost of all, trust Nissan's VDC system (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and the car canbe doing things out of corners that will astound you. Granted, it might lack thedelicacy and poise of its most immediate competitor, the Honda S2000, but it isstill very impressive.
Screamer or Grunter?
Straight-line acceleration is pretty impressive. With that 3.5 litre, V6engine, producing 287 hp, it really has a lot of go. Not that you'll feel it atthe bottom-end though. Despite it's beefy looks, the 350 is a screamer not agrunter. Off the line, the car is not immediately fast. You have to build up therevs like in a VTEC Honda engine, and then, when it's breathing hard, you getthe punch. The result is in a 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds and a top speed ofabout 250 km/h (155mph).
The brakes are good in standard trim but if you're feeling more ambitiousthere is a track pack which gets stronger Brembo brakes. Drive this car forany extended period of time and you'll see the direction Nissan intended to headwith this car. Sadly, this is not a sports car; it's a sports tourer. It's athome cruising along the highways, giving you all the punch you need to blastpast traffic with ease.
Pricing
You have to give it Nissan for some smart pricing. The entry-level car startsat CAN$44,900 (~£18,000) and the top of the line track pack version setting youback CAN$48,300. That puts it just beneath the Honda S2000 in the pricecategory.
Nissan have some work to do in the marketing department though. Everynon-enthusiast I showed the car to, asked if it would compete with the HyundaiCoupe or the Toyota Celica. It'll take some work to restore the reputation ofthe Z Car.
quote:
The result is in a 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds and a top speed of about 250 km/h (155mph).
It would probably do faster, however a lot of cars are having top speed limited electronically to 155.
quote:
Everyone non-enthusiast I showed the car to, asked if it would compete with the Hyundai Coupe or the Toyota Celica
VW Bug. IMHO Nissan took all of the worst parts of the cars mentioned (Celica, TT et al) and said, "Right, let's throw that lot together and see if it sells. Try America, they're always good for a laugh. Besides, any country that buys that many SUV's will buy anything..."
I wish Nissan luck, but they should have picked another name and saved "Z" for something extra Zpecial.
Cheers ErnestM
Lets hope they keep the pricing keen over here as well.
I would consider it over to usual suspects.
260Z.......my mum had one when I was about 10 years old. Remember doing 135 (indicated!) on the A36 (?) dual carriage way into Salisbury. Unfortunately, soon after an extensive re-build and a little engine work it got sold. OUV 99R......are you out there?
If you want an iconic Japanese sports car that looks like a Japanese sports car, I'd go for the Nissan Skyline. Oh wait, they're doing weird things with that too.
I reckon the best Japanese designs are ones that ape Euroclassics by simplifying them (e.g. MX5, original Z car).
The Best "classic Japs" all heavily name-drop other, often british, sports cars.
The original Z was a reliable MGB GT, partnered by the Honda S800, which played it's role as a sporting (rather than sporty...if you see what I'm getting at) MG Midget. The MX-5, as has been said, was a reincarntion the Mrs. Peal's Lotus Elan.
The thing the cunning Japs do is add reliability. Some might say that that then negates some of the their character. I would disagree, it just means you can have a love/love relationship with them.
(BTW:They do gain character with age though beleive me... jump leads, new girl friend, gsoh(thank god), I think Twink's high-beams are getting a slightly green tinge)
The thing that I feel is missing in the aesthic mix with the 350Z is a lack of delicacy. Yes there are elements that allude to many other cars in its styling (so many I can't be arsed to list any, I'll leave that to someone else), but the package as a whole looks bulky, unagile.
As this car was meant to be a back to roots effort, could they not have tryed to keep it visually light on it's feet, like toyota did with the latest Celica. Both model lines were getting bigger and fatter, then the Celica arrived fresh from a tough rehab down at the gym, looking almost as small and equally as lythe as Twinkie. The first Z had a similar feather weight agility, but it would seem a few genes from the 300ZX still reside in the pool.
Pitty.
Mouse
quote:It's good that different people like different things...I for one like the look of the 350Z, and think that the new Celica looks ugly - although I hear it is a good car. (I also liked the 300Zx, which with some minor tweaking could be a fearsomely quick & agile car)
but the package as a whole looks bulky, unagile.
As this car was meant to be a back to roots effort, could they not have tryed to keep it visually light on it's feet, like toyota did with the latest Celica. Both model lines were getting bigger and fatter, then the Celica arrived fresh from a tough rehab down at the gym, looking almost as small and equally as lythe as Twinkie. The first Z had a similar feather weight agility, but it would seem a few genes from the 300ZX still reside in the pool.
Pitty.
Mouse
quote:
The Best "classic Japs" all heavily name-drop other, often british, sports cars.
The original Z was a reliable MGB GT, partnered by the Honda S800, which played it's role as a sporting (rather than sporty...if you see what I'm getting at) MG Midget. The MX-5, as has been said, was a reincarntion the Mrs. Peal's Lotus Elan.
Mouse
(#Anorak mode on)
Not quite, the original 240Z was based on the Austin Healey 3000 but included a tin-top to make it a coupe, mostly because of American legislation of the late 1960s. The original Z was launched in 1969 and the Japanese model featured a 2.0l six-pot with twin camshafts. American and European models had the 2.4 single cam version.
(#Anorak mode off)
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