German Car Zone

It's hard to believe, but seven years have passed since the Nissan 350Z was introduced. Then, Road & Track secured the exclusive first drive of the car, which appeared on our December 2001 cover, weeks before anyone ever got a sniff of its exhaust fumes. Flash forward and it's déjà vu all over again. I'm again in Japan, examining the 370Z in the brisk Hokkaido air with Z-meister Shinjiro "John" Yukawa (also the head guy of the 350Z team). He expounded on the virtues of the new car, just as he had then — but this time, his tone was a bit more relaxed and he smiled a lot. He had the look of someone who was pleasantly confident, like a basketball coach who knew the outcome of a game before tip-off. That the 350Z was a resounding success is obvious. Since the 2-seat sports car hit the market, more than 250,000 have been sold worldwide, with 70 percent of those sold in the U.S. It revived a new culture of value-oriented sporty cars from Japan, with machines like the Mazda RX-8, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru WRX following the Z across the Pacific. So, for the second act, the pressure was on Yukawa to come up with something new that retained the essence of the original car. After experiencing the new 370Z, you start to understand why he's in such high spirits.

By now, most of you have seen photos of the car, but it looks much better in the flesh, as those who've visited the Nissan booth at the Los Angeles Auto Show can attest. The first things to catch your eye are the headlights and taillights. They're wild shapes that look like warped arrowheads, but they blend nicely with the rest of the car's styling. The general shape of the Z hasn't changed, but careful observers will notice that the car is shorter. At 167.1 in., the new Z is 2.5 in. shorter than the previous car, with a wheelbase cut by nearly 4 in. It's also 1.7 in. wider, with a roofline lowered by 0.1 in. Despite the shrinkage, the 370Z remains adequate for two 6-ft.-plus individuals, and their luggage is easier to haul because Nissan relocated the rear strut brace forward and lower in the compartment. There's also a proper glovebox. The true benefit of the car's downsized dimensions is less weight. The new Z is more than 200 lb. lighter than the 350Z; it's as if the old Z went on a strict diet and strengthening regimen.


Full Article: Road and Track - Full Test: 2009 Nissan 370Z


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