Turning the key and hearing the engine roar to life
is the first indication the Nissan 350Z is no poser. Turning
onto a winding road proves this beyond a shadow of doubt.
Sharp steering, terrific handling, and excellent grip make
this a
real driver's car. This car is very fast with brilliant
acceleration.
Mounted longitudinally and driving the rear wheels
is Nissan's excellent VQ V6 engine. It's smooth and sounds
like a big sports car engine. It generates lots of torque
at low rpm, pulling smoothly from about 2000 rpm. Maximum
torque of 274 pounds-feet comes at 4800 rpm, tapering off
as maximum horsepower of 287 hp is reached at 6200 rpm.
The engine is still pulling smoothly as the rev limiter
steps in somewhere just north of 6500 rpm, but this engine
is more about low-rpm torque than high-revving horsepower.
Nissan's Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System
helps the V6 produce a nice, linear band of torque. Drive-by-wire
technology reduces mechanical weight and complexity.
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The short-throw shifter feels good and it's effective.
The six-speed gearbox shifts quickly and deliberately. It's
so well synchronized you almost don't need the clutch (though
Nissan recommends using it). Clutch pedal effort has enough
heft to remind the driver this is no
Honda Accord. The automatic transmission works great, really smooth
and responsive. Driving the automatic, didn't leave me
feeling like I was missing out by not having the manual.
The Touring model with the automatic and 17-inch wheels
felt like the perfect combination for hurtling down New
York's Taconic Parkway.
The 350Z feels taut and well controlled. It really stuck
when accelerating through fast sweepers on California's
Palos Verdes Peninsula. The steering is sharp and accurate
and the Z changes directions brilliantly in transient maneuvers,
without excessive under-steer turning in or sloppy oversteer
coming out. Cornering is flat, without much body lean. The
17-inch tires generate lots of grip, even when driving in
a rebellious manner. It's hard to imagine using it up outside
a competitive event or emergency maneuver. The 17-inch wheels
offer a better ride than the 18-inch wheels on the Performance
model. In either case, the ride does get jouncy on bumpy
roads, most noticeably when cruising slowly, but it doesn't
beat you up and we expect that with a sports car like this.
The brakes are easy to modulate, fun to use, and do
a good job of stopping the car. Electronic Brake-force Distribution
(EBD) and Brake Assist come standard on all 350Zs. Just
like it sounds, Electronic Brake-force Distribution improves
stopping performance by dynamically balancing front and
rear braking forces. Brake Assist is a mechanical system
that applies full braking if it senses an emergency-braking
situation where the driver has not stepped hard enough on
the brake pedal to engage the ABS. Push the car too hard
into a corner or find yourself on a slippery surface and
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and traction control come
to the rescue by reducing power or applying brakes at individual
wheels.
If you like to drive on racetracks, then you should
select the Track model for its Brembo brakes. The weight
of the Nissan 350Z challenges the stock brakes when they
are used over and over, lap after lap. Also, the car understeers
when driven to the limit, meaning you need to get it slowed
down for the corners, then use the torque to power out.
The big Brembos probably won't reduce stopping distances,
but with dual-piston calipers and bigger discs, they should
resist fade better than the standard brakes.
