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. The Z Roadster's additional weight, a result
of the platform strengthening added to restore the
rigidity lost along with the solid hatchback top, no doubt
adds a tick or two to the 0-60 measurement but isn't noticed
in everyday driving.
Mounted longitudinally and driving the rear wheels is
Nissan's excellent VQ35DE 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. With the Z Roadster's top down, the exhaust tone is music
to the driver's ears, rising and falling melodiously and
crisply as the gears are worked through the turns on a twisty
road.
The automatic transmission works great, really smooth
and responsive, and it didn't leave us feeling like we were
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.
With manual mode selected, the automatic holds lower gears
right up to the rev limiter, upshifting only when the driver
desires. Downshifts are electronically managed to ensure
an overly rambunctious pilot doesn't over-rev the sweet
V6. The delicious exhaust tone is wasted on Roadsters fitted
with the automatic, though, when it wanders almost aimlessly
up and down the scale as the engine slips seamlessly amongst
the gears.
Handling feels taut and well controlled in both hatchback
and roadster. These cars really stick through fast sweepers,
allowing the driver to keep the throttle down. The steering
is sharp and accurate and the 350Z changes directions brilliantly
in transient maneuvers, without excessive understeer 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 also offer a better
ride than the 18-inch wheels. 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.
Buffeting at Interstate cruising speeds with the top
down was much less than we expected, thanks to the tempered
glass deflector mounted between the rollbars behind the
seats and to the race car-like, aero body panels tapering
back from each of the seat positions. Anti-flap seatbelt
retainers further reduce the perceived buffeting effect.
Rear side vision loses little to the convertible top, as
the hatchback's quarter panel already blocks a sizable area
of the cops' favorite pacing space.
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 Z understeers
when driven to the limit, meaning you need to get it slowed
down a little more for the corners, then use the torque
to power out. The big Brembos probably won't significantly
reduce stopping distances, but with dual-piston calipers
and bigger discs, they should resist fade better than the
standard brakes, an advantage when turning laps on a racing
circuit. The Track model may be a bit much as a daily driver,
however.
