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Automotive Industry
DRIVEN: Latest Nissan Z Adds Power, Finesse
New 370Z cuts a leaner figure as it sharpens performance.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted May 13, 2009   Phoenix, AZ
Crisper styling on a shorter wheelbase sharpens the look of the Nissan 370Z. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Nissan put its iconic Z car into sharper focus for 2009, resulting in a faster, lighter, crisper handling, and cooler looking sports car. The interior’s a whole lot better, too.

The first makeover since the 350Z reconnected the line of Nissan sports cars in 2003, the 370Z is an all-around improvement yet still provides plenty of value for its moderate price tag.

Horsepower is up to 332 for the new 3.7-liter V-6, compared with 306 for the former 3.5-liter. Curb weight is down about 200 pounds.

The original 350Z styling has been refined, trimmer and more purposeful, with radically sculpted headlights and taillights and a sleeker profile. The wheelbase has shrunk about 4 inches, and overall length is 2.6 inches less.

The sculptured taillights reflect the unique style of the headlights. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Despite the changes, the 370Z is instantly recognizable, with the overall shape and style of its predecessor. But different enough to draw plenty of admiring comments.

370Z also pioneers a new piece of transmission technology, this time for manual transmissions.

Now, we all know about heel-and-toe braking, right? If not, that’s when a braking driver uses his right foot to also apply a blip of throttle as he downshifts into a lower gear, matching the engine revs to the lower gear for a smooth transition.

Heel on the brake, toe on the throttle, give it a blip.

While it was once a mandatory practice, modern synchronizers make it optional for normal driving. But many stickshift drivers, especially those with race-track ambition, perform heel and toe for every impending downshift as a matter of course.

Well now, the 370Z will heel and toe for you, automatically and more precisely than those of us this side of Formula 1 could ever manage. This is an industry first for stickshift, although we’ve seen similar setups for automatics, including the dramatic double-clutch transmissions in Lamborghinis and such.


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