2009 Nissan 370Z Windham ME

September 29, 2009   By Jon Alain Guzik, Editor-in-Chief



2009 Nissan 370Z
DriverSide Overview
Whenever Nissan releases a new Z, the car world goes a twitter as people make for a lot of great expectations. Call it what you will, “iconic,” “legendary” and “world-class”, terms that haunt the Z like a fevered dream. This Z has a long history behind it – complete with a racing pedigree and a simple but successful front-engine, rear-wheel drive formula. The 350Z had six-year production run that resurrected the name and brought the car back to the legions of faithful that followed it. But six years is a lifetime in the automotive world, and the same car that had wowed enthusiasts and critics alike when it debuted in 2002 was starting to look its age in 2008. Nissan knew the Z needed new bones, but could it improve on its tried and true formula while staying true to its roots? To do so, the new Z would need a rival – something that epitomized the term sports car in the minds of everyone of every age. It chose the Porsche Cayman S . To have a chance, the car would need more power, better fuel economy, a trick transmission and an interior to match the luxe-German coupe. The 2009 Nissan 370Z not only meets those requirements, but it exceeds the expectations of everything a Z should be, at about half the price of the Porsche. Recessionary Chic has hit the sports car market!
 







What's to Like
The 370Z takes on all of the lackluster areas of the previous generation car. Where there once were flimsy, hard plastics and materials in the cockpit, we now get an up market and high-class interior. Horsepower is up to 332, thanks to a new 3.7-liter V-6 engine and the six-speed manual transmission with a Nissan first SynchroRev Match technology makes anyone look like a heel-toe driving champ.
 
What's Not to Like
The base model doesn’t offer too much in the way of navigation or entertainment and really, how much would it be for two extra rear speakers standard? Nissan does offer a technology package to satisfy your tech tooth, complete with an impressive traffic-aware navigation system and on-board music storage, but you’ll have to pay for it.
 
The Drive
DriverSide Driving Impressions
Some cars are built to ferry you and your possessions from point A to point B, others to make you think you could have had a crack at being a professional racecar driver. The 370Z falls into the latter category. Nissan stripped some serious size and weight from the last iteration to maximize all 332 horsepower under the hood. Nissan was able to do this by building traditionally heavy body parts out of light-weight aluminum – doors, rear hatch and hood all get the weight-watchers treatment, helping to get the car’s curb weight down and weight balance to the magic 50/50 number. The Z is available with either a seven-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.

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