2010 Nissan 370z

2010 Nissan 370z

This Nissan 370Z is a true sports car, in my view. We’ve heard many arguments over the years about just exactly what constitutes a sports car. After all, the early ones didn’t necessarily have a lot of power and newer ones perhaps have too many comforts. The main criterion, in the old days, was that they just had to be simple and handle well. Luxury and convenience have crept into the genre over the years abrogating the oneness between car and driver.

Back in the early 70s Nissan (then Datsun) pioneered this affordable, performance sports car segment with the introduction of the hot 240Z powered by a torquey in-line 6. The price was reasonable and it had classic rear-wheel drive sports car proportions with long hood, short tail and cockpit well back in the chassis. Overhangs were excessive by today’s standards, but in its day it looked great.

The 370Z, new for ’09, continues the tradition. With a base price barely under 30-grand, I guess we can still call it “affordable,” and fully in step with modernity. The classic proportions remain but it now looks more muscular and aggressive with minimal overhangs. A gaping lower grille up front looks to be gulping air through angular lower canine teeth. Exaggerated wheel arches, filled with the optional 19-inch tires on boldly styled, spidery forged wheels, bulge aggressively and the sloping, rounded tail screams scat-happy. We can just visualize the tail hanging out in a smoky drift through a tight turn. Pointy, triangular headlight and taillight bezels point dramatically rearward and forward respectively. In this brash Chicane Yellow color our test car is an eye-catcher for sure.

Our tester is the basic Z-car with starting price of $29,930. The yellow paint is a $500 option and we have optional floor mats for $115 and the Sport Package (manual gear box, limited slip differential, 19-inch wheels, front and rear chin spoilers and sport brakes) for $3,000. The bottom line on the sticker shows $34,240.

My contention is that a sports car is one designed and built purely for the sport of driving – practicality be damned. While the Z is at least minimally practical it certainly panders to our need for fun

Source:autoblog.com