* Nissan 370Z, 3.7-litre, 332hp, seven-speed automatic
BMW Z4 35i
Nissan 370Z
The 370Z is shorter, wider and 32kg lighter than its predecessor, and efforts to make it look a little less as if it had been fired down the road from the barrel of a gun have elicited a shape which is marginally fussier and not, to my eye, quite as pleasing. The two seater's couture looks to have been simply melted into place over the engineering hard points, with lashings of shark added to the sharp end. The ubiquitous and increasingly frantic quest for head- and tail-lamp cluster styling novelty continues apace here, the headlamps peeling far back up the bonnet like the eyelids of a man trapped on the wing of a jumbo jet during take-off.
Under the bonnet, a 3.7-litre V6 delivers 326bhp and 269lb ft of torque to the rear wheels via either six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmissions, the latter being a first in a Z car. Thus armed, the 370Z will yell from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, and on to a governed top speed of 155mph.
With, or with out, wind in your hair, the Z4 showed an advantage even before we set off thanks to its storage space. Although, roof up, its boot is only slightly more capacious than the SLK’s (310 litres plays 300), the small shelf behind the seats in the cabin (something the SLK lacks) proved ideal as an overflow, so everything we needed for a week in north Wales fitted in – waterproofs, walking boots, camera kit,
self-catering gubbins, a kite, the lot.
Once in Wales, the BM’s twin-turbo 3-litre six made light work of steep gradients (with 295lb ft from a mere 1300rpm, who needs an auto ’box?) and showed impressive levels of economy
(28.6mpg average for the week). Meanwhile, the default setting for the adaptive suspension was perfect for cruising around and taking in the views (roof down, natch), and the sportier options were just the ticket for a couple of swift laps of the evo Triangle, where the 302bhp engine got to show the other side of its character.
In short, the Z4 did everything asked of it without fuss. Perhaps that’s why not once all week did I wish I was in a different car, Z4 rival or otherwise. I’m impressed.
self-catering gubbins, a kite, the lot.
Once in Wales, the BM’s twin-turbo 3-litre six made light work of steep gradients (with 295lb ft from a mere 1300rpm, who needs an auto ’box?) and showed impressive levels of economy
(28.6mpg average for the week). Meanwhile, the default setting for the adaptive suspension was perfect for cruising around and taking in the views (roof down, natch), and the sportier options were just the ticket for a couple of swift laps of the evo Triangle, where the 302bhp engine got to show the other side of its character.
In short, the Z4 did everything asked of it without fuss. Perhaps that’s why not once all week did I wish I was in a different car, Z4 rival or otherwise. I’m impressed.Nissan 370Z
The 370Z is shorter, wider and 32kg lighter than its predecessor, and efforts to make it look a little less as if it had been fired down the road from the barrel of a gun have elicited a shape which is marginally fussier and not, to my eye, quite as pleasing. The two seater's couture looks to have been simply melted into place over the engineering hard points, with lashings of shark added to the sharp end. The ubiquitous and increasingly frantic quest for head- and tail-lamp cluster styling novelty continues apace here, the headlamps peeling far back up the bonnet like the eyelids of a man trapped on the wing of a jumbo jet during take-off.
Under the bonnet, a 3.7-litre V6 delivers 326bhp and 269lb ft of torque to the rear wheels via either six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmissions, the latter being a first in a Z car. Thus armed, the 370Z will yell from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, and on to a governed top speed of 155mph. And yell it does, for Nissan has somehow contrived to make this gruff power plant sound less than sweet. Perhaps it'll loosen up over time, but there's an underlying harshness about the unit, reminiscent of inadequate lubrication, and too much vibration through gear lever and pedals as the revs build.
An absurdly suburban launch driving route precludes further, detailed impressions, but it is clear from a short foray that, though something of a blunt instrument, the 370Z delivers in the context of its key tenet; maximum bang for your bucks
Personaly, i would chose...:)
niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :))))
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