Finally, Edmunds gives the Z some respect:
2009 Nissan 370Z: If It's Too Loud, You're Too Young
Our 2009 Nissan 370Z gets passed over on the sign out sheet much more often than you'd think. It's frankly hard to fathom until you start listening to the younger editors on staff.
"It's too loud," they say. "There's lots of road noise. I can hardly hear my iPod."
Cry me a freakin' river.
a) This is a sports car. b) Do you not remember the noisiness that was the 240Z, the original RX7 or the Porsche 944 S2 Turbo? Of course you don't.
You've obviously had it too soft growing up in car seats in the back of mommy's Camry.
Besides, this car is plenty quiet compared to sports cars of old, and it hauls more ***, stops with much more authority and steers with much more precision than it's ancestors. As a bonus, it also has SyncroRev Match (to either help you learn to heel-and-toe properly or rid yourself of the need to learn) and, of course, a very good iPod connection.
You want more quiet? Fine. We'll simply add some more mass dampers and more sound-deadening materials. Want less road noise? Fine. We'll fit skinnier tires with softer sidewalls and a quiet tread pattern. And let's soften those pesky suspension bushings while we're at it.
So what if it gains weight and loses agility? Who cares if the steering goes all wonky and grip levels decrease? At least you'll be able to hear the Lady GaGa and Kanye West tracks from your favorites list.
Look, do you want a sports car or not? Be honest. If you don't, fine. Look elsewhere. Pick something with four doors and a backseat.
But let's not put the Nissan engineers and product planners on high alert to dumb down the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Some of us like it just the way it is.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 12,923 miles
2009 Nissan 370Z: If It's Too Loud, You're Too Young | Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line