**Nissan gives Z new name**

nogoodname

Nissan gives Z new name, new look for ’09


Sunday, Dec 14, 2008
Posted on Sun, Dec. 14, 2008

Special to the Star-Telegram
Nissan’s redesigned 2009 370Z sports car will go on sale in coupe form in January with a starting price of about $30,000, the automaker said after unveiling the car at the recent Los Angeles auto show.

A convertible version will join the lineup later in the year as a 2010 model, Nissan said, but no prices were announced for that model.

The company said during the Los Angeles introduction that this is the first "full redesign of the iconic Nissan Z since its re-introduction as a 2003 model."

To qualify as a new generation, and not just a freshening of the current 350Z, "nearly every piece and component has been rethought or redesigned," Nissan said.

The new model, which also gets a new name (the 370 indicates the new engine size, 3.7 liters), has a shorter wheelbase, more lightweight body materials, more horsepower, better fuel economy, a new seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and a high-quality interior, the automaker said.

Under the hood, the new engine replaces this year’s 3.5-liter V-6. Both are members of the same engine family, but the 3.7-liter is taken from the 2008 Infiniti G37 coupe, where it was first introduced. It’s also being added to the G sedan for 2009, which makes it a G37 rather than a G35, the designation for 2008.

This engine adds 26 horsepower, giving the 370Z a total of 332 horsepower along with 270 foot-pounds of torque.

Transmission choices are either a new close-ratio six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic, which Nissan says is designed to feel like a manual.

The Z car has been in Nissan’s U.S. lineup off and on for nearly 40 years, having been introduced in 1970 as the Datsun 240Z.

Among exterior features of the ’09 370Z are new rear quarter windows that Nissan says were inspired by the original Z.

The first Z "revolutionized the sports car world with its unique combination of performance, style and, especially, value," Nissan said. "The new 370Z solidifies the Z’s position as one of the most desirable sports cars on the planet – at an affordable price – bringing true sports car performance to everyone."

Keeping the starting price at $30,000 is one key to helping ensure that the new Z is successful in today’s challenging auto market. The reason the Z was discontinued in the mid-90s was that prices had risen to the mid-$30,000s for the 300ZX, which had put the car out of reach of many consumers who would otherwise have bought one.

But to offer this newest Z at $30,000 makes it a great bargain, although I understand that there are many consumers who couldn’t come close to paying that much for an automobile, let alone one that has room for just two people.

The new model follows a trend that Ford started with the current generation of the Mustang – blending styling cues from the original model into the newest version, making the 2009 look like a modern interpretation of the Z that started it all.

"The fresh character of the 2009 Nissan 370Z is immediately apparent in the crisp new exterior design, which is sportier yet still immensely identifiable as a Nissan Z," said Al Castignetti, Nissan’s North American vice president for sales.

"One usually thinks of evolution as being linear," he said. "The new 370Z’s 'super evolution’ builds on the best features of both the first and last generations Z-cars – respectful but not retro, simple yet sophisticated, and 110 percent pure Z."

Nissan said the car is meant for everyday driving, which makes it more practical than some of those expensive, exotic sports cars that people keep locked in their garages most of the time.

"The new 370Z lives in the sweet spot of performance, style and value, a position that Nissan invented with the original Z," Castignetti said. "It’s an authentic sports car that you don’t have to make sacrifices to own or drive every day."

The new model’s wheelbase is nearly four inches shorter than that of the current model, at 100.4 inches. Overall length is 167.1 inches, which makes the car 2.7 inches shorter.

Its width been increased 1.3 inches, but the new model is 0.3 inches lower than the ’08. The rear track has been widened 2.2 inches to give the car more stability and a more-aggressive stance, Nissan said.

Inside, the car has been designed for comfort as well as performance, which can be a difficult mix. The cockpit includes bucket seats, a new "deeply scooped" instrument panel, and a center console separating the driver and passenger.

The hatchback design of the coupe allows for an open cargo area behind the seats with easy access. A retractable cover is standard on the uplevel Touring model, and a locking glove box is new and included on all models.

All of the gauges are slightly larger, but the instrument panel still has the "traditional three-pod cluster," Nissan said.

Among standard interior features are woven cloth seats with an eight-way manual adjustment for the driver and four-way for the passenger. Heated leather seats with four-way power adjustments are included on the Touring model.

Also standard are adjustable front active head restraints.

The accelerator pedal is now mounted to the floor rather than being suspended from above, as it is on the current model. Aluminum pedals are optional.

Other standard amenities include the Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start; power windows with one-touch up or down; power door locks with auto-lock feature; automatic climate control; a rear-window defroster with timer; two 12-volt power outlets; four cupholders; two overhead map lights; and an AM/FM/compact-disc audio system with four speakers and illuminated steering-wheel-mounted controls.

Extras with the Touring model also include a Bose audio system with a six-disc CD changer, eight speakers (with dual subwoofers) and MP3 playback; XM satellite radio; a Bluetooth hands-free phone system; and a universal garage/gate opener.

Available is a navigation/audio system with XM NavTraffic, a 9.3-gigabyte hard drive and an interface for an iPod.

Standard are 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, along with Yokohama performance summer tires. A sport package replaces those with 19-inch wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires.

Safety features include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags, electronic stability control, a security system, and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.

One usually thinks of evolution as being linear. The new 370Z’s 'super evolution’ builds on the best features of both the first and last generations Z-cars – respectful but not retro, simple yet sophisticated, and 110 percent pure Z.
– Al Castignetti, Nissan’s North American vice president for sales.

shumby

thanks for posting yet another good review

__________________
Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
Sam

nogoodname

no problem, I found it just as it was posted/written