J7Z

In the weekend journal part of the paper. I will copy the article here since it is a subscription service.

A Thirtysomething Car
Tries Thinking Young

By JONATHAN WELSH
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

After decades of improvements on Nissan's Z car, the design team hit upon a novel idea: Go back to square one.

In fact, Nissan's hottest new sports car may support the argument (with the Mini Cooper and Pontiac's pending GTO muscle car) that there are no new ideas in the auto business, only old ones on a 30-year cycle.


The Nissan 350Z


Nissan's 240Z (it was called Datsun back then) started life in 1969 as the poor man's Porsche. It cost about $3,500 and was light and nimble enough to keep up with Jaguars, Corvettes and other high-performance autos costing two to three times as much. Young car fans with more passion than cash snapped up the simple, good-looking Zs. Many amateurs and pros even raced them.

Fast forward three decades to our metallic-gray test car. It certainly looked racy, with lines that reminded us of the 240Z without giving in to today's tiring retro craze. A low, curved roof and flared fenders gave it a solid, hunkered-down appearance; and except for a small-but-still-annoying rear spoiler, there were few add-ons. Some detractors found its vertical door handles, in unpainted stainless steel, too big and distracting. But they felt sturdy to the touch and emitted a deep-sounding "click" when we opened the doors.

It was gimmickry, in fact, that took its toll on earlier Zs, which over time got heavier and less attractive. Some were even stretched to seat four passengers. Good looks returned for the 1990 model, but by then the turbo-charged 300ZX was pricey, complicated and better suited to the midlife-crisis set. Sales slumped and Nissan dropped the car from its U.S. line in 1996. But before long, motorists in their 20s and early 30s -- perhaps not coincidentally, the kids of the first Z-car generation -- were starting to buy small two-door coupes again. So bringing back a more affordable Z seemed like the answer.

It may not be so simple, though. With a price range of about $26,000 to $34,000, the new car, like its forerunner, doesn't fall easily into a category. It's more expensive than bargain hot rods like the Acura RSX and Toyota Celica, yet much less than European rivals. We wondered where the 350Z would fit.

While it performs like many high-end sports cars, we could see where Nissan saved money: the interior. It was a bit too spare and, in some cases, chintzy. Nothing we carried seemed to fit in a roll-top bin on the dashboard, and sliding the cover back into place was difficult. It turns out the space is reserved for an optional navigation system, but that doesn't mean the compartment's cover should be an afterthought.

Getting the right options can be a pain. Instead of offering a long list of extra-cost gear, Nissan makes five different versions of the 350Z -- the "base," "enthusiast," "performance," "touring" and "track" models.

Only the touring model has leather trim. But it also comes with a very non-sporty automatic transmission. So, hard-core drivers who happen to want leather have to pay for a $1,600 package to get a six-speed stick shift. Yet that's what we would recommend, because the cloth-covered seats in our tester, while nicely shaped and comfortable, already looked frayed and sloppy.

On the road, the 350Z felt like a stronger, tightly wound version of the old 240. Handling was precise and the ride was firm -- so firm that we felt nearly every pebble along our favorite stretches of Massachusetts' rural Route 8. Best of all, and most surprising, the engine's roar actually sounded a bit like an eight-cylinder Ferrari.

But those seeking an easygoing car for cruising around and being seen should look elsewhere. The manual transmission feels like a throwback to '60s muscle cars (the 350Z's shift lever and clutch take more brawn than most of its contemporaries), so getting the Z moving smoothly takes practice, even for established stick jockeys. A few stalls at busy intersections certainly humbled us.

Write to Jonathan Welsh at jonathan.welsh@wsj.com1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Driver's Manual
Performance Anxiety

Backseat Driver

Here's what we liked -- and didn't -- about the Nissan 350Z.

WHAT WORKS WHAT DOESN'T
The Outside Sleek body is classic without being retro. Hatchback is attractive -- and hatch is actually convenient. Exaggerated headlights and taillights made the car look a bit like a Pokemon cartoon character.
The Inside Straightforward and comfortable, the interior dispenses with many of the gadgets that annoy us in other cars. Get leather. Chintzy-looking cloth seats showed signs of fraying even on our nearly new test car.
Under the Hood A 3.5-liter, V6 engine has 287 horsepower for quick acceleration and passing. Not as much low-speed muscle as we'd like. It takes deft footwork on the throttle and clutch to get going.
Behind the Wheel When you adjust the steering wheel's angle, the main gauges also move up and down, making them easier to see. Highly raked back window cuts down rearward visibility to little more than a mail-slot view.
Over the Top Dashboard instruments include a built-in stopwatch -- for timing quarter-mile sprints? Cup holders are ill placed between seats, requiring an awkward reach to get to the drink.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1...20.djm,00.html


Hyperlinks in this Article:
(1) mailto:jonathan.welsh@wsj.com

Updated August 2, 2002