Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The car for inveterate gamers: Nissan 370Z

Nissan 370Z

If predecessor Nissan 350Z was the absolute macho new «Z» became more womanly, refined. However to say that is "female", instead of "male" and the more so to name 370Z historical Japanese name Fairlady I would not dare. And if to distract from a snake grin of a forward air inlet, vertical door handles and elaborate headlights-lanterns in the form of letter scraps «Z»... The Silhouette with a direct back — same Porsche!

New Nissan 370Z

In salon — spirit of ancestors in the form of the "motorcycle" panel of devices on a steering column, as well as at the predecessor 350Z. But all these details play, when salon, as at me, — orange. And if an interior it is ordinary black the attention is involved with the elements borrowed at Infiniti G37: the central console with the inclined keyboard, the large button of start of the engine and the compartment located at the left for the ignition key. Though is not present — the key at the left here is perceived by a hint any more on Infiniti, and again on Porsche.

— Improvement on all without an exception to parametres, let was our purpose and small, — Steave Robbins, the engineer of European technical centre Nissan explains the concept of creation of model 370Z.
— In salon now there are a glove compartment, a powerful cross-beam we have shifted from a luggage carrier forward, for seats …

At the heart of a compartment — modernised rear-wheel platform FM (front midship) from Infiniti G37 with the power unit "pushed" deep into to wheel base. In front — a classical two-lever, back suspension bracket — four-lever. Springs, shock-absorbers (firms Kayaba), sajlent-blocks of suspension brackets here are more rigid, but the main thing — wheel base on 300 mm is shorter (2,550 mm), than at Infiniti G37 (and on 100 mm, than at 350Z). And a track, on the contrary, more widely. As at the racing super-car!

— With such configuration 370Z copes not worse sports competitors, — Robbins assures.

Feel, where he drives?
Completely operated as at Infiniti, the chassis and a full drive designers at all did not take in calculation are superfluous weight and expenses. The body on third became more rigid («basically at the expense of more advanced computer modelling») and on the whole 102 kg it is easier — a cowl, a cover of a luggage carrier and external panels of doors now aluminium. And the car weight as a whole in comparison with model 350Z has decreased on 32 kg.

Nissan 370Z

The engine — atmospheric "six" VQ37VHR (3,7L, 331HP) — is known besides on Infiniti G37. But at the expense of smaller weight installed power per employee new a Z-car above — 220HP against 196HP at Infiniti and 183HP at 350Z.

And the main news is that European 370Z along with Japanese and American will be equipped at last with "automatic machine". Why not "mechanics"? Because to adapt a megapowerful box from supercar GT-R — it's unprofitable, and similar motor-car manufacturers have no another. By the way, absence of automatic transmission, on assurance of experts in marketing of autoconcern was the reason low model-predecessor sales...

But I have begun with "mechanics".
To get under way uneasy — coupling very hard, and the moment of contact of disks is not felt at all. The main highlight of mechanical transmission, actually, not in the mechanism, and in electronics — system Synchro Rev Control (SRC). You rush, for example, on the fifth transfer, you squeeze out coupling — and as soon as the lever literally on millimetre comes on "territory" of the third transfer (position gauges stand in the mechanism of switching and on a coupling pedal) motor turns jump up exactly so, it is how much necessary. So purely to be switched without SRC (it can be disconnected the button) at me it turned out every third, from force the second time. To deceive system, sharply pulling the lever or, on the contrary, stretching switchings, did not leave. Only to have fun: at the squeezed out coupling by the transmission lever it is possible to increase speed!

While I with the colleague searched near Paris though for any flight site, Nissan 370Z puzzled more likely, than pleased. On addition of gas the motor reacts quickly and precisely, and to dump — with an appreciable delay. The effort on hard and rather a sharp wheel changes adequately, but, for example, at a strong lateral wind is dim-drawn "zero" forces to search management in small corners. The suspension bracket rigid, constantly shakes, but to "be accustomed" to this rigidity it is not possible: on compartment dispersal considerably squats «on hinder legs», on braking — hardly is not sleepy.

As a result you feel the gamer: you want a high — full gas! Here only in game it is possible not to be afraid to "spread out" the car, and in a life... In a life not bad to take pleasure and in driving «in a half-pedal». But if any Porsche allows also it, Nissan 370Z — hardly.

Test Drive: Nissan 370Z

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