good motoring
Blend of elegance and power
H.Kishie Singh
She
is simply beautiful. Why "she"? Such beauty can
only exude from a female. It is the type of beauty you really do
appreciate. But don’t be fooled by the looks. Under the
aluminium bonnet of the Nissan 370 Z, lurks a fire-breathing V-6
3.7 litre engine that pumps out an enormous 333 hp. It is a VQ
series engine — the VQ 37 VHR. Nissan VQ engines are rated as
the best engines in the world since 1995. That is something to
reckon with, and should give confidence to the buyer.
Mated to this
engine is a rear wheel drive. For the driving aficionado, this
combination is the ultimate. If you can’t drift a car around
corners with the steering in opposite lock, there is no fun
having 333 horses propelling you at NASA rocket speeds. This is
a driver’s car.
A low centre of gravity provides the car with a glue-like grip on the road |
To cut down on
body weight, the bonnet, doors, boot are all aluminium as is
part of the suspension. The foot pedals are also aluminium.
The widespread
use of aluminium on cover parts has not compromised the strength
of the car. Reinforcements like bolt on under body braces makes
for a very rigid frame, which performs reliably while cornering.
The
boomerang-shaped lights, fore and aft, are eye catching. In
front the 370 Z has high intensity discharge (HID). The rear
portion also has LED lights to give quick and instant
illumination to the driver behind you. Added safety is in the
way of a high-mounted stop lamp.
What else does
it have? Most letters of the alphabet to awe you. ABS with EBD
and BA. That is brake assistant, not bachelor of arts. It also
has VDC — vehicle dynamic control; SRS airbags — dual in
front and sides — and curtains.
Another
visually appealing design is the short overhang, both front and
rear, which means a short wheel base. Helped by large and wide
tyres, the Z is nimble, agile and swift. A low centre of gravity
provides a glue-like grip on the road.
The door
handles are quirky; they are vertical. The doors open
wide. Inside it is strictly a two-seater but it is the luxury
that will impress you. Sophisticated, elegant and
graceful should describe the interiors. The dashboard is made of
a special material called sofilex. The steering wheel is small.
Racing car style. The main instruments are visible through the
3-spoke
steering wheel.
Set apart from
the main dashboard instruments are the clock, voltage meter and
oil temperature gauge. A multi-information
display, which keeps the driver fully informed, is also part of
the display.
The steering
wheel has tilt adjustment, and the dashboard instruments move
with it to provide good visibility. Strangely, there is no
telescopic adjustment. Obviously, it is designed for a
diminutive and trim Japanese frame, and not for a well-rounded
Punjabi tummy.
The seat has
electronic adjustment fore and aft. The height adjustment is
manual. Funny? No. Why no extra motor for height adjustment?
Another quirky
design. The automatic gearbox is activated via paddle shifters.
They do not rotate with the steering wheel but stay at the 3 o’
clock – 9 o’ clock position. While driving on a hill road,
this may cause some confusion.
Making further
good use of the alphabet is the variable valve event lift (VVEL).
It is an improvement on the previous known systems. Nissan
claims the system improves the air flow into the cylinders,
which results in greater power output.
The Syncho-Rev
technology is a first in the industry. It simplifies gear
shifting at the touch of a button. No more jerky starts.
A smart key
operates the doors. Carry it in your pocket, and while within a
meter of the car, it activates the door locks. Just pull door
handles to open. A single button is the start-stop switch.
The music
system, radio, CD and MP3 player are by Bose with eight
speakers. The sub-woofer is located in the spare wheel in the
rear. Possibly a first in the industry.
The price is Rs
55 lakh for the manual gearbox. The auto transmission is Rs 56
lakh. There is a waiting period of 12 weeks. There is only one
Nissan dealership in the area. It is Bhagat Nissan, and that,
too, in Mohali.
Happy motoring.
|