Photo: Nissan |
Because comfort ain’t one of the items in this car’s mission statement and you need to know comfort ain’t at all what the Nismo Z is meant to be about. The 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is tuned to deliver outstanding handling over ride comfort-with no apologies whatsoever. To accomplish this, the Nismo suspension modifications include higher spring and stabilizer bar rates, increased roll stiffness, and stiffer front and rear shocks. The suspension system also gets a set of very light 19-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels, staggered in width from front to
Photo: Nissan |
However, if you decide to ignore that aspect of the Nismo Z’s nature and just drive it, you will have more fun than you ever thought possible behind the wheel of a car. Screaming down a straight, getting hard on the brakes, and flinging the Nismo Z into a corner is one of the most satisfying things you will ever do behind the wheel of a sports car. The steering is delightfully communicative, the seats hold you in place as advertised, and the whole thing just flat works well. Astonishingly, while the car reacts harshly to anything other than billiard table smooth pavement, bumps and jostles do not upset the car’s equilibrium. In other words,
Photo: Nissan |
Motivating the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo is a 350-horsepower version of Nissan’s highly vaunted VQ series 3.7-litre V6 engine; one capable of delivering 276 ft-lbs of torque. Responsible for the 18 horsepower and 6 lb-ft advantage over the engine
Photo: Nissan |
A six-speed manual is the only transmission offered, and is fitted with Nissan’s SynchroRev Match synchronized downshift rev-matching system. This automatically adjusts engine speed when shifting to a lower gear-"blipping" the throttle the way an experienced driver would do to smooth downshifts. If you prefer to heel and toe your way to your own rev-matched downshifts, SynchroRev Match can be switched off.
The braking system is upgraded as well. Comprised of 14.0-inch front and 13.8-inch
Photo: Nissan |
Advertising its capabilities, the most prominent aspect of the 370Z Nismo’s appearance is the extended nose design adopted for the 2014 model year. Featuring hard creased edges and a deep chin spoiler, the new nose makes the Nismo Z just over six inches longer than the standard 370Z coupe.
The
Photo: Nissan |
Cosmetic touches include a grey accent added to the car’s grille with a red stripe for trim. The side sills are finished in the same shade of grey, as is the rear spoiler. In combination with the pearlescent white paint of our test car, the overall effect was quite handsome.
The racy theme continues inside the car with deeply bolstered sport seats upholstered
Photo: Nissan |
The sportiest variant of the already very sporting-oriented 370Z, and outfitted primarily to serve as an outstanding platform for track pursuits, the Nismo Z answers the question, “What if…”
Pricing starts at $43,020 plus destination, but here’s the bad news… you’ll need to pay U.S. dollars, not Canadian. Unfortunately Nissan Canada dropped the 370Z Nismo at the end of the 2012 model year, only carrying the 370Z Touring model for 2013 and 2014. Odd, yes, that you can still pick up a 2014 Juke Nismo in three different variations including the top-line Juke Nismo RS, but the brand’s most legendary sports coupe only comes in more sedate Touring trim.
The 370Z Touring is still a very impressive sports car, mind you, with a ride that’s better suited to daily driving, and pricing starts at a more approachable $38,428 plus freight.
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