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The first launch of the year outside the Auto Expo isn't another car for the masses. Nor is it another luxury car. It's a sports coupe - the Nissan 370Z.
I talk to you just a day after Srini and myself found ourselves behind the wheel of one of them for an hour in a special preview drive before the big launch this Wednesday (watch out for Srini's first Indian drive impressions in the Feb issue). For the uninitiated, the Z is a sort of cult car that has its own space among car enthusiasts the world over. With a rich heritage spanning over 40 years, this, the sixth-gen Z today competes with the likes of the Audi TT, BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and Porsche Boxster/Cayman. Except, that it not only competes on the performance front but also on price.
As has been the case with the GT-R and the Porsche 911, Nissan believes that performance doesn't need those cliched telephone number price tags. Nor does it need to have a name that sounds tougher than the toughest word at a Spelling Bee contest. It just needs to go fast, handle well, stop on a dime and put a smile on your face for a price that is, well, tempting.
While somewhere in the region of Rs 50 lakh (give or take two or three lakh rupees) isn't exactly bargain basement, but when you pit against something like the Z4 at Rs 60 lakh and the Boxster S at Rs 66 lakh, the Z stands out as quite a bargain. Even more so considering Nissan have taken the Boxster as the benchmark and I'd be pretty damn honest when I tell you it's nearly there. While I can't tell you whether it takes the pants off the Boxster just yet (since I'm yet to get the mid-engined Porker for a drive), having had the privilege of driving the Z up and down Odawara's hill side off Tokyo last year certainly convinced me this is an every day entry level supercar in the garb of a sports coupe. What's more, it makes the other three Germans - the TT, SLK and Z4 feel a bit wanting.
It's manic, the acceleration is tremendous and the shove that you get in the backside really demands your fullest attention. It also handles pretty darn well and it somehow seems to have pretty sharp reflexes. Gone is the 350Z's slightly soggy handling for a more tighter setup with a shortened wheelbase and very little overhangs. The 330 bhp is more than enough for those crazy runs to 200 kph and you seriously wonder if you need any more horses under that hood.
What I also like here is that Nissan India will offer both the 7-speed auto and 6-speed manual and not just an automatic like the rest. Considering that the 6-speed manual also boasts of Synchro Rev that acts like a heel and toe mechanism, it works out like a veritable treat for the enthusiast.
Performance bargain of the year? It certainly looks like it.
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