Nissan 350Z

"We're here to see the eclipse," yells the girl from the white Accord.

"No," we yell back. "That's not an Eclipse, it's the new Z-car. But you can't buy it yet. It'll be out in August. It's rear-wheel drive and powered by a 287-hp, 3.5-liter V6 which is backed by a six-speed manual transmission. It'll cost between $27,000 and $35,000. This one, which is the Enthusiast Model with 17-inch wheels and tires, cloth seats and no navigation system, will sticker for around 28 grand."

Now she looks confused. Her eyes are glazed over and her forehead has gotten wrinkly.

"Z-car?" she asks as if she'd never heard of it before. "I'm here to see the solar eclipse; it's the first one in six months."

"Oh," we reply. "Have fun."

Sure, we feel stupid. First, we don't even know a solar eclipse is taking place. Then, we spend the next 20 minutes in a panic thinking the moon is going to completely block out the sun and screw up our photo shoot. But that's a total solar eclipse, which happens once every 10 years or so. It turns out this is a partial solar eclipse, when the moon partially blocks the sun. You can hardly tell it's happening unless you stare directly into the sun, and we all know that's bad.

You can't really blame us for misunderstanding the fair lady. For the past four days, everyone and their dentists have been asking us about this car. In just the past two hours, our double-secret photo location has become grand central station. Apparently, word travels fast in the middle of nowhere.

"We heard you guys were up here with the new Z-car," said one guy who climbed from a beat green Saturn wearing an orange T-shirt with a big "01" on it. "It looks really cool. Does it still have a rotary in it like the old one?"

"You're thinking of the Mazda RX-7," we answer.

Now he looks confused. "What is ya, from some magazine?" asks his buddy.

"Yeah," we reply. "Car and Driver. Now get the hell out of here."

We haven't gotten this much attention since that time we strapped a blowup doll to the rear bumper of Project Rally Beater and dragged it through the streets of Beverly Hills.

The point is, people like the look of the new Z-car. We like it, too, from most angles, but the funky door handles and the way the car swallows its wheels and tires keeps us from loving it. Our tester wore the standard 17-inch rubber, which look like 15-inchers in the depths of all that bodywork. Three of the five models (see sidebar)--the Performance Model, the Touring Model with the six-speed and the Track Model--come standard with 18-inch rollers, which look better, but still don't really fill the wheel wells. It seems a wider track or a deeply dished wheel is essential to getting the 350Z looking right.

One thing's for sure: It definitely looks like a Z-car. Just for kicks, we asked Nissan to blow the dust off a restored 1970 240Z it's got mothballed and truck it out for some photography. Sitting side by side, the two cars are obviously akin. Sure, they look very different, but the family resemblance is there.

The new car's look, both inside and out, is a successful blending of the original 240Z, the previous generation 300ZX and some other modern two-seater--some say Audi TT, others point to the Lexus SC430. A roadster version will hit dealers soon after the New York Jets win Super Bowl XXXVII.

Even if you're one of the few who dislike the look, you'll love the drive. The new generation "FM platform," which the 350Z shares with the Nissan Skyline, Infiniti G35 and soon-to-be-released Infiniti G35 Coupe, is very stiff. Chassis flex is not an issue. The FM platform is named for the "Front Mid-ship" mounting position of the V6 engine. That means the engine is mounted behind the front axle for better weight distribution. The result is a very good weight split and a car that can be steered with the driver's hands or feet.

Nissan also put a lot of effort into the Z's aerodynamics. The body is designed to achieve zero front lift, low drag and low wind noise at high speeds. It also makes the 350Z dead stable at speeds highway patrolmen cuff you for.

Even the underside of the body has been smoothed, with fewer pieces protruding. The exhaust system hugs the frame, the crossflow muffler is laid out flat with its own aerodynamic splitter welded on the front, and the fuel tank is tucked up under the floor beneath the rear cargo area. The Track Model, which comes with a rear spoiler and diffuser, a slightly lower front air dam and even more underbody cladding to smooth airflow, offers zero rear lift.

The Z's stability is also due to its long 104.3-inch wheelbase and the careful tuning of its suspension. The double wishbone front system with split lower control arms and multi-link rear setup work very well (see sidebar). This setup provides a taught, but livable, ride. Nissan uses one suspension calibration for all models, but we suspect the Performance model with the 18-inch wheels rides a touch tighter than our Enthusiast Model tester.

Our silver test car handled very well, working better the harder we pushed it. On our favorite mountain road, it quickly became clear the 350Z likes to be driven hard. Drive it like a chick and the Z feels big and slow to respond. Drive it like a man and it wants to exit every corner ass first.

Power on oversteer is no problem as long as you get the 3,197-lb. Z into the bend hard, and get aggressive with the gas pedal. Of course, the TCS (Traction Control System) must be turned off for this to be possible. The viscous limited slip (standard on everything but the base model) and the engine's juicy torque, take care of the rest.

One problem we found with the car's dynamics is in the programming of the electronic throttle. Touch the brakes at full throttle and the engine practically shuts down. This keeps advanced drivers from using proper left foot braking techniques and keeps advanced hot dogs from doing big-burn-holes-in-the-asphalt burnouts. We only achieved this month's cover shot by unplugging the brake light switch.

The Z's electronic throttle also takes some getting used to because the pedal movement to throttle opening ratio is 1:1. Drive enough Porsches and BMWs and you'll get used to their aggressive electronic throttle mapping that opens the throttle more than you actually move the pedal. The Z's throttle opening, and the resulting power delivery, is more linear and honest, much like a mechanical throttle. After a day or so, we became convinced this is the way all cars should be. You want more power, move your damn foot more.

All Z models are powered by the same 24-valve aluminum 3.5-liter V6 that Nissan uses in the Infiniti G35, the Maxima and the Altima. The engine uses Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) and is rated in the Z at 287 hp at 6200 rpm and 274 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Our tester was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, but a five-speed automatic is offered on the Enthusiast and Touring Models. Power reaches the rear differential through a carbon-fiber reinforced plastic driveshaft, which is a first for Nissan, and offers a 40 percent weight reduction over steel.

On the chassis dyno, the V6 backed up its power claims. We measured 249 hp at 6300 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm--more than we expected based on the rating. And check out that torque curve--flat as a plasma screen TV. Notice how the horsepower dips and the torque drops dramatically at 5300 rpm, however. This is noticeable on the road, and keeps you from wanting to drive the engine past its 6600 rpm redline.

On the track, our tester ran from 0 to 60 mph in a strong 5.8 seconds, and clipped the quarter mile in 14 seconds flat at 99.2 mph. That's about what a stock 1996 300ZX TT would run, by the way.

The Z also sounds great. It isn't a muscular, throaty sound. It has more of an exotic car growl.

On the skidpad, we recorded a strong .88g, and the Z blazed through the slalom in a very quick 70.2 mph.

It also stops well. From 60 mph, its big ABS-equipped, four-wheel discs stop the action in 113 ft.

Cool touches inside are a driver's seat that's more heavily bolstered then the passenger's seat, a driver's door panel with no distracting grab handles, a big tachometer in the center of the easily read gauge cluster, and a standard tilt and telescopic steering wheel. Nissan has made the gauges adjust with the wheel, which help provide one of the best seating positions in any car. The three round gauges on top of the center stack take us back to the original 240Z. We also like the fat three-spoke steering wheel and the stubby shifter, which has nice short throws and tight gates.

Pedal placement is perfect. Nissan has even equipped the Z with an rpm-programmable shift light. It's easily picked up in your peripheral vision and another one of the many small touches that add up to make the 2003 Nissan 350Z a special car. Nice job, Nissan. We'll test a Track Model as soon as possible.

The Underbelly
By Dave Coleman

To a true car geek, the view from below is the Z's most impressive angle. It is here you can tell Nissan, once one of Japan's most formidable technological powerhouses, is back with a vengeance. One look at the underbody shot here reveals dozens of impressive details, the most interesting of which are labeled. Delve into the wheel wells and you'll find even more.

The 350Z front suspension is an exquisite web of forged aluminum--state of the double wishbone art. A conventional double wishbone suspension connects the spindle/hub/brake/wheel assembly to the car with two arms. The shorter upper arm swings through a smaller arc than the lower arm, so as the suspension is compressed, the upper arm pulls the top of the wheel inward, increasing negative camber. This camber curve is the single biggest advantage of a double wishbone. When the suspension compresses in a corner, the added camber can compensate for body roll and keep the tire optimally angled relative to the road.

The disadvantage of a double wishbone, other than cost and complexity, is the space taken by the long arms. The arms often impinge on the engine compartment, taking the space we like to use for turbos. The common solution is to move the upper arm above the tire. This allows it to be pushed outward, shoving the upper ball joint over the top of the tire, and making more room for horsepower.

The other, perhaps even more important reason for this placement is the effect on steering geometry. The steering axis, which is simply the line the front wheels pivot around when you steer, is defined by drawing a straight line from the upper ball joint to the lower ball joint.

Students of "Technobabble" already know the position and angle of the steering axis is critically important to steering feel, as is the Dave Point, where the steering axis hits the ground. Putting that Dave Point near the center of the tire's contact patch is usually the goal, but putting that steering axis out in the middle of a wide tire means more than putting the upper wishbone above the tire. The lower ball joint needs to be in the middle of the tire, as well. Of course, in the case of the lower ball joint, there's a brake rotor in the way.

To solve this problem, Nissan uses a split lower control arm made of two separate arms that connect with two separate ball joints. When the wheel is turned, the wheel/tire/hub no longer have a single ball joint to pivot around. The actual pivot point is a virtual point in space beyond the lower control arm. If you drew a straight line down each of the two lower control arms, they would meet at the virtual pivot point. This is extremely hard to visualize without seeing the suspension in action and, even then, can lead to minor brain aching. So, just take my word for it.

The Audi A4 has had a similar design for years. Even the second-generation Eclipse used this split lower control arm. In both those cases, the purpose was to minimize torque steer by keeping the Dave Point near the middle of the contact patch. However, being rear-drive, torque steer obviously isn't a priority on the Z. Brake torque can cause torque steer, though, so this design also helps braking stability as well as minimizing kickback through the steering wheel caused by rough roads.

Then again, maybe it's for torque steer. The front upright and wheel bearing both appear to be designed to accommodate a driveshaft for future all-wheel-drive applications. GT-R, anyone?

At the rear, we found what looks very similar to the multi-link suspension once found under virtually every '90s rear-drive Nissan. Broken into its basic elements, the rear suspension is basically a double wishbone with a few extra toe-control links. While similar to the old Z suspension, it is in fact, entirely new. The subframe, uprights, and two of the control arms are now aluminum. The spring and shock coil-over style, which used to attach directly to the upright, are now separated with the spring now pushing on the lower of the control arms. Each of the five control arms have also been moved slightly.

1: Extensive cladding under the engine smoothes airflow.
2: Split lower control arms improve steering feel, and forged aluminum control arms and uprights reduce unsprung weight.
3: Catalytic converters are mounted well downstream of the exhaust ports, leaving room for decent exhaust manifolds.
4: We're guessing there's some horsepower to be found here.
5: The pre-silencer is triangular in cross section, with a large, flat bottom for better aerodynamics.
6: This flat tray is an aerodynamic aid used to tune the center of aerodynamic pressure for improved high-speed stability.
7: Extensive bracing doubles as chassis stiffening aids and reinforcements to strengthen both front and rear subframe mounting points.
8: The rear subframe is welded together from aluminum stampings and extrusions.
9: The leading edge of the muffler has its own air dam. This is yet another detail used to reduce drag and tune the center of pressure,