So we took our automatic Nissan 370z for a spin along the back roads from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, California for a lunch. As much as I was chomping at the bit to test out the synchro rev 6 speed gearbox I quickly fell in love with the automatic transmission in our road trip car. It’s the closet transmission I have driven to the BMW M6 double clutch system and has a great downshift rev to really make you feel like your piloting a true sports car.

I just love the car and it’s stance from the rear. Our 370z was a touring edition equipped with these gorgeous 19 inch OEM option wheels. Our car was equipped with brilliant silver as the exterior color and it was ready to roll it’s way through the back mountain roads of California into Palm Springs.

The two seater Nissan is tuned for maximum enjoyment with a quiet refining luxury quality interior. 40 miles into the drive I felt relaxed like I hadn’t just taken a spirited drive through some rugged California tarmac. The exhaust note has a perfect pitch coming from it’s 3.7L VQ producing more horsepower than any Z before with 332hp.

The car comes equipped with one of the best navigation/entertainment/phone systems that money can buy. It’s easy to use and is nearly impossible to get lost by following your lovely navigator. The one thing that does drive me nuts with the system is you cannot have a passenger use it while in motion for you. They don’t have any kind of over ride option so you have to pull over to enter directions or operate it. The Navtraffic is a life saver if you tend to drive in areas overwhelmed by random stop and go traffic.

The suspension and brakes are top notch like the older Z models. 14 inch rotors with a 4 piston caliber quickly bring this car to a stop while traveling on the roads. The chassis has been stiffened compared to the 350z for better road feel and travel.

The car as a two seater hatchback has some limited space for road trips but that is the price your going to pay for a tuned and balanced performance vehicle that lives up to the Z name. In traffic you can take the 7 speed automatic transmission and simply shift it into D mode and have a painless traffic jam experience. When it’s time to have fun though grab the paddle shifters and move the car into Sport mode for a truly unforgettable time inside the new 370z. Now my only question about the 370z is, when will someone be bringing one into Formula Drift?!

Total Summary:
Total Miles: 867
Overall Fun Factor: 9.1
Daily Driver Factor: 8.0
Drift Machine Potential: 9.2
Trunk Space: 7.2
Road Trip Machine: 8.5

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