370Z Test Drive - Questions

ImportConvert

I will disagree partially.

I think the 370Z felt fast at any rpm, based on the numbers it lays down (It felt way stronger than 230rwtq off the line, and about right for 290whp at 80mph).

The gears in it, I found to be a bit short. I was already in 3rd by about 60-70 driving it "spiritedly".

The reason people whine about the 370Z "nosing over" or "feeling slow" is because they are probably not used to cars with large displacement engines, superchargers, or VVT. All of which contribute to a very linear torque curve. People expect a car to hit harder and harder as the revs climb, and the 370Z certainly does, but your body perceives that the acceleration has "leveled" off very fast in cars with table-top torque curves.

The rate of acceleration is much more linear.

It's like watching a guy jog across a football field vs. watching a guy walk, then jog, then break into a sprint. If you live for the last few feet/rpm, that guy was SO MUCH FASTER! But if you look at the data, our jogger probably has a better time.

FWIW, the 370Z feels identical to the C5 corvette/Camaro/Trans Am of the LS1 era, regarding its acceleration. Including 5-60mph. This totally stunned me. V6 with 230rwtq feeling the same from a low slow roll as an LS1 V8. I looked up the numbers and my suspicions were correct. 5-60 times the mags got as were identical. Crazy.

Hats off to Nissan. Go race something (on a track ) and report back. I bet it pulls harder than you think past 5K.