Driving Nissan’s latest Z sports coupe today. The first Z car, the 240 Z launched
in 1969 took the sports car world by storm. Over the years the Z models grew in
size and weight to mainly suit the American market and in my opinion they lost
some of the original models appeal. I’ve just driven the seventh-generation
Nissan Z, and yes, it’s simply now known as the Z. The first new model in more
than a decade and the most powerful featuring a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. The six-
speed manual and nine speed automatic the same price, around $81,000 drive-
away. I drove both, firstly the manual to a speaking engagement in Bathurst and
frankly I couldn’t wait to get out of it into the auto. A figidity car in manual with
geared-up electronic throttle making it very difficult to get a smooth get away and
I wonder who would bother with a manual when the nine-speed auto is a gem with
manual shift paddles for the same price. In some ways though this latest
generation model based on the previous 370 Z platform feels a little dated, poorly
insulated from road noise and no rear window cover so your baggage is fully
exposed. More details next segment. I’m David Berthon

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