We have a campaign here at Car and Driver called “Save the Manuals.” Among other things, it involves T-shirts and other festive tchotchkes (get yours today!), fastidious coverage of manual-equipped models whenever they’re offered, and a weekly Name that Shifter contest now on its 200-and-something-th episode. But we’re not unaware of the fact that, for reasons ranging from laziness to benchmark racing, many folks today opt for automatics. Yes, even in performance cars.
That very reality has prompted Nissan to introduce a new self-shifting version of its track-oriented Nissan 370Z NISMO for 2015. This comes as no surprise, as some 60 percent of non-NISMO 370Z buyers choose the optional, paddle-shifted seven-speed automatic. Still, we sort of savored the fact that the NISMO Z’s high-output, 350-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 heretofore was offered only with a pleasingly meaty, six-speed manual transmission. To top it off, that gearbox can make any driver feel like a superhero, thanks to SynchroRev technology that serves up rorty, automatically rev-matched downshifts every single time. So why would anyone want a NISMO Z with a slushbox? We spent a week with just such an example to find out whether any argument could be made in its favor.
BUSTING OUT WITH A QUICKNESS
Well, for one thing, the automatic is quicker. By our measure, the 370Z NISMO automatic shot to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 13.6 at 106 mph, 0.3- and 0.1-second quicker than the last manual-equipped 370Z NISMO we tested. We still haven’t been able to match what appears to have been a particularly quick, non-NISMO 370Z automatic we tested a few years back (and not for lack of trying). Even with 332 horsepower, that car hit 60 in 4.6 seconds and powered through the quarter in 13.1 seconds at 108 mph. It’s also worth noting that the manual-equipped NISMOs haven’t been able to beat their non-NISMO counterparts to 60 mph, either, with the quickest stick-shift Z hitting 60 in 4.8 seconds, 0.3 ahead of the NISMOs. This could be a matter of our NISMO test cars not being sufficiently broken in; this one had just 1500 miles on the odo, and we’ve observed that 370Zs tend to perform better with a few thousand miles on the clock. The NISMOs weigh marginally more, too—84 pounds more in the case of this 3453-pound NISMO-matic. Even considering those factors, it remains a bit puzzling.
Far more important than the numbers, though, is the character of the transmission itself, which leaves us feeling disconnected from the action. Yes, during throttle-blipped downshifts (actuated via the left, column-mounted paddle), the gearbox’s brain is unafraid to send the needle soaring near redline, but the shift quality can feel slurred. Furthermore, the automatic has only two operating modes: drive and manual, with no separate Sport shift setting. While the seven-speed may have impressed us in the standard Z back in 2009, it doesn’t hold a candle to the lightning-quick dual-clutch automatic gearboxes that have since become commonplace in cars like the Porsche Cayman and the Audi TTS. Nor, for that matter, is the Z’s autobox as well sorted as the excellent eight-speed torque-converter units found in, say, the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack and the Chevrolet Corvette.
PARSING THE NUMBERS
By other performance measures, the NISMO Z produces mixed results. The big brakes—with 14.0-inch rotors clamped by four-piston calipers in front, 13.8-inch discs squeezed by two-piston units out back—performed well, halting the car from 70 mph in an impressive 156 feet (matching other Zs we’ve tested), with crisp bite and impressive pedal feel. But a switch to Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires could be partially to blame for a precipitous drop in lateral grip from the 0.99 g of previous NISMOs to 0.92, although different skidpad surfaces (the previous tests were conducted in Michigan) could also have contributed to the delta.
Statistics aside, the NISMO Z’s chassis deserves unqualified praise for its ability to connect the driver to the road, with a tactile ride quality, crisp turn-in, pan-flat body control, and perfectly weighted steering that deserves an honorary degree in communication. This is a car that takes all guesswork out of its direction, position, and grip level in corners, as well as on winding two-lanes such as those that snake through the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles.
Back in L.A.’s legendary congestion, the automatic keeps the driver less busy, of course, although the stiff ride and noisy cabin don’t help the NISMO’s case as a daily driver. Indeed, the slower city speeds give you more time to reflect on the car’s cabin, which is seriously showing its age, no matter how much faux suede and red-stitched leather are wrapped around this or that. Some customers will certainly appreciate the newfound availability of a navigation system, but the dashboard’s presentation of information seems terribly unsophisticated compared to many of its competitors. And the manual seat adjustments, three blanking plates on the center console, and rife hard plastics are uncouth in a loaded, $47,740 car, no matter how ostensibly track-focused it may be. On the other hand, the two things your body contacts the most—the nicely contoured Recaro seats and the faux-suede portions of the steering wheel—are sheer perfection.
Not insignificantly, the NISMO Z looks awesome. Benefitting from a more-thorough exterior freshening than it received just a year before, all 2015 NISMO Zs feature a smooth, ducktail rear spoiler; recontoured fascias; and tasteful red accents along the lower body and the mirrors. Charcoal-color 19-inch Rays wheels and darkened headlamp surrounds add a sinister look to the car without taking it over the top. Happily, last year’s huge exhaust cans remain in their rightful place.
Nissan expects that some 20 percent of 2015 370Z buyers will choose the NISMO model (up from about 10 percent in previous years), with nearly a third of them plunking down the extra $1300 for the automatic. As for us, it’s going to take more than a couple of tenths to win us over.
As read on: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-nissan-370z-nismo-automatic-review
