There are three ways to improve a sports car: reduce mass, cut weight and increase power. Nissan went ahead and did all three on the 370Z. Thank you, obsessive-compulsive auto engineers, thank you.
The sixth-generation Z tightens its predecessor's Rubenesque physique to create a shorter, lower but slightly wider car with a silhouette that evokes the original 240Z.
The sexy body features a hood, hatch and doors of lightweight aluminum and it covers a chassis significantly stiffer to reduce performance-robbing flex. To make up for the beefier chassis, Nissan's engineers pared more than 225 pounds from the rest of the car — even the audio system alone lost 3.5 pounds — and the result is a car that weighs 88 pounds less than the previous 350Z.
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Steering response is quick, the engine pulls like a team of steroid-injected draft horses, and the brakes haul you down from speed with authority. The ride is a bit stiff, but then this is a sports car. The Z is actually so easy to drive hard you'll surprise yourself every time you catch a glimpse of the speedometer. The $3,000 "sport package" option included on the model we tested gets you bigger forged aluminum wheels, stouter brakes and a "SynchroRev Match" six speed manual that blips the throttle for perfect downshifts every time. Sure you can shut it off, but chances are your clunky heel toe shifting is no match for the cold thinking onboard computer.
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](https://slim-weight.info/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/20/pr_nissan_370z3_f.jpg%29%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EEvery model gets the same 332-horsepower V6, an engine that makes this Z the quickest yet with a zero-to-60 time of 4.6 seconds. That kind of performance, however, is contingent on your skills as a driver. If you don't posses Lewis Hamilton levels of talent don't fret. The Z's abundant power and excellent handling will let you think you do.
