Chasing Z Dream

(head to head) nissan 370z vs. hyundai genesis coupe 3.8

TAILOR-MADE FOR EXPLORING THE LIMITS OF ADHESION

● words ron kiino ● photograph wesley allison

IF WE BASED comparison tests predominantly on appearance, it would be obvious why we paired the 370Z and the Genesis Coupe. They just look comparable. Related, if you will. Not siblings, per se, but they could certainly pass for cousins. Whereas the Mustang next to the Genesis resembles a bulldog rubbing shoulders with a Siamese cat, the Z and the Hyundai side by side seem, well, appropriate.

In con guration, the Genesis Coupe is actually more similar to the Z’s relative, the four-seat In niti G37. But the G comes across too mature (not to mention it costs a lot more) to be a realistic competitor to the Hyundai. Plus, the G is a beautiful car, its gently owing curves and smooth edges suggesting sculpture. The Genesis, in contrast, possesses quirky cues and audacious lines that are more youthful, more in your face. In that respect, the Z is the same, what with its cantilevered roof, barbed head- and taillamps, front fangs, and upswept beltline. These sports cars, in terms of style, are two peas in a pod: Neither is beautiful, but each is visually stimulating.

Of course, they’re also dynamically stimulating, and that’s where we’ll focus our comparative attention. You already know what the Hyundai can do at the test track, so let’s peruse the Z’s stat sheet. Weighing 145 pounds less than the Genesis Coupe, yet forti ed with 26 extra horses, the Z easily outruns the Hyundai, posting 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.3 at 107.1 mph. Compared with the Genesis’s sprints, the Z’s are noticeably quicker: 0.8 and 0.9 second, respectively. While the Hyundai feels like it’s falling short of its 306-horse pledge, the Z easily makes good on its 332-horse promise. Under spur, the Nissan’s 3.7-liter provides the kick to forcefully shove you back in the seat; the Hyundai’s 3.8 gives more of a rm nudge. The discrepancy is the difference between “wow, this is a fast car” and “gee, I thought this would be quicker.”

Moving beyond straight-line statistics, into handling results, the Z does just that—moves beyond the Genesis. With a wheelbase 10.6 inches shorter and front and rear tracks at least two inches narrower, the Z, wearing wider suction cups, managed to pull a neck-taxing 1.01 g on the skidpad compared with the Hyundai’s 0.90. Moreover, the Nissan’s blistering gure-eight run of 24.8 seconds at 0.76 g was well over a second speedier than that of the Genesis, which ran 26.2 at 0.67.

Drive these two back to back on a stretch of squiggly asphalt, and the handling numbers make perfect sense. Inasmuch as the Genesis feels like a capable and exciting sport coupe, the Z acts like an absolute purpose-built sports car. The seating position is low and the body seems vacuum-packed around the driver. Conversely, the Hyundai imparts a higher, airier feel from behind the wheel. The Z’s steering, in light of the Hyundai’s, is relatively heavy but it relays crisper responses and clearer communication. Same for the gearshift, which is perfectly placed and more re ned in shift feel and action (plus, it offers the marvelous SynchroRev Match feature). Everything about the Z is tailor-made for exploring the limits of adhesion. The Hyundai, in contrast, seems to need a few more hems and stitches to rival the Z’s exhilarating style.

That style, though, comes at a dearer price. Is this premium too high to give the nod to the Z? Flip the page.