ECHO
MOTORS
Edited by Mike Torpey
plugs & points
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MOTOR cycle, moped and scooter registrations in the UK last month were 10% down on March last year, according to the latest figures issued by the Motor Cycle Industry Association. A total of 16,754 powered two-wheelers were registered in March 2009, which is a fall of 1,870 on March last year. Naked bikes have done particularly well, with 1.5% more registrations this year than last. Highest registered model overall was the Kawasaki ZX10 R Ninja, with Honda the leading manufacturer.
THE ● European Parliament has
agreed to make ESP mandatory for all new vehicles. According to the regulation, from November 2011 all new passenger-car and commercial vehicles models registered in the European Union will have to be equipped with the ESP active safety system. From November 2014 this will apply to all new vehicles. Accident research has shown that skidding is the main cause of fatal accidents.
Z-STAR: The new Nissan 370Z is a car for the enthusiast as well as the purist
More zip is making the 370Z really sing
A
N icon among Japanese sports cars is blasting back with more power and sharper
handling. Nissan Z cars have become legend and the latest 370Z is about to deliver in no uncertain terms. On sale in July and priced from £26,895 it is a car for the enthusiast as much as the purist. As performance coupes go the 370Z is almost as correct as a Porsche. Handling has always been a strong point for Nissan and the 370Z is true to form – delightfully balanced and responsive. It also has a few tricks up
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by CHRIS RUSSON its sleeve such as an electronic rev control which enables a driver to change down more accurately than a Grand Prix racer – and that’s on the six speed manual. A seven-speed auto complete with rapid-fire paddle shifters and a delightful throttle blip when downshifting is also available priced from £31,895. Powered by a 3.7-litre V6 engine delivering 330bhp the 370Z outstrips the 350Z it replaces in every department. At 5.4 seconds for 0-60 it’s certainly quick while emissions are down to 249g/km with average mpg of 26.9.
The auto is even cleaner thanks to its clever electronic engine management at 247g/km – that’s an 11% improvement over the previous Z machine. The new model definitely looks the part with aggressive but flowing lines and a beautiful profile with the roof peaking at the top of the windscreen. Compared to the 350Z the wheelbase is shorter by some four inches, improving stability, while some 2.5 inches have been chopped off the overall length. Nevertheless, inside there’s more storage space behind the front seats and 235 litres of room under the tailgate, which now incorporates a
retractable luggage blind. The body is stiffer by 30% but also much lighter – all adding to its potential on the road, and the cockpit is a proper sports car – two seats with all the controls wrapping around the driver. Instrumentation is similar to that on the 350Z which in turn had strong links to the Z cars of old. And the whole package has a high tech feel especially when sat nav is fitted – which is a £1,450 option. Leather upholstery and fine trim make the cockpit decidedly posh while still retaining the necessary workmanlike feel a good sports car should possess. The 370Z is based on a
platform from Nissan’s luxury Infiniti brand and also features that marque’s scratch resistant paint as well as powerful Bose sound systems. With near perfect weight distribution – it is set up 53/47 to the front – the 370Z can jink through bends with astonishing precision. Let it loose and there is a wonderful sound. Electronic stability and a limited slip differential are standard and so are beefy brakes delivering a 60-0mph stopping distance of less than 40 yards. As real sports cars go this is impressive kit and true to the lineage of Nissan’s Z models which have now clocked up 1.7 million sales across the globe.