"That's the new Z, isn't it?"
I had just parked our 2009 Nissan 370Z outside of Subway to pick up lunch. A couple of teenage boys with skateboards were standing outside. The one with the Tapout t-shirt and the moppy hair continued: "It looks cool. How fast does it go?" My brain fizzled on that one. "Oh, about 160," I said. (I really had no idea at the time; in fact, I had to look it up. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.) "Cool," teen boy said.
It seems like more people are noticing our 370Z now than back when I was driving it five months ago. I'm not sure why this is. But just last week, I was fuelling up the Z at a gas station when this quite attractive 30-ish blonde woman came up to me and started asking about the Z. She was into cars (had a previous-gen BMW 540i at the station) and wanted to know more about what I thought of the new Z. It was very much a "this really can't be happening" moment.
Later that day I lamented to my co-worker Bryn MacKinnon about why this never happened to me when I was 18. She reminded me that: A) I didn't own a 370Z in high school, and B) I had a mullet.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 11,720 miles
subytrojan says:
01:55 PM, 08/31/09
Mullets FTW.
Business up front, party in the back!
dderosa says:
02:04 PM, 08/31/09
We want pictures.
subytrojan says:
02:09 PM, 08/31/09
http://aliciaogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/macgyver1.jpg
adavis2493 says:
02:17 PM, 08/31/09
I really don't think it's that attractive of a car. They tried to make the lines extremely dramatic and failed miserably. Now the silhouette looks like an awkward stencil.
louiswei says:
02:20 PM, 08/31/09
Wait...
So nothing happened after the gas station?
carguy622 says:
02:28 PM, 08/31/09
...you should have told her you like it a lot, but there's no back seat ;)
jeepsrt says:
02:35 PM, 08/31/09
I had the same thing happen to me on vacation on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. I was parking my Jeep and about an hour later we walked into the store we parked in front of, the attractive 20-21 year old girl working there said she did'nt want to sound like a stalker but she watched us park and loved the sound of my Jeep. She also said she wanted a Grand Cherokee but got a Patriot cause they are more reasonably priced. Why could'nt this happen to me when I was single, or at least alone.. :)
petrolhead85 says:
03:25 PM, 08/31/09
OK Brent, time to fess up... what kind of car were you driving during the mullet years?
jameswilliard says:
04:28 PM, 08/31/09
I agree with adavis2493. This isn't a very good looking car with all those over done exaggerations in the body it reminds me of what the domestic manufactures did in the 80 and 90's. I think the 350Z was actually a better looking car with it's more graceful lines.
altimadude00 says:
04:38 PM, 08/31/09
I think the 370Z is a more polished design than the 350Z. It was too angular and lacked any character. The 370Z captures the styling essence of the 240Z far better than the previous car, and that's a big plus in my book.
However, the color is just too anonymous.
greenpony says:
05:16 PM, 08/31/09
The 370Z styling reminds me a bit of Porsche, in a good way. Maybe it's the big fender flares and swooping roofline. This, along with the C6 Corvette and 911, is one of my all time favorite cars to look at.
bbechtel16 says:
02:09 AM, 09/ 1/09
I see the bit of Porsche too. I also saw it in the Korean first drive of the Gen Coupe. The rear glass area...
johnnyr3 says:
03:52 AM, 09/ 1/09
I've seen a couple of these things on the road a couple weeks ago. It looks the business...and "quite attractive 30-ish blonde" women seem to agree; not that I would buy this car for that reason.
A very sharp looking car. Provided you get it in the right color. Blue, red, yellow seem the best, in that order. Black or silver IS anonymous.
brn says:
08:11 AM, 09/ 1/09
While far from the best looking car on the road, it's a good looking car. Certainly better looking than it's big brother, the GT-R.
These things come in any color other than silver? Can't tell by the media.
corollasman says:
11:04 AM, 09/ 2/09
Mullet...FTL! On another note, the Z looks great from certain angles, and others, it looks MEH!!!