"A sports car can be two of these three things: powerful, lightweight, and controllable. Unless it's an M3, in which case it's none of them."
Nissan originally started building the 300zx in the 80's, and set a new standard for production sports cars. Timeless design, cutting edge tech, and ludicrous power came standard with every twin-turbo model, but none of these mantras detracted from the fun-oriented feeling present in older Z cars. After Nissan was taken over by the French in 1999, they built the 350z, which couldn't hold a candle to the 300zx. Over 20 years after the twin-turbo started rolling off the assembly line, the car maker seems to have found a worthy competitor in the 370z.
It's not a simple victory, as the episode may portray. The 370z is more grippy, and comes to a stop with much more authority, which makes it simultaneously more and less exciting. The weight distribution in the 370 is ideal for cornering, but can make the car feel hefty in the wrong places. The harsh angles and upswept headlights of the 370z may stand the test of time, but they are design carryovers from the Altima and Maxima — where the 300zx's design was totally bespoke.
You'd be thrilled to own either model, I'm sure. In stock form, both cars will pulverize your spleen, plaster a permagrin on your face, and be the cause of much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Porsche community.
