Herald car of the year: Nissan's excitement machine

By ALASTAIR SLOANE


The Nissan 350Z, the spiritual successor to the original 240Z of more than 30 years ago, is the Herald Car of the Year.

The two-door Coupe went on sale in New Zealand in February, the soft-top Roadster in October. In both guises the 350Z wins because it stirs the blood, sharpens the senses, and makes driving such damned good fun, good road or bad.

It wins because it honours a celebrated motoring category: the no-compromise sports car. What you see is what you get: two doors, front-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine driving the rear wheels through a five-speed auto or six-speed manual gearbox.

The engine puts out 206Kw (276bhp) and 363Nm at 4800rpm. The well-matched automatic and manual gear ratios and the fly-by-wire throttle help to carry the car along on a constant wave of torque, most of it available from 2000 rpm.

Top speed is in the "go to jail" zone, 250km/h (155mph). The Nissan will sprint to 100km/h in about six seconds and whip through the 80km/h to 120km/h overtaking manoeuvre pretty quickly, too.

The 350Z Coupe weighs more than 1400kg and sits on a platform allowing a relatively long wheelbase, with short front and rear overhangs.

Such geometry gives the 350Z a 53:47 front/rear weight split (in theory, a 50:50 split is ideal) which, combined with a wide track and Nissan's acclaimed multi-link suspension, aids overall balance.

The result is a flat, firmish ride, good levels of control and grip, and sharp, communicative steering.

The interior is dominated by black panels with polished alloy instruments. The door handles slot into a groove narrowing out from the air vents in both doors to provide a classy design touch.

The 350Z Roadster sits on the same platform as the Coupe but it has been reinforced in the absence of a roof.

Nissan New Zealand marketing manager Peter Merrie said the Herald award was "a great Christmas present".

"We know it's a good car. We have sold 150 models since February, far above our original estimate. We marketed it as an affordable sports car - and buyers have agreed with us. To win the Herald Car of the Year is fantastic."

The 350Z is priced between $64,990 and $74,990.

The best of the rest in no particular order are:

* Honda Accord Euro: Beautifully built, roomy, economical, smooth ride, loaded with equipment. One of the best value-for-money cars on the market. Powered by a 140kW (187 bhp) 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine driving front wheels. Costs $35,000 for the six-speed manual, $36,000 for the five-speed automatic and $42,000 for the luxury leather model.

* Renault Megane II: Eight front-drive hatchbacks, four with manual gearboxes and four with automatics, priced between $29,990 and $39,990. Two are powered by 83kW 1.6-litre engines and six by 98kW 2-litre units. The unusual-looking Megane II is typically French, with excellent handling. Highlight is the ride, one of the best in the business.

* Subaru Legacy: The wagon has traditionally been the best seller in the all-wheel-drive specialist's line-up. But the new sedan is about the best-looking four-door car Subaru has produced and might upset the wagon/sedan sales ratio. The range is powered by flat four-cylinder engines, the standard 2-litre producing 101kW, the 2.5-litre 121kW and the turbocharged 2-litre in the GT 206kW. Prices start at $37,990 through to $62,990 for the GT.

* BMW 5-Series: Its rear-drive predecessor was generally accepted as the "best car in the world", in that it did everything well. The new model is better again, although its looks haven't gained the same praise. Comes with 141kW 2.5-, 170kW 3- and 245kW 4.4-litre petrol engines and a 160kW 3-litre diesel and is priced between $94,900 and $162,900. Packed with ground-breaking gizmos, including variable steering and headlights that see around corners.

* Toyota Prius: Petrol/electric car of the future. Costs $43,500. Driven through the front wheels by a 16-valve 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor/generator mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox. Can run on either its engine, its electric motor, or a combination of both. Exhaust emissions, says Toyota, are nearly 90 per cent less than those from a similarly sized conventional car. Fuel consumption is about 5 litres/100km, or 56mpg.

* Audi A8: All-aluminium luxury saloon with what industry engineers say will one day replace the ignition key: fingerprint recognition. The digital technology is a $4200 option on the $210,000 A8. Audi uses it to memorise the fingerprints of up to four drivers, storing preferred seat and steering wheel positions, air-conditioning settings, favourite radio stations and phone numbers. Powered by 246kW 4.2-litre V8. Great body control for a big (1780kg) car.

* Mazda RX-8: Rotary-powered, light (1354kg), compact, with four-door cabin built around a strong central body spine which runs through the cockpit, like Lotus founder Colin Chapman did with his cars. There are two RX-8 models, both priced at $61,995 and offering entertaining, high-revving drive. One uses a 177kW engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, the other a 141kW unit using Mazda's four-speed sequential transmission.

* Mitsubishi Colt: Five-door hatchback and the first all-new Mitsubishi model since DaimlerChrysler took control in 2001. Two Colt models are available, the standard ES model at $21,600 and the Sport at $22,900, both have a 72kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable transmission.

* Ford Focus: Best-selling car in the world for the past few years. Arrived here for the first time in April. Ford New Zealand on track to sell 1500 in 12 months. Styling is a bit dated but handling and ride up with the best. The hot model, the 125kW ST170, is a driver's delight. Six Focus models available, two powered by 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and four using 2-litre unit. Priced between $26,990 and $39,990.

* Four-wheel-drive: Three serious offerings this year, all with own strengths: Volkswagen Touareg, Lexus RX330 and Volvo XC90. Touareg uses V6, V8 and V10 engines, is priced between $89,990 and $169,990, and is only one with low-ratio gearbox. Lexus costs $86,000, uses 3.3-litre V6 and is clearly the most refined. Five- and seven-seat Volvo costs between $94,990 and $112,990, uses turbocharged 2.5-litre 5-cylinder or 2.9-litre 6-cylinder petrol engines and has the best interior.