Driving Impressions

Hang onto your hats, fasten your seat belts and batten down the hatches, because when you're cruising in the 300ZX, you are definitely in the eye of the storm. If Nissan ever gets the urge to put more juice into this one - its 0-to-60 pace of 5.2 seconds tops the Porsche 911 - it's going to need FAA approval. We were likewise awed by the Turbo's 283 lb.-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm, the assured and assertive shifting of the manual 5-speed gearbox and the confidence with which the 300ZX navigated twisty country roads at pulse-racing speeds. Whatever the situation - whether launching from a dead stop, negotiating a tricky lane-changing maneuver on a busy freeway or accelerating out of a sweeping curve - the twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V6 never failed to deliver the power and performance demands we made upon it. The Super HICAS 4-wheel steering system ensured that such maneuvers were sufficiently exciting without being too terribly dangerous. During emergency swerves or tight turns, the system's speed sensor and steering-wheel angle sensor worked in conjunction - adjusting the angle of the rear wheels to match the road surface and other driving conditions. This procedure added stability and let us avoid frantic fishtailing, thereby keeping us in control. The multi-link suspension, hydraulic shocks, and front and rear stabilizer bars conspire to assure a tight, firm ride - perhaps too firm. After several hours of traversing the countryside on a Michigan autumn color tour, driver and all passengers were afflicted with achy tailbones, probably because we kept alternating between the two settings on the adjustable shocks. The brakes, however, are fittingly grabby for a car with this much muscle. Our test car's brakes slowed us from 30 mph to an assertive, controlled halt in just under 3 seconds.

Final Word

If you yearn to stand at the helm of a sled holding 300 unwieldy horses worth of turbo-charged power in your hands, the Nissan 300ZX will put you in hog heaven - if you'll pardon the mixed barnyard metaphors. But the more earthbound types who value cavernous amounts of headroom, hiproom and legroom - or who are easily annoyed by neck-craning lane changes - might want to act their age and opt for something a bit more stately.