Once Again, With Feeling

After several years of teasing, at least a couple of partly disappointing concept “interpretations” and a relentless campaign of corporate branding focused on it, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s finally handing over the keys to its all-new reincarnation of its fabled Z sports coupe.

The '03 350Z goes on sale in early August and the best news, besides its genuinely scorching performance, is the price. The base 350Z, one of five different variants, can be had for $26,809, including destination charges.

But that was the trump card of the original 240Z back in 1969. It cost about $3,500, while the era's standard-bearer, Chevrolet Corvette, was going for almost three times that much.

Examine the new 350Z against its competitors — the new Z's low price makes it tough to decide just what cars comprise that group — using the time-honored power-to-weight ratio sports-car yardstick, and the 350Z shines.

All '03 350Z models have the same horsepower rating: 287 hp. The lightest Z available is the base car, at 3,188 lbs. (1,446 kg), so each horsepower must propel about 11.1 lbs. (5 kg) of car.

Pitted against the likes of Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z3 Coupe and the Corvette, the new 350Z outperforms all but the Corvette in power-to-weight ratio, yet costs $5,000 to $15,000 less than any of the bunch.

The 3.5L V-6 DOHC standard to the 350Z supplies brutal torque and horsepower yet provides uncanny refinement and NVH. But there's not much hope of fixing the lukewarm exhaust note typical of V-6s.

Inside, one can't complain about the setup, which provides a clear and concise instrument binnacle that moves with the tilt of the steering wheel. But that high beltline and instrument panel produce a “driving in a bathtub” feeling.

And inside is where that low, low price gets in the way. There's an undeniable cloud of cost-cutting hanging over the interior. Company officials nod all-too-knowingly about the incredibly flimsy dash-mounted cupholder and the shamefully rude slide-up-and-open panel that covers the cave where the optional $1,999 DVD navigation system would sit.

There's no glovebox, per se, and there's absolutely no interior storage sized to accommodate a CD jewel case.

We appreciate that Nissan's stylists didn't want to overtly play the “retro” card, but this car cries out for a new-age adaptation of the deep-set round-headlight treatment of the original car.

Nissan wants to sell 30,000 in the U.S. in the first full year.