Today, April 7th, is Z Car Garage’s fifth birthday. We couldn’t be happier with where we are at right now and we have so many people to thank for it. The ones who have given the most know who they are and we were lucky enough to have a few of them come down to the shop today. Our customers and friends are some of the kindest and most giving people on the face of the planet and we wouldn’t have our current success without them and you. From ZCG to you, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll try to find some old photos of when the shop first opened and I’ll share them with all of you in the next few days. There are some pretty funny ones.
On a side note, Rob and Fred are pulling late night shifts at the shop right now to finalize the longest build in ZCG history, the red 1982 280zx 2+2 non-turbo restoration. After years of sourcing impossible to find parts and dealing with strange circumstances this car will be completed in a day or two from now. This car is unbelievable. It’ll put any car rolling off of an assembly line to shame. We rule, happy birthday to us.
Here is the video that can be seen at www.Nissan370zNY.com that was filmed before the unveiling to the press tonight in New York city. It contains a quick overview of the convertible 370z as well and the new 370z NISMO edition.
To me it really seems like Nissan has finally realized that owners want a bit more luxury in the convertibles that they have purchased. This is apparent in the fact that they have made the coupe’s entire buffet of options available in the roadster version. They also made the top 100% automatic by getting rid of the semi-annoying manual cowl latches on the 350z. Another nice touch is the option to lower the top using only a button on the key fob. After all isn’t real luxury having other people, or your car in this case, doing tasks for you?
There is no word yet on structural rigidity numbers or anything of that sort but it looks like Nissan has really taken its time with this car so the performance and solid feel should come close to matching that of the coupe. I’ll let you know as soon as I get behind the wheel, hopefully headed somewhere sunny.
As for the NISMO edition, most speculators were predicting that the US car would resemble the S-Tune 370z that has been released in Japan. They weren’t far off. Luckily for us Nissan has toned down the styling a bit from the JDM S-Tune and thrown in some traces of the outgoing NISMO 350z styling cues. The wheels look to be a slimmed spoked Sport Package wheel that doesn’t really knock my socks off, but who will really keep the stock wheels and tires on these things?
Now, onto the power. Nissan claims in the short video above that the new NISMO is putting our 350 crank horsepower, some 27 over base. Wicked. I’m thinking that most of this new found oomph is found through refined “cam” timing and possibly small intake or exhaust modifications. The word “cam” is in quotes because as you may know the new 370z engine, VQ37HVR, carries Nissan’s new VVEL technology which replaces standard camshafts with solenoids that car computer controlled to allow the car to have infinitely variable cam timing and lift. A rundown of this technology can be found on 370z.com. Interesting stuff.
I’ll have more information for you on both models as it becomes available so keep coming back to ZCarBlog.com for your Z fix. For now you’ll have to simply enjoy the pictures that I’ll be putting in the TWO posts above this one. ZCG
EDIT:I put up our Birthday post above this one so that we could enjoy it for the rest of the day. Happy Birthday ZCG. WE LOVE YOU.
The photo and spec posts for the 370z and 370z convertible will be up tomorrow. Have a great night.
EDIT 2: Yes, I took the video on this post from our friends over at GTRblog.com’s Viddler channel. There was no point in uploading it again. Enjoy their watermark in the video and their awesome GT-R website.
The new convertible looks amazing. There I said it. It is being released in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show tonight at 7pm EST, 4pm PST. Nissan North America will be hosting a web cast for those who can’t make it to the live event. The web cast will take place on www.Nissan370zNY.com for anyone interested. Check it out and enjoy the new convertible!!
