Riverside Nissan

Japanese car maker gives NISMO makeover to its latest 370Z sportscar

Jealousy is a terrible thing, but having just driven Nissan's NISMO 370Z we're feeling pangs of it here. The NISMO is an American-only model for now, it turning the already brilliant 370Z into an altogether more entertaining machine. In typical NISMO style the numbers associated with the 370Z NISMO aren't huge - the 3.7-litre V6 engine gets a rather small 18bhp increase in power while torque rises by a single figure.

Which makes the more overt looks seem a bit over the top at first, the NISMO's bigger rear wing, longer lower nose with a neater air intake, and deeper side skirts suggesting more than the modest increases the NISMO tweaking brings. With its far more muscular looks the NISMO looks like a proper Porsche fighter, its lower stance coming thanks to revised suspension settings and the huge lightweight 19-inch RAYS alloy wheels.

The engine might now rev a bit higher and harder, but the NISMO's driving experience is dominated by the changes to the springs and dampers. It's firm, overly so on harsher surfaces, but it still retains its non-NISMO sibling's ability to flow with surprising composure down tricky roads. Everything underneath is stiffer - the rear dampers by 140% - which means you'll have to be prepared to put up with some compromises on the comfort front. They're worth it though for the additional sharpness on offer from the NISMO, the steering in particular delivering excellent turn-in and nice feel, the grip from the front wheels hugely impressive.

As ever the rear wheels can be involved in steering the Z, the NISMO as playful at the rear as the regular car. It's all very controllable too, the Z not exhibiting no nasty vices in its handling. Inside you're held in tighter thanks to NISMO branded sports seats and there's a NISMO rev-counter dominating the instrument binnacle. Its needle sweeps with greater vigour and although Nissan USA doesn't reveal any official performance figures for the NISMO it feels quicker than the standard 370Z's 5.3 second 0-62mph time.

It sounds quicker too, its twin exhausts allowing the engine to breathe easier and reveal more of its aural character. That makes shifting the mechanical-feeling manual six-speeder even more fun, whether you're letting the clever SynchroRev Match system blip the throttle or doing it yourself. That it's only offered with the manual transmission underlines its focus as a car for enthusiasts, of the sort we've plenty of here in the UK. Which begs the question why Nissan UK isn't offering the NISMO to 370Z customers here?

Rival: Porsche Cayman S
The Cayman S might be a more delicate, flowing driver but it's not quite as focussed in its intent as the NISMO 370Z. Hardcore drivers might find the Cayman a bit dull after the wilder NISMO, but the Porsche would make a more comfortable daily driver - assuming you can afford the premium it would cost over the brawny Nissan.

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Sports Illustrated and Nissan have teamed up to help fans celebrate the 75(th) anniversary of the Heisman Trophy and the great history of college football with the "Sports Illustrated Heisman Tour Presented by Nissan." During the 2009 season, the tour will make 10 stops at some of the most anticipated match-ups of the year, showcasing college football's most famous award, a rich collection of SI's history covering the quintessential American sport, and Nissan's dynamic line-up of cars and trucks.


For no charge, fans at each tour stop will have the opportunity to meet former Heisman winners and college football legends as well as pose for a SI cover shot with the Trophy itself. The highly interactive 100 x 100 foot experience also features one-on-one trivia challenges, SI.com kiosks and a look back at past Heisman recipients through SI's renowned photography and story-telling. As the campaign's presenting sponsor, Nissan will showcase the 290-horsepower 2010 Maxima premium performance sedan, the original "4-door sports car."

"Exhilarating performance is at the heart of college football's most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, and the same is true of Nissan's flagship sedan, the 2010 Nissan Maxima," said Christian Meunier, vice president, Nissan Marketing. "Partnering with Sports Illustrated is the perfect way to bring 75 years of college football history to life while offering fans a closer look at Nissan's exciting vehicles."

The Sports Illustrated Heisman Tour Presented by Nissan represents a continued partnership between two of the game's most recognized brands. By working with Nissan -- the official ambassador of the Heisman Trophy -- Sports Illustrated augments its longstanding coverage of a true American pastime with a one-of-its-kind, multi-platform campaign that reaches out directly to tens of thousands of college football fans.

"Covering college football is part of the DNA at Sports Illustrated and there is no higher honor in the game than the coveted Heisman Trophy," said Sports Illustrated Group Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Judelson. "We are thrilled to partner with Nissan for the third consecutive year. We consistently continue to innovate and evolve the tour and in 2009 thousands of college football fans will experience the Heisman Trophy and its rich legacy in a meaningful dynamic atmosphere."

In addition to the coast-to-coast, 10-stop experiential tour, the campaign includes the release of a SI Presents custom publication dedicated to the 75(th) anniversary of the Heisman Trophy as well as several print and digital sponsorships surrounding college football content. For the first time, SI.com will feature a video based "Greatest Heisman Moments" bracket, and SI senior writer (and nationally-syndicated radio host) Dan Patrick will be making appearances at various tour stops. In conjunction with that, one lucky sweepstakes winner and three friends will win a trip to the BCS Championship Game with Dan and a Heisman legend.

The "Sports Illustrated Heisman Tour Presented by Nissan" will make the following game stops during the 2009 college football season:

    --  September 5, 2009: Georgia at Oklahoma State
    --  September 12, 2009:  USC at Ohio State
    --  September 19, 2009:  Texas Tech at Texas
    --  October 17, 2009:  Cal at UCLA
    --  October 31, 2009:  Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville
    --  November 7, 2009:  Ohio State at Penn State
    --  November 14, 2009:  Michigan at Wisconsin
    --  November 21, 2009:  Cal at Stanford
    --  November 26, 2009:  Texas at Texas A&M

    --  December 5, 2009:  SEC Championship

Nissan will be the exclusive sponsor of the custom publication, which will feature an introduction by Dan Patrick on why the Heisman is the coolest award in sports; an interview with John M. Heisman, the grandnephew of the trophy's namesake; a gatefold poster showcasing every Heisman winner as well as facts and figures about the award itself; and a decade-by-decade rundown of all the winners that includes vintage photos, their key statistics, their "Heisman moments" and odd facts. Plus reprints from SI Vault of classic feature stories on the following Heisman winners: Iowa's Nile Kinnick (1939), Notre Dame's Angelo Bertelli ('43), Texas A&M's John David Crow ('57), UCLA's Gary Beban ('67), Stanford's Jim Plunkett (1970), Penn State's John Cappelletti ('73), Georgia's Herschel Walker (1982), Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders ('88), Texas's Ricky Williams ('98), Wisconsin's Ron Dayne ('99), Ohio State's Troy Smith ('06) and Florida's Tim Tebow ('07).

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO(2) emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About The Sports Illustrated Group

SI is a multimedia sports brand that takes the consumer into the heart and soul of sports. The SI franchise is anchored by Sports Illustrated, the most respected voice in sports journalism which reaches a weekly audience of nearly 21 million adults, and www.SI.com, the magazine's 24/7 sports news website that delivers more than 150 original stories to its users each week. The SI franchise also includes Sports Illustrated Kids (www.sikids.com), a monthly magazine targeted to kids age 8 and up; Golf Magazine and www.Golf.com; www.FanNation.com, a social networking and sports news aggregation platform; www.SIOncampus.com, a website dedicated to college sports and the college sports lifestyle; SI Presents the magazine's specialty publishing division; as well as SI Books, SI Pictures, SI Productions, SI Digital and SI Events. Founded in 1954, SI is a division of Time Inc., the world's leading magazine publishing company and a subsidiary of Time Warner.

SOURCE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK, July 23 /PRNewswire