OK, so entry into the cockpit is a bit of a scrunch, and we did bang our knees against the steering wheel. And yes, we bumped our head a few times while craning to look out the side window. But what do you expect? Like it's not enough that the 300ZX will send you hurtling through hyperspace? You want copious head- and legroom too?
If necessity is the mother of invention, then limited interior space is its father. Faced with the dimensional confines of a relatively compact performance machine, Nissan engineers have moved a few items around inside, to optimal effect. Instead of cramming the climate-control system into the same mid-dash space as the radio, for example, engineers have imbedded it into a modular housing directly to the right of the steering column. This way, the driver can make the necessary temperature adjustments without averting his or her eyes from the road for very long.
Visibility for lane changes is another story, however. The rear deck window is sloped so dramatically that it seriously compresses the rear-view perspective, and the situation is further impeded by the presence of a rear spoiler. Similarly, the thickness of the rear deck lid posts create a serious blind spot over the driver's left and right shoulders.
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.