The all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z was officially  released TODAY!

Exciting news for sure!

Why? Well, there’s two reasons, really.

First, the 370Z’s release signifies an opportunity knocking. For the vast majority of us tuners out there, acquiring a “new” car typically means getting a used car. Reliability and overall quality in the auto industry have been on the rise for several decades. Vehicles can have life spans well into the hundreds of thousands of miles these days. So a used car doesn’t always mean a beater. Quite the contrary. Most tuners prefer used cars that have already taken the huge depreciation hit most vehicles take the moment its driven off the dealer’s lot. The more money you save, the more money you can be spending on future mods and other important aspects a savvy tuner needs to consider.

With that in mind, the all-new 370Z — yes, with it’s love-it-or-hate-it styling — has been improved in every major aspect over the outgoing 350Z. No doubt, it will be a hit. So much so, that it is likely to entice many existing 2003-2008 Z owners to upgrade to the all-new 370Z. Translation: there should be some killer deals out there on 350s! Per Kelley Blue Book, you can find some well-maintained, higher mileage 350Zs selling for around $9,000 today!  In fact, I found this pretty clean Pikes Peak White 2003 350Z Enthusiast coupe with OEM rear spoiler and chrome wheels for sale right now at a dealer.  His asking price is $9,995. 

Completely stock 350Zs ran 0-60 MPH under 6 seconds!  And, according to several consumer review sites, most 350Z owners reported above average ownership experiences, with excellent reliability and relatively low costs of ownership for a sports car.  The 350Z also boasts good resale value.  Finally, with countless aftermarket performance and customization options out there for 350Zs, the possibilities are endless.  Even if you’re not quite in the market for a Z right now, this is all compelling stuff and should be food for thought. Bottom line: Keep the 350Z on your short list when looking for a new toy or project.

On the other hand, performance of the all-new 370Z has been described as Porsche Cayman-like for twenty grand less! It delivers incredible performance numbers, and refinement has been increased, as well. Don’t mistake this for a luxury car. It’s no Infiniti (or BMW for that matter). That raw, aggressive, and sensory-stimulating exhaust note from it’s 3.7L VQ V6 engine is always present. This new 370Z rockets to 60 MPH faster than a Nismo 350Z. That’s in the 4-second range, boys! Some reports suggest numbers that come pretty damn close to even an Aston Martin. Nissan reduced weight by over 75 pounds, shortened the overall length, lowered the car, used a bunch of aluminum panels, increased rigidity, and bumped up horsepower to 332-horses — and it shows!

The Z has been described as a Japanese muscle car, but don’t mistake the 370Z for a pony car driving experience. The interior has been refined with its use of improved materials and quality construction. This time around, Nissan paid attention to details. Auto-journos and owners alike criticized the 350Z’s interior for being a little low-rent, so Nissan has responded with this significantly improved cabin. There is a lot of new soft touch materials, metal-finish accents, and even a Porsche-esque leather-wrapped center stack. The designers also made the interior of the new 370 much more functional. The cargo area in the 370Z no longer showcases the obtrusive strut tower brace, thus improving cargo carrying capabilities. The engineers solved this by better integrating the brace into the partition between the occupants and cargo area. There are a lot more useable storage areas in the cabin of the 370Z, as well.

Nissan kept pricing for the 370Z very close to the 350. Only two models will be available, 370Z Standard and 370Z Touring. There’s been a slight increase in base price to just under $30,000, but it comes with a lot more stuff. The new entry-level 370Z (now called 370Z Standard) is equipped more like the mid-level 350Z Enthusiast was. Thankfully, all 370Zs will come standard with cruise control and save-your-ass traction control.  Nissan’s popular push-button start with intelligent key is also a welcome new feature that’s standard. If you want power & heated leather seats, Bose with XM & Bluetooth, and aluminum pedals, you’ll have to step up to the 370Z Touring, which starts at just over $35,000.  The options list is pretty short, as just three factory options will be offered. A $3,000 Sport Package is available on both the 370Z and 370Z Touring, which adds 19″ Rays forged wheels with Bridgestone Potenza tires, viscous limited slip diff, 14″ Akebono-Nissan brakes, front & rear spoilers, and rev-matching technology for manual transmission-equipped cars. Navi is available only on Touring models for just under $1,900. The Navigation Package includes a 9.3-gig Music Box hard-drive and iPod interface. The premium Chicane Yellow paint option is $500. All in all, this represents tremendous value for the money.

So, yes, whether you’re looking for an an affordable 350Z project car or have the cash to burn on an all-new 2009 370Z, the official release of Nissan’s latest iteration of its legendary Z car is exciting news, indeed.