It’s America versus Japan in the rear-wheel drive icon league
As much as I’d like to say we pitted the Nissan 370Z Nismo and the Ford Mustang EcoBoost against each other, the truth is this feud goes more like a side by side ramble between two idols that fuel the passion for legions of aficionados.
Determined to ignore the bothersome rain, I rushed to open Nismo’s heavy, coupe-esque door only to find myself falling into the Recaro bucket seat. Then, it struck me. The spartan feel inside the cabin hit me just like Leonida’s foot bashed the Persian messenger’s chest and that’s when I knew the Z was the kind of car that begs for a firm hand when it comes to driving.
With a clutch pedal hard enough to make your quadriceps hurt after a dozen gearshifts and an equally firm steering and suspension, the Nissan 370Z Nismo is far from being a chummy car. Couple that with the 344 horsepower plate served at 7,400 rpm by the fickle V6 and you end up with a respect-grabbing machine.
At the other end of the rope sits the Ford Mustang EcoBoost. A completely different dish, the europeanized pony car is way softer than the Nismo but also more permissive and obedient. That doesn’t chip away at the overall ride, but wraps the general experience in a relaxed crust, which you’ll appreciate mostly on highways and flawed asphalt segments.
In the EcoBoost, you get 310 horsepower at around 5,500 rpm, a pleasant and promising view on paper but a far-fetched proposition in terms of engine response and performance when the real life kicks in. The Mustang also compensates with better comfort and an agreeable interior made so by the hunky-dory front seats.
Inevitably, I get to the point where looks must be put in the balance; a dilemma-generating process. Two images remained stuck in my mind long after the cars went back in the garage. The Mustang’s square-shaped bottom as seen through a wet windshield and the 370Z’s venomous aero mask emerging through a thick curtain of rain in the rearview mirror. It’s almost impossible to decide who wins this beauty contest, so I’ll entrust the audience with the verdict.
Gone is the highway, spilling its two-lane river into a single lane road that compensates the lack of space with long, high-speed bends. On this tight and slightly demanding catwalk, the Nissan 370Z Nismo is in its element.
The Z is more disciplined than the Mustang and its nautical body roll, therefore it has no problem in pumping up the pace. After all, the V6 likes to climb the rpm spectrum at the slightest gas pedal blip, which makes a pleasure out of overtaking slower cars with the rev-syncing S-Mode activated. Push it harder in tight corners and you’ll get the same reaction as you would from a cat that’s been startled from behind: it will try to turn around and leave claw marks on your skin.
Things are different with the Mustang. This EcoBoost-powered pony car encourages a laid back attitude towards fellow drivers. It almost begs you to take the scenic route, a detail which is yet unknown to the Nismo. Somehow, the Mustang EcoBoost shows way more tolerance, a trait it had to inherit in order to please the European clientele. Yet again, the Nismo’s crude modus operandi will appeal those whose feet mimic heel-and-toe in their sleep and can’t wait for the weekly racetrack reunion.
Simply put, I’d take the Ford Mustang in EcoBoost interpretation on a roadtrip around the country any given day, but I can’t say the same about the Nismo. The Japanese likes to inject its pleasure-inducing serum over short periods of time in high doses, while the EcoBoost-powered American acts more like an extended session of intravenous therapy. So it all comes down to how much of an automotive junkie you are.