Malone takes on Huskies team — and scoring — leadership
Malone serious about senior leadership role of Huskies
Ryan Malone admits that he gave some thought to leaving college hockey for the jump to the professional side, but he says heÂ’s glad he reconsidered and returned to St. Cloud State for his senior season. HeÂ’s made a big impact on the Huskies, for more reasons than his 6-foot-4, 210-pound size, and it goes without saying that the Huskies are glad to have him back.
Malone centers Joe Motzko and Jon Cullen on an all-senior line that not only carries the load for the Huskies offense, but also means that the only three senior forwards on the club are clustered on one line. The move by coach Craig Dahl has worked well, because after 12 games, the three stand 1-2-3 in St. Cloud State scoring. Cullen has 14 points, on 3 goals and 11 assists, while Motzko is 8-7—15, and Malone leads with 8-10—18.
Malone missed three games with a hip pointer, so he accrued his points in just nine games, which leaves him tied with North Dakota freshman flash Zach Parise for the top spot in the nation in college hockey points per game. Parise has 10-14—24 in 12 games. Cullen also missed four Huskies games with a shoulder injury, and he and Malone missed the same three games – a tie at Mankato and a split against RPI.
The night they returned they were reunited with Motzko and sent out to face North Dakota’s top line, centered by Parise. In a “welcome to the WCHA†debut, that was the first game all season that Parise was held without a point, while Malone got a hat trick plus two assists and Cullen had a goal and four assists and Motzko added two goals.
The senior line has kept on soaring. Last weekend, the linemates figured in all five goals in a 3-2 victory and 4-2 loss that split a home-and-home series with Minnesota-Duluth. Malone had a goal and three assists, Cullen a goal and two assists and Motzko two goals for the weekend. In fact, before the injury, Malone had two goals and two assists, and since returning he has scored 6-8—14 in six games.
That makes for a solid comeback, but not as important as the comeback Malone made last summer. It seems that whatever level a hockey player is at, he is impatient about getting to the next one. That goes for the Squirt to Peewee level, or the high school to college level, or from college to pro. Malone proved his scoring abilities last season as a junior at St. Cloud State, and he admits considering making the move to pro hockey, but heÂ’s glad he reconsidered.
“I thought about turning pro, but Pittsburgh has a lot of players under contract, and not a lot of money,†said Malone, who was drafted on the fourth round by the Penguins in the 1999 draft. His dad, former Pittsburgh winger Greg Malone, is director of scouting for the Penguins, so Ryan was something of a known commodity and he was drafted after playing for a year at Lincoln in the USHL and before he started at St. Cloud State. Before that, Malone played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Faribault, MN.
“I also knew if I left, I’d be leaving the chance to take some leadership with this team,†Malone added. “I’m definitely glad I came back. I talked to some of our players, like Duvie Westcott and Hartie (Mark Hartigan) who left school to turn pro, and they said that one of the things they miss about college hockey is that now they’re like the youngest guys on their teams in the pros, and there aren’t a lot of guys their age.
“I know youÂ’re never going to play on another team where all the guys are the same age and have the same interests. IÂ’ve known some of these guys since juniors, and I know IÂ’ve got a different role on this team. Last year, when we had Mark Hartigan and Nate DiCasmirro, I really wasnÂ’t a ‘go-toÂ’ guy.Ââ€
He is that now, but it took a while for the role to crystallize for Malone.
“Malone, Cullen and Motzko have really taken over the leadership of the team, and theyÂ’re really doing a great job,Ââ€
said Dahl. “WeÂ’ve only really gotten healthy the last five games, and I could feel the team coming together in the last week. WeÂ’ve become a team.Ââ€
Naturally, the Huskies have a lot more than Malone and that big top line. They have junior Matt Hendricks, who has six power-play goals and leads a unit that has has scored on 20 of 65 power plays – a sparkling 30.8 percent, for a team that has led the nation in power-play goals for the past two seasons. A solid but no-name defense does an excellent job protecting the goal, where Jake Moreland, the only senior other than the top line, has a glowing .926 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against mark with a 6-1 record. His only loss was the 4-2 rematch against Duluth in St. Cloud.
DahlÂ’s future looks bright with the Huskies, because against UMD they had seven freshmen and five sophomores in the lineup. And that group will be brought up to high standards by the seniors, if Malone, Cullen and Motzko have their way.
When Malone came to St. Cloud State, it almost seemed as though he was going out of his way to play a pro-style game in college. He took a lot of penalties, and he didnÂ’t score many goals. As a freshman, he had 9 goals, and only 7 as a sophomore. Last season he broke through, scoring 24 goals and 25 assists, even though he also had his most penalties, with 38 infractions for 76 minutes. This year, he is on a still-faster pace, and he seems comfortable playing a less-abrasive and more-productive style.
“IÂ’m trying to help the team as much as I can,†Malone said. “IÂ’m not punching guys back this year, but I still want to have a physical presence. IÂ’m shooting the puck a lot more, and I know that those things are important when you get to the next level.Ââ€
And if that next level has to wait another year, Malone is making sure itÂ’ll be worth the wait.
Honda creates a basic Element for new SUV generation
If thereÂ’s a car in your familyÂ’s future, thereÂ’s a decent chance it might be a truck. And if thereÂ’s a truck in your familyÂ’s future, chances are it probably will be a sports-utility vehicle. And if thereÂ’s an SUV in your familyÂ’s future, and youÂ’re buying it during the 2003 model year, chances are it might be incredibly boxy.
Boxy trucks used to be all there was in the SUV world, then all the manufacturers tried to make their SUVs more car-like, and they were getting pretty sleek there for awhile. But for 2003, with virtually every imaginable niche already filled to overcrowding by SUVs of all sizes and shapes, there is a distinct tendency to go more for “utility†and make it useful more than sporty.
After all the trends have come, gone and come back again, there suddenly are a half-dozen or more boxy vehicles that have hit the market in the last couple of years. They come from Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Toyota, General Motors, Chrysler, Land Rover, Mercedes – virtually every manufacturer. For 2003, however, by far the most dramatic example of a boxy SUV with a capital “U†is the Honda Element.
The Element is a surprise, the first time you see it in person. It is remarkably tall, remarkably blunt, and pretty square from every angle. It has a rugged but stylish interior, which can be hosed out easily, if you choose, after youÂ’ve ridden your mountain bike into the rear and left it stashed, muddy but upright.
Behind that tall, bold grille there is a decidedly squarish occupant compartment, a four-foor with rear-hinged rear doors, which means when you open both the front and rear door, there is no pillar, just a very large, very tall expanse of space. That allows easy access to the rear seat, which is basically two large bucket seats that meet in the middle so that you could put three folks in there, although there is an indentation for cupholders in the middle. Still, there probably wouldnÂ’t be too much complaining. After all, the headroom is unlimited.
You can ride that aforementioned mountain bike right in upright because the rear seat is a split folding arrangement, with the capability of being fully reclined, then folded up against the outer walls and hitched up to remain there. That leaves a very large cubic capacity, one that will house just about any object, including upright bicycles, probably with the rider still in the saddle.
On top of that, the interior is designed so you can simply hose the mud out of the rear area. And the rear roof panel can tilt or be removed. Think of it as a Swiss Army Knife on wheels for its do-everything potential.
If the Element looks odd at first notice, remember that odd seems to be in these days. Typical of Honda, however, all the ergonomics are in place and the Element drives well, handles well, accelerates adequately and performs any of the multiple tasks a family-hauling wagon could be asked to do.
While just now heading for showrooms, the Element has stylishly grey plastic covering the lower grille and wrapping around to cover the fenders, same with the rear.
In reality, Honda took its immensely successful CR-V compact SUV, which is one of the better designed and hottest selling little SUVs, and they adapted it to the youth-oriented market segment that every manufacturer is now pursuing. Young buyers seem to want spacious, open vehicles with a lot of room, which allows for going snow-boarding, water-skiing, surfing, biking – whatever. The more active the better, so the vehicle that will best accommodate active people could be a big winner.
ThatÂ’s where the Element fits in. With the CR-VÂ’s advanced 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, worth 160 horsepower, the Element has shown the ability to run 0-60 times in 10 or 11 seconds, which wonÂ’t win many drag-races but proves fully adequate zip in traffic. The engine has adequate size, with dual-overhead-camshafts and variable valve-timing on the 16 valves.
You can get it with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and it is expected to get anywhere from 20-25 miles per gallon. You might get the lower number if you used the 1,500-pound towing maximum, although I donÂ’t picture the Element as a tow vehicle so much as a go-anywhere action wagon, with a skid plate under the front for mild off-roading.
The price was not listed on the test-vehicle, but it is anticipated at being between $16,000 – which Honda has vowed – and $21,000 fully loaded.
The test Element had a 5-speed stick, with the shift lever protruding from a small pod at the bottom of the center-dash panel. It shifted smoothly and allowed you to run up to a sporty 6,500-RPM redline.
Because the 3,200-pound Element is so tall, it seems as though it must be tippy, but the suspension holds it flat, and it is surprisingly stable in all circumstances.
The rear door is split, with the bottom half folding down to a nice platform, while the top half tilts up and away for easy access. There is a surprising amount of space behind the rear seat, but obviously folding those seats up against the walls and out of the way greatly expands that.
From an aesthetic standpoint, I like the look of the Element. Others found it outrageous, and some didnÂ’t like it. But it stops you in your tracks, because it is unique from every angle. These days, with 80-some trucks and SUVs available, being unique is difficult to achieve these days, but Honda has done it.
Former Badger star Eaves wins 1st as new WCHA coach
The University of Wisconsin hockey team will win a lot of games under Mike Eaves, but the new Badger coach will always remember that November 16 night at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, when he got his first WCHA victory.
Going into the weekend Wisconsin had done quite well in nonconference games, at 4-2, but had lost its first two WCHA games, 5-3 and 5-2 to defending WCHA champion and preseason favorite Denver. So the trip to Duluth, following a weekend off, was a true test for the rebuilding Badgers.
The first game of the series saw UMDÂ’s Nick Anderson pounce on a careless rink-wide pass in the neutral zone and race in to score after only 18 seconds had elapsed. Tyler Brosz and Junior Lessard added UMD goals, offset only by a goal from Wisconsin freshman defenseman Tom Gilbert. That 3-1 first-period lead stood up as UMD won the game 4-1, dropping the Badgers to 0-3 in WCHA games.
In those three losses, as well as in the two nonconference losses, several things had become constants. Their 4-5 overall ledger indicated that all five losses had come when the Badgers trailed after both the first and second periods, which is no big surprise, when you think about it, but also the four victories had come only when the Badgers allowed three or fewer goals.
Eaves was not dismayed by the loss. He talked about mistakes, which can be fixed, and he noted that it might have been the worst game the Badgers had played, from the standpoint of handling the puck.
His players werenÂ’t readily available for comments after the game, because, as usual, they were sent off on a post-game run and workout, in an attempt to rid their bodies of lactic acid buildup. Eaves, the sone of a noted Canadian physiologist, always has followed careful physical training routines, dating back to his days as a player. So his players should expect nothing less.
Eaves, of course, first found fame as a two-time All-American and the career scoring leader (94 goals, 173 assists, 267 points) as well as WCHA most valuable player when Wisconsin won the 1978 national championship. He went on to play in the NHL, and had a solid career with the Minnesota North Stars and Calgary in the early 1980s. His career was cut short, rudely, because of recurring concussions, and he had to leave the game he loved at age 28, about the time he was reaching a peak.
But he didn’t really leave hockey. Instead, he found another avenue to stay within the game. “Fortunately, the fact that I had played college hockey, and gotten a degree, opened up new doors for me,†Eaves said. “Because I had a teaching degree, I was able to get a job as head coach at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where I also worked as a specialist in development of the program.
“Later, when I was coaching the USA Hockey Development team at Ann Arbor, IÂ’d talk to 15-year-olds and IÂ’d use education as a metaphor for a safety net, because I know how important an education is for opening new doors. IÂ’d have loved to play 15 years in the NHL, but I moved on and found something else I love to do.Ââ€
When Eaves got the Wisconsin job last summer, replacing long-term coach Jeff Sauer, it was obvious there would be some major changes in structure, because Eaves has strong beliefs in running a program. And there was no question that rigorous physical training would be part of it.
So focused was Eaves on getting his youthful Badger team to take its next baby-step on the road to development that he said he didnÂ’t even think about his first WCHA victory the next night. He was, in fact, straining in hopes that his Badgers could manage a tie when the game stood 1-1.
The Badgers, outplayed pretty thoroughly the night before, played much better in the second game, but were being stymied by UMDÂ’s flashy freshman goaltender, Isaac Reichmuth. The game was scoreless until Ryan MacMurchy scored for Wisconsin on an unlikely low shot from 45 feet out on the right side at 2:01 of the third period.
Wisconsin goaltender Bernd Bruckler was clinging to that 1-0 lead until only 2:59 remained, when Junior Lessard deflected in a Beau Geisler power-play shot for the 1-1 tie. As so often happens, the tight-checking three periods turned into something of a wide-open overtime, as both sides had excellent scoring chances. Reichmuth made an impressive stop on Rene Bourque, and Bruckler came back for a great save on Marco Peluso.
In the last minute of the 5-minute overtime, the Badgers worked the puck in, but a pass was deflected off toward the board-side of the right faceoff circle. Erik Jensen, a senior whose status on the first line is more a reward for hard-working consistency than scoring prowess, spotted the deflected puck first and veered to his right to pursue it.
Jensen, who had just one goal for the season and only 11 for his four-year career at Wisconsin, got to the puck, whirled and rifled a quick shot. He laughed about any suggestion that he had taken a look and picked a top corner, but as luck would have it, Reichmuth dropped to his knees when he lost sight of the puck for an instant, and JensenÂ’s wide-angle spinaround missile sailed over his shoulder and into the upper corner of the net.
“I just wanted to get it on net and hoped we might get a rebound, or something,†said Jensen, a hometown winger from Madison.
The time was 4:43 of sudden-death overtime, and assistant coach John Hynes shook EavesÂ’ hand.
“It wasn’t until John Hynes said ‘Congratulations, coach, on your first WCHA win,’ that I realized it,†said Eaves.
“We werenÂ’t going to take any chances on gambling for the winning goal, because right now, I thought the point was important. We needed a point as something to hold on to. But it was nice for a young man like that – a grinder – to get a reward like that.Ââ€
Jensen and big Brad Winchester are the only two seniors among WisconsinÂ’s forwards, while Mark Jackson and Brian Fahey are the only senior defensemen. Goalie Scott Kabotoff, who played FridayÂ’s game, is the fifth senior on the team. At the other end of the scale, Licari and Gibson are two of seven freshmen who played at UMD. MacMurchy, Adam Burish and A.J. Degenhardt are other freshman forwards, and Gilbert, who played a lot and played very well, and Tom Sawatske are freshman defensemen.
All three goals Wisconsin scored over the weekend were either scored or assisted on by freshmen, Eaves, who has been candid in his criticism of his team, was equally candid in praise for the steps the young Badgers have made.
“We probably had our best bench tonight,†he said. “They all took more of a piece of the pie tonight. We were really solid, and they didn’t get a lot of good chances. Everybody had a role. Tonight, Brent Gibson and Nick Licari gave us good energy, and that was their job. Bernd Bruckley has a tendency to sit back in the net, like a lot of European goaltenders, and I thought tonight he came out and challenged more and had a bigger presence in the net.
“I had told our guys that weÂ’re into our third level now,†said Eaves. “We had Base Camp first, then Camp 2 was the start of the season, and Camp 3 is this weekend then North Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota, when weÂ’ve got to go on the road.Ââ€
There will be many more road trips, too, in the Mike Eaves regime, but the rookie coach will also remember the upbeat return trip to Madison from Duluth late that night of November 16. And at some point, when his mind cleared up of the clutter of different line combinations, new forechecking schemes, or maybe some new post-game workout, Eaves might have time to take a deep breath, and appreciate WCHA Win No. 1.
Boxster S, Audi A4 Cabriolet best reasons for warm autumn
For the last few years, it seems that weÂ’ve gone right past Thanksgiving and up to Christmas, wondering and worrying about whether weÂ’re going to get even a trace of snow. Not so, this year, although despite all the cold, harsh days weÂ’ve endured, IÂ’m still assuming we might get some so-called “Native American Summer.Ââ€
My problem is that I’ve been saving up a couple of vehicles for that perfect, late fall weather – the 2003 Porsche Boxster and the all-new Audi A4 Cabrio. These beauties, both convertibles, are the perfect summertime implements, but might be even more pleasurable when it’s 60-something degrees outside, and colorful leaves are just starting to blow off the trees to form a striking contrast as they flutter through a bright blue sky.
I maintain that folks in northern climates enjoy and appreciate convertibles more than those in the stereotypical hot-weather regions like Florida, Arizona or California. In those places, convertibles are plentiful, but owners tend to leave the tops up to avoid being sizzled by the sun, while Up North, we tend to put the tops down whenever we can.
But apparently weÂ’re not going to get any appreciable convertible weather this fall. IÂ’m not giving up; IÂ’m still counting on a couple of 50-ish days here in November. But IÂ’m also not waiting any longer. WeÂ’re going to pretend that we are having that sort of weather, and we can imagine how much fun theyÂ’d be.
PORSCHE BOXSTER
“POR-shah.†The very name conveys magic. The legendary German company builds fast, strong, unrelenting sports cars, and it prides itself on always adapting its racing technology to its sports car production for the street.
While the mighty 911 Carrera owns the road of popular high-performance sports cars, Porsche introducted a new, less-expensive mid-engine sports car at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show, and 10,000 of the new Boxsters were sold before any of them reached the showroom. Production began and the car was introduced in 1997 as a 1998 model. It was named “Boxster,†partly because it used the legendary flat-opposed “boxer†engine design and partly because it was a roadster.
Moving the engine from being centered behind the rear axle to just ahead of it is enough to change the designation from rear-engine to mid-engine. The first Boxster had 201 horsepower out of 2.5 liters, with the size (2.7) and horsepower (217) increasing for 2000. In that same 2000 year, Porsche introduced a companion model, the Boxster S, with a 3.2-liter engine good for 250 horsepower.
I recall that the original Boxster was fun to drive, much the way the MGB or TR-4 was in the early days of sports cars. Fun as it was, however, you didnÂ’t realize how good the car actually was until the slight power increase proved you could take the Boxster to much more aggressive limits of handling, while the base car didnÂ’t quite have enough power to tax its very good suspension.
When those new cars came out, I had a chance to drive all the Porsche models at Texas World Speedway, and while the big all-wheel-drive Carrera was the all-out best to drive, I felt the Boxster S was second-best, ahead of the various other 911 models. My feeling was that the extra predictability of the mid-engine balance meant you could enjoy hurling the Boxster S around the tightest turns of the road course with more confidence, while the rear-engine 911s tended to want to be the tail wagging the dog.
The big news for 2003 is that the Boxster goes from 217 to 225 horsepower with 192 foot-pounds of torque, while the Boxster S goes from 250 to 258 horses and churns out 229 foot-pounds of torque, an increase of four, thanks to improvements in Variocam valve-timing control. Now, such a slight increase doesnÂ’t seem like all that much, but, typically, the Boxster also has been refined from top to bottom, or from the new glass rear window to the traction-enhancing Porsche Stability Management and navigation system.
I was able to join a group of automotive columnists at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, north of Montreal, to drive the new Boxster and Boxster S on the legendary St. Jovite road-racing circuit. The new Boxster inherits the suspension of the previous S, and its extra power allows you to appreciate it. Meanwhile, the new S adds a different rear stabilizer bar to stay one step ahead, which is only fitting.
Letting both cars run up and down the steeply contoured Mont Tremblant road course, including a couple of blind hills where you experience the thrill of having to crest the hill before you see exactly where the turn goes, was the perfect place to experience everything both Boxsters have to offer. To make it worth the extra money – the S lists for $51,600 compared to the base Boxster at $42,600 – the S will go 0-60 in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 164 miles per hour. The base car “only†goes 0-60 in 6.4 seconds with a top speed of 157.
AUDI A4 CABRIOLET
Audi has gotten downright sporty in recent years, adding such cars as the TT sports car to the sensational A4 sedan and its larger A6 and A8 brothers. It used to also make a convertible version of its entry-level sedan, but that went away in 1989 – six years before the A4 launch. Now that the A4 has clearly been established as a world-class under $30,000 sedan, and an all-new A4 just came out a year ago, Audi has reintroduced the Cabriolet.
That seems only fitting, because Audi has entered, and dominated, another level of motorsports, having just won its third straight American LeMans race series, as well as LeMans itself. The improvements that have gone into the new A4 make the Cabriolet far better than just another sedan with the top chopped off.
The improved chassis, for example, means that the A4 Cabriolet is not only a true four-place convertible, but it has structural rigidity that measures a 112-percent improvement. It sits 20 millimeters lower than the sedan on which it is based, and its clean design is highlighted by prominent wheel arches, an angular rear with dual exhausts, and polished alloy trim, setting off the upswept slope of its lines. Despite its obvious heritage, the Cabriolet shares no body panels with the A4.
Technological advancements have been among the strongpoints of Audi in recent years, and the Cabriolet benefits from several of them. Igt borrows the aluminum front wheel carrier and uprights from the A4, which came directly from the costly A8, and the same independent trapezoidal rear suspension keeps the Cabriolet going where itÂ’s aimed.
Power comes from either the upgraded 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, with 170 horsepower and 166-foot-pounds of torque, or the new 3.0-V6, with 220 horsepower and 221 foot-pounds of torque. The V6 seems like the easy answer, because itÂ’s the only answer until February, when the electronically-controlled 4, with its great flexibility, joins the fleet. Both are front-wheel drive, which makes the Cabriolet well-suited to conquer the vagaries of even Minnesota autumns and winters, and the legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system will be introduced on next yearÂ’s Cabriolet.
Both the V6 and the 4 will come equipped with the Multitronic transmission, a continuously-variable transmission that has a serpentine belt that expands and contracts, always leaving you in precisely the right gear without ever shifting, in the conventional sense. ItÂ’s kind of an eerie feeling at first, accelerating without hearing the revs build and the shiftpoints passed with that familiar hesitation and surge. But it has the best of both, being lighter and stronger than other automatics and as quick and economical as any stick.
The A4 Cabriolet looks great with the top down, but also is impressive with the top up, a snug-fitting, well-tailored power top with glass rear window, that rises at the touch of a button to firmly lock in place in 24 seconds. ThatÂ’s the measured time of most stoplights, which means you could be secured from the next snow flurry before the light changes.
The V6 Cabriolet sells for $41,500, putting it comfortably under competing models from BMW and Mercedes, its prime competitors. When the 4-cylinder is introduced, it will be at $35,000.
The A4 Cabriolet definitely isn’t the all-out sports car the Boxster is, but it has the added convenience of a full rear seat and a trunk, and it will meet some of the same demands as any sports car for exposing you to fresh air – but also allowing you to be shielded when the chilly autumn winds are TOO fresh.
Nissan recreates a classic for the future with 2003 Z-car
Every once in a while, everyday pressures can hit a peak. It happened to me a few times, during 30-some years of writing automotive columns, with two of those occasions most memorable.
One was when the quite brilliant fellow who was my first sports editor at the Minneapolis Tribune called me aside to recommend a trouble-free, economical car for basic transportation. I suggested a Honda Civic. Then I kept my fingers crossed. He bought one, drove it 170,000 miles and proceeded to buy about four more, and I remained greatly relieved that he never had any trouble.
The other time was about in 1969, when a young woman designer of the same newspaper was about to splurge and buy her first car, and she wanted a sports car. MGBs and Triumphs were fading away, and Corvettes were too expensive as well as fairly commonplace, but she was adamant she wanted a sports car. I was aware at that time that Nissan was going to come out with a new, moderately priced sports car that seemed to me to be a certain winner. It was the 240Z, and it had a preproduction price of about $3,500. I told her to go to a Nissan dealership, sign up for the car sight-unseen, and get them to commit to that price.
She did, and by the time the car showed up, demand was such that every dealership in the country was tagging hundreds, even thousands, onto the sticker price to guarantee themselves a profit for the intensely sought Z-car. But my friend got her car at her price – possibly the only customer in the country who did so. She owned it and loved it for years, even after it grew fatter and more powerful, but less sleek, and less special. It grew to the 260Z, then the 300 ZX, and so on. Then it left this world, when sports cars became less marketable.
Flash forward now, to 2002, and the ever-expanding marketplace is filled with cars for every nook and cranny, to say nothing of niches. Sports cars have enjoyed a tremendous resurgence, led by such vehicles as the Porsche Boxster, Audi TT, BMW Z3, and the Honda S2000, and, yes, the Corvette.
The timing is right, and here comes Nissan, with an all-new 350Z as a 2003 model. Can Nissan hope to pull off another scene-stealing trick with the same car? Does lightning strike twice in the same place? After a week’s road-test, let’s just say the answer “Yes†is more likely for the former than the latter.
The new Z-car is superbly designed, well crafted, armed with incredible power, and is so slick inside that it appears more like an auto show concept car than a production vehicle. The reason the 350Z is primed to take on the sports car world all over again is the same basic premise as the first one – tremendous fun, fantastic features, and a surprisingly reasonable price tag. The new Z starts at a base of around $27,000, and loaded up with all sorts of options, it still comes in at $34,288, in the case of the test car. Adding another digit onto the price tag of 30-some years ago now becomes reasonable, when compared to the above-mentioned sports cars, some of which are about twice as spendy.
Having seen the 350Z at last winterÂ’s auto show circuit, and in countless pictures, I still was startled at how good it looked sitting there, waiting for me to hit the key-fob remote and unlock the doors. It has an abruptly-sloping nose and a more rounded-off look to the rear, but the two-seat passenger compartment is definitely jet-fighter-cockpit design, even from the outside. There is a strong resemblance to the Audi TT, that strikingly artsy sports car that is practically bubble-shaped front and rear, but while the 350Z may have borrowed from the TTÂ’s styling cues, it is much more angular from the front.
The cat-like headlight covers also are angled steeply, with a large, lower airdam opening to a low grille. Again, like the TT, the 350Z’s wheels are at the four extremities, and the skin is stretched tightly up and over, with an extremely low coefficient of drag of 0.30. The high-performance “Track†model has more airdams and lowers the number to 0.29.
However, all models of the 350Z come with the same engine, a 3.5-liter V6 that is the newest of a long-running line of V6 gems made by Nissan. This one also powers the new Altima, and the new Maxima, and the Pathfinder SUV – as well as upscale Infiniti I35, G35 and QX4 vehicles. In Z-car trim, the engine has just about every high-tech goodie an engine could have. It’s made of aluminum, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, controlled by a continuously variable valve timing system. Pistons are molybdenum-coated for optimum strength and slipperiness, and the crankshaft and camshafts are microfinished, with the operation completely electronic, with a drive-by-wire arrangement and direct ignition.
If you need more technical stuff, the driveshaft is made of reinforced carbon-fiber, which is stronger than steel, or aluminum, for its weight. Everything is aimed at weight-reduction, much like in a race car. The power produced for the 3,290-pound 350Z also is race-car like. It churns out 287 horsepower at a 6,200-RPM peak, and it has 274 foot-pounds of torque, peaking at 4,800, but with the variable valve timing it produces close to maximum torque from idle speed on up.
The transmission is a slick, short-throw six-speed. You reach it easily from the very neat interior, with its plush but supportive leather bucket seats, and an instrument cluster that is both well-designed and useful without being distracting by some of the current bells-and-whistles gadgetry. The whole cluster stands away from the dash in its own self-contained pod. The look of leather and brushed aluminum adds to the all-business, no-gimmick approach.
With front engine and rear drive, the 350Z needs help in the case of foul weather – as in winter – and it gets it, in the form of well-designed multi-link suspension, which holds the Z taut and firm in all circumstances, and huge Brembo racing brakes, which can haul the car down to nothing in short order. The Z still is a bit nose-heavy, at a 53/47 ratio, but it is designed to be just about exactly 50/50 when you accelerate with a driver on board and the weight shifting rearward.
It also has LSD (limited-slip differential), plus EBD (electronic brake-force distribution), and VDC (vehicle dynamic control), which reduces torque and increases braking if it senses a skid. ThatÂ’s all designed to keep the Z heading straight ahead when the road gets slippery. However, to the surprise of nobody, a fair warning must be issued that if it snows or ice develops, the huge, low-profile, high-performance tires (225-45×18 in front and 245-45×18 at the rear) would rather go sideways than straight ahead if youÂ’re not extremely delicate on the power.
The usual contemporary goodies, like heated seats, climate control and a Bose six-CD audio system with seven speakers, are standard, and safety is enhanced by dual-stage airbags with optional side airbags and head-curtain airbags to complement the extremely rigid chassis with its crumple-zone front and rear design.
Great speed, quickness and exceptional handling agility put the 350Z right into the performance region of the Corvette or Boxster, and while it may be a second slower in a quarter mile, it also is so exhilarating to drive that you wonÂ’t be checking any stopwatches for validation. It also gets 20 miles per gallon city and 26 highway, by EPA estimates.
The Z is back. And it is perfectly suited to project what might have been if the original 240Z had stayed on its original course for 32 years and plunged ahead to the latest technology. Drive one, if you can find one. And if greedy dealers tack on a price hike, it will complete the cycle from the original.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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