pet connection

My son came in through the front door and immediately made a pronouncement:

“I’m in love!” he boasted.

Perfect timing, I thought, just three days before Valentine’s Day (“Get out your credit card,” I pondered privately).

But it turns out that the subject of this 18-year-old’s affection is not a person — or a dog — but a car: The sliver 2008 Nissan 350Z tester sitting in my carport. He arrived home, took one glance and it was love at first sight.

This is definitely not a DogCar, and it’s not a really meant as a people (as in many people) car either. The two-seats manage to fit two decent-sized adults well enough, but anyone taller than 6-foot-4 will be hard pressed to be comfortable on long trips. And just try to find a properly positioned cupholder in the cab — there are five, but they all interacted with either my elbows or knees at some point.

But the 350Z is not necessarily designed and built for practical purposes. With a 6-speed, 306 horsepower V-6 under the hood, 18-inch tires and a race-car-like design, this puppy is poised to fly.

It’s a greyhound puppy, no doubt.

As the owner of an almost ancient (1978) Datsun 280Z, my son is astounded with the advancements made to the hot coupe over the past three decades. The Touring model I’m driving has a plush leather interior, slanted windows all around and a 7-speaker sound system that will impress all of your friends — if they weren’t already.

In fact, driving the 350Z around town on the first day drew lots of looks from other drivers of all ages and persuasions.

The bottom line is that unless you want your pet to sit up front with you (there is no back seat), the Nissan 350Z is not a DogCar.

But it sure is doggone fun to drive!

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