Every good car launch has one, a road so simpatico with the vehicle that it becomes all you can rave about.
With the open version of Nissan's 370Z sports car, it's the run from Moa Flat down into Ettrick. No? Find a map, follow the squiggles. All becomes clear.
We'd been driving for two hours to come to it, and subsequently put into another couple to return to Queenstown. But it was the ducking, diving, always demanding conjoining bit, covered in less than 20 minutes, that was the talk of our group.
The road demands concentration and precision but, then, so too does the car.
There's sophistication to the Zed, but it's the honesty of a well-balanced rear-wheel-drive two-seater with a borderline brutal big-bore V6 that attracts.
It's an involving car, roof down especially. Toplessness is driven by push-button simplicity. No fancy-pants fold-up origami in tin, just fabric. Effective. Enough.
Chopping the top does not entirely support a "less-is-more'' argument for the softtop. The redesign and no small amount of strengthening adds 61kg and pumps an additional $5000 into the price. It's less aerodynamic and runs a bit slower. Not that this matters, because you'll be sold by the handsomely proportioned styling.
And dynamically? Pace, grip, poise and delicacy are coupe carryovers. There is more body flex and it might display a touch more rear-end movement in hard cornering as the suspension digs in. But that's about it. On that lovely rural road, it felt planted, engaging and utterly exhilarating.
Manual or auto? Though a moot point, since only the seven-speed slushbox is coming here, this was still the focus of apres-drive discussion. The auto is a nice thing, with a quasi-manual mode and steering-wheel shifters enhancing the "hands-on'' experience. But I liked the snicky six-speed even better.
Running roof-down allows greater appreciation of the V6 soundtrack, but occupants also suffer raucous roof-up road roar - the price of its fat rubber.
Well, at least you get ultra-cool Rays forged wheels. If the din gets you down, just turn up the thumper Bose stereo.
A Zed unzipped presents a great blend of entertainment, performance and value. That a Boxster bloke gave it the evil eye says it all really.
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