I was pretty busy bouncing from press conference to press conference at the 2008 L.A. autoshow. I didn’t cover the Nissan press conference but having previously owned a 350Z I had to check out the newest incarnation of the Z car, the 2009 Nissan 370Z.

My first reaction was, “What did they do to the lights?”. It looked like the new Nissan Maxima headlights, which I wasn’t too fond of. But after closer inspection I started to get what the designers were going for. I love the new shape and roof line. It looks just like the old school Datsun 240Z, a car I would love to own if I had the chance to pick up a project car.

The Nissan 370Z gets a welcome boost in power from a 3.7L V6 engine. This new power plant puts down 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft. of torque. This is about 26 more hp than the previous model. Not bad, but I doubt previous owners will notice much of a difference on the butt dyno. I still think they should’ve come out with a tuner version of the vehicle that has a 4-banger turbo power plant. Take a look at the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe. They’ll be coming in both a V6 and an I4 turbo. Smart move if you ask me.

A lot of 350Z owners are enthusiasts. A lot of enthusiasts like tuning, modifying and upgrading. I’m not sure how this power plant will do, but the old 3.5L V6 didn’t respond too well to modifications. You had to drop some serious coin to put down more power. Granted, it was still fast and a very balanced vehicle. But not tapping into that huge aftermarket is a big mistake. Especially in our current economy. These days, not a lot of people can afford $30,000+ vehicles. So tuners and aftermarket enthusiasts are going to buy cheaper cars that they can upgrade to satisfy their need for speed.

If someone from Nissan happens to read this and a tuner version of the 370Z comes out. You’ll be getting a bill from me Nissan. I’ll also take a 370Z as payment if you would like me to continue my research.

The Nissan GT-R is back and I want one. Ask any car enthusiast about the GT-R and the majority of them will say the same. With insane twin-turbo V-6 power, edgy looks, and a cult-like following rivaling that of the Beatles, the 2009 Nissan GT-R lives up to the hype.

A 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 powers the GT-R. With 480 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, you’d better have your inhaler handy.

The simple-yet-sporty interior complements the feel of the Nissan GT-R. And just to show you this car was meant to motor, the speedometer was arranged in such a way that the 140-mph tick mark is where you would normally see 60 mph on most cars. I guess the designers figured you wouldn’t be spending a whole lot of time under 100 mph.

The GT-R’s exterior styling causes mixed feelings. Some people hate it and others love it. I, for one, like the edgy design. I think it’s one of those looks that grow on you.

The Nissan supercoupe’s 4-wheel Brembo disc brakes with 15-inch rotors bring everything to a screeching halt when needed, while the gold calipers provide a little eye candy in the process.

Well-bolstered leather and suede bucket seats do a great job of keeping your butt in place on those curvy mountain roads. If you’re wondering about space in the back seat, the GT-R probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re wondering if they put dual subwoofers in between the rear seats, then you’ve come to the right place.

The 2009 Nissan GT-R is rollin’ on DUBS! Not just your regular run-of-the-mill dubs, but super-lightweight, forged-aluminum dubs. 20 x 9.5 inches in front and 20 x 10.5 inches at the rear.

Purists out there might scoff at the fact that there’s no clutch pedal in the GT-R. But the 6-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission is responsive and probably shifts faster than I do. It gets extra cool points for automatically blipping the throttle to match revs on downshifts.

The rear end of the Nissan GT-R is iconic. The dual circular taillights are instantly recognizable. I found this out as I was almost run off the road multiple times by people snapping pictures from their camera phones.

Starting at around $70,000, this car is an awesome deal considering it’ll decimate sports cars twice its price. Unfortunately, $70k is not going to happen on this photographer’s salary. Not to mention dealers are throwing on a pretty gnarly markup. So until my kidney sells on Ebay, or the price drops because they use this car in the next Fast and the Furious installment, these photos will have to suffice.

If you looked up Billy Badass in the dictionary you’d find a picture of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, taken by me of course. You can practically feel the chest hair sprouting every time you mash the pedal. This might not be a desired side effect if you’re of the feminine persuasion but it’s a small price to pay to drive a vehicle putting down 425 horsepower and 420 lb ft of torque. This brute strength emanates from a 6.1L SRT HEMI V8 engine, so you aren’t going to be winning any fuel economy awards. But if you want that old school muscle look without having to worry about old school reliability, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 should be on the top of your list.

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