Auto News 5

It all started out innocently enough back in 2004, when Toyota brought over its Japanese-market bB and called it the Scion xB. To everyone's surprise (including Toyota), it caught on like wildfire, outselling the more conventional xA by a margin of nearly two-to-one.

Many of us grew up believing the American cultural imperative that "bigger is better." Even in the age of nanotechnology, as physical dimensions of electronic devices shrink, we are exhorted to be impressed because quantitative descriptives are bigger, thus better. Megapixels? Bigger is better. My digital cameras range from 1.1 to 6.6 Mp, far behind the state of the art; point-and-shoot cameras now seem to require at least 10 million pixels. And so it is in cars, where we demand more, whether we can use it or not. Horsepower? Of course bigger is better, so how about 500 hp or 600 or, the production pinnacle at the moment, 1001?

Nissan's new 370Z may be quite nimble, but those hankering for a track-ready package should consider stepping up to the new 2010 Nismo 370Z, which debuts at the 2009 New York auto show.

If you enjoyed everything about the 2009 Nissan 370Z except for its fixed roof, the 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster may tickle your fancy.