The Nissan 370Z Nismo Tech is the definition of predictable excellence in a sports car

I won't beat around the bush here: at just over $46,000, our 2017 Nissan 370Z Nismo Tech represents an incredible value for the money in sports cars.

You just have to get over how boringly excellent it is.

The legendary "Z" cars have been around for decades. The very first 240Z, badged as a Datsun, hit the streets in the US back when Led Zeppelin was releasing it first album in 1969. The whole Z-car idea - affordable, dependable performance in a 2 seater - seemed to have run its course with the 300ZX. Production was halted briefly in the late 1990s before Nissan revived it with the 350Z.

The 370Z Nismo Tech (Nismo is Nissan's high-performance division) that we borrowed is the most recent iteration of the Z's rebooting. Nothing has really changed in terms of the basic Z-car pitch: we got a relatively powerful V6 - straight motor, no turbos or superchargers - a 6-speed manual transmission, and a fastback design where a hatch provides a decent amount of cargo space and the lack of back seat aims for sports-car credibility.

The 370Z does its thing and does it well. So has it always been, and so shall it always be.

Here's what it was like to enjoy that level of solid execution: