16 Jun 04
The cabin is unsurprisingly similar to that of the coupe - clear and clutter-free. The trio of centrally sited dials echoes a similar trio in the original 1969 240Z; there's a rev counter in the centre surrounded by temperature gauges on the left and a small speedo on the right. Atop the centre console are three more dials, one for oil pressure and one for voltage, which seems fairly pointless. A multifunction dial joins them which can show the standard trip information from the car's computer, but if you press the right buttons (hidden away to the right of the main binnacle) you can set the revs at which the 'shift-up' light appears. You can choose any amount of revs from 2000 all the way up to 8000rpm in 100rpm intervals and when the engine hits these revs a small red LED lights up in the middle of the main rev dial. One other trick of the multifunction display is as a secondary speedometer so you can see your speed with digital accuracy - perfect for when passing speed cameras.
Leather is optional in the States, but is more than likely to be standard here. Burnt orange seats with ventilation in the seat base and back are on the options list. These will keep you cool in the sun, but will also heat your bum on cold winter mornings. The seats, by the way, are subtly different, with the passenger one offering thicker cushioning. The driver's chair has side bolstering for extra support through bends, and has a slightly cutaway bolster next to the transmission tunnel to aid in reaching the gearlever.
