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Exclusivity. Its a fabulous thing, really. A certain something, often built of superior craftsmanship, sometimes of smoke and mirrors, that makes your product special, enables you to sell it for a premium and ensures that your customers wont feel like one of the herd.

For a long, long time, Mercedes-Benz had that in spades. And it was built of superior craftsmanship. Those of us of a certain age can remember when Mercedes-Benzes werent especially pretty (the stunning 300SL Gullwing a notable exception), and werent especially fast (again excepting the 300SL), but sold to discriminating buyers for about two and a half times the sticker price of a domestic sedan or convertible in its size class because they werent simply engineered, they were over-engineered. This was a thing of value, likely to last far more than two and a half times longer than the domestic.

And as they became prettier and faster, and more expensive, a generation of car buyers became like little kids with their noses pressed against the showroom window pane...."someday...someday..."

And thats when the MBAs (or Germanys equivalent) spoke up. "Imagine if we could sell all those people the car of their dreams. Wed have to move into size and price classes we dont currently compete in, but we could do that by cutting out some of the unnecessary engineering. The materials dont have to be that good...they just have to be good enough. The price tags will be lower for some cars, but think of what well make in volume."

And thus began, in the mid to late 90s, Mercedes-Benzs pursuit of market share. They went from building the best car possible to building as many cars as possible. Loyal buyers noticed and began shopping elsewhere. New buyers, confronted with lesser and cheaper while looking down the hood at the three-pointed star began to wonder what all the shouting was about.

Well, lately, Mercedes has begun to show signs of finding the way back...building cars that look and feel like something special...and the E350 Cabriolet is one of those. Larger and more useful than the SLK roadster and significantly less expensive than the two-seat SL, the E350 is user-friendly and imparts a sense of premium goods from the moment you slide behind the wheel.

 Following the principles established by the original 1969 model, the Datsun 240Z, Nissan 370Z, 2013 remains a sporty design, technological innovation, fuel economy, front engine and rear wheel drive. Read the full story of Z here.

In 2013 we found no major changes compared to 2012 model. Nissan just worried about some adjustments and new LED headlamps and fog lamps vertical re-calibration of the suspension optional Sport Package.

This year, the Nissan 370Z has the same 3.7-liter V6 engine. This is capable of producing 332 horsepower and 270 pounds of torque. Power can be directed to the rear wheels through a 7-speed automatic transmission or manual 6. The EPA and Nissan claim a fuel consumption of between 18 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway.

The Z has stabilizer bars front and rear for excellent maneuverability and stiffness. Bring ventilated disc brakes at all four wheels controlled by an antilock braking system (ABS), traction control (TCS), Brake Assist (BA) and electronic brake distribution (EBD).

We also find various accessories as standard: Bluetooth, power adjustments for both seats, sports seats, BOSE sound system with eight speakers and two sub-woofers, aluminum pedals, sports steering wheel with three blades, controls for cruise control and the system sound, cover for the cargo area, remote key, 3 round gauges on the center console, etc..

In addition, there are two packages for an additional fee. The first is the "Sport Package" ($ 3.030), which replaces the 18-inch wheels for a 19 made of forged aluminum, sport brakes, spoilers front and rear, limited slip differential, suspension specially calibrated and the famous system SynchroRev Match for manual transmission.

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The second package is the "Nissan Navigation System" ($ 2,150), which features a navigation system based on a hard disk, 7 "display with 7 colors, interface for USB and iPod audio via Bluetooth, traffic reports and climate, rear video camera.

The 2013 Nissan 370Z offers everything you expect from a sports car. Its engine responds quite well accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, its standard suspension provides excellent maneuverability. Furthermore, the more rigid suspension, optionally wheels and optional 19 "sacrifice some comfort, but improve performance of the vehicle.

The 370Z Tourings base price starts at $ 37.820 and adding borders both packages invoice of $ 44,000. Although the price may be high initially considered for a Nissan, we must consider that this is a step below the Nissan GT-R, and competes with brands like Porsche and BMW with significantly higher prices.