Nissan Z is the perfect Hump Day car – and grabs all the attention at the lights

Monday

Camera Icon Polestar 2. Credit: Polestar Australia

The Mamas and the Papas nailed it in the song Monday, Monday. Just can’t trust that day. But I can trust my Polestar 2 with dual motor for 455km-plus of pure electric range. Just hop in the driver’s seat and it’s ready to go, so there’s no fiddling around for the key, which is somewhere in the bottomless pit that’s my bag. Why do I love Polestar? Well, it has Volvo DNA, a commitment to sustainability all down the supply chain, both AC and DC charging for a quick zap of energy and optional Harmon Kardon premium sound. Turn it up. I’d wear a black jumpsuit, white Ultraboosts, crystal earrings to refocus my chi and oversize mock tortoiseshell sunnies to hide my teary eyes. Guess what’s on the playlist?

Tuesday

Camera Icon Mercedes-Benz Pagoda. Credit: nastogadka/Pixabay (user nastogadka)

Grab it by the horns. Tuesday is named after the Nordic god “Tyr” or “Tir”, primarily known as the god of justice and war, but also described as wise and brave. So cool. Just like the Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda (W113), its coupe top reminiscent of an East Asian temple roof, hence the name. No wonder it’s now widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars of all time. Almost 49,000 were produced between 1963 and 1971, starting with the 230SL, followed by the 250SL and, finally, the 280SL. Glad there’s a cassette player in mine. Diana Ross and the Supremes never sounded so good. How about You Keep Me Hanging On because Tuesday’s a bit like that. What to wear? A shift dress, handkerchief scarf, chain accessories and crochet-knit cardigan. Vintage glam.

Wednesday

Camera Icon Nissan Z. Credit: Thomas Wielecki/Nissan Australia

Happy Hump Day! It’s the middle of the working week. There’s even a song about it called Friday by J.J. Cale with a line: “Wednesday’s hump day, hump day’s Wednesday”. Enough said. You’ve made it to the top of the proverbial hill, so time to hop in the new Nissan Z for some serious fun. No shrinking violets in this two-seater, which grabs all the attention at the lights. Nudge nudge, wink wink. It’s the most attention I’ve ever had in a car. The Seiran Blue with the black glass roof is stunning and the retro design is a great way of acknowledging the model’s 50-plus-year history. Every time I look at it, I love what I see. Give it stick with one of the nicest manual gearboxes you’ll find. The seats are quite low, so I’m wearing basic black pants, a turtle neck and Puma Drift Cats, though automatic rev matching means there’s no need to heel and toe, so any shoe will do as long as it’s comfortable enough on the clutch. My Song? Cyndi Lauper’s Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun.

Thursday

Camera Icon Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Credit: Mercedes-Benz Australia

Thirsty Thursday driving into Friday. It’s named after Thor, the Nordic god of thunder associated with aggression and reliability, strongest of gods and men. Only one car lives up to the name: Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Make mine the AMG G 63. There’s one sometimes muscled up on the Albany Highway cafe strip not far from the dog groomer’s. Just figure if it’s good enough for the secret service and military in dozens of countries, it can handle the hood. Trust me, this car is built like a tank, powered by a V8 bi-turbo with 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds — a good pace as you pick up tempo towards the end of the week. I don’t have camo in my wardrobe, so I’d do beauty and the beast (give me the benefit of the doubt) in a black tulle skirt, vegan leather jacket and combat boots (all the rage this winter in Europe). Finally I can listen to Marlene Dietrich without having to explain my choice in music.

Friday

Camera Icon Huracan Tecnica. Credit: Lamborghini/The West

Or should that be Fri-yay? We’re launching into the weekend, so it’s the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica in black. A natural fit on the 13th. Nothing too fast and furious needed here, with 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds from a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 with 470kW/565Nm. It’s enough. Just. This is looking like the last of the brash untamed ICEs before something greener comes along, so make the most of it. Warp speed is 325kh/h. I feel Devil Woman coming on. With Lamborghini’s Ad Personum program everything can be customised and there’s a choice of 348 unique colours. Maybe I can match the paintwork to my favourite pink silk blouse? Or add a sprinkling of diamond dust. Anything and everything is possible in this price league. The look calls for red Manolos and a tight skirt, but that would make me look like mutton dressed up as lamb, so it’s sneakers and jeans, with Toto Cutugno on the playlist.

Saturday

Camera Icon Ferrari Roma. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Most days are named after Norse gods — but not Saturday, which is a nod to Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. I’m not one to reinvent the wheel so the choice is a no-brainer here because when in Rome . . . it’s the Ferrari Roma. The perfect weekend car launched in late 2019 to showcase the luxury automaker’s “la nuova dolce vita” — Italian for the new sweet life — it draws on the grand tourers of the 1960s for its design, which has been reinterpreted for the 21st century with a sharper, meaner shark-nose grille, linear LED headlights, minimalist tail-lights and an integrated carbon-fibre rear active spoiler (an option) which can deploy into three different positions, depending on your speed. It’s a beautiful and powerful 456kW/760Nm V8 with turbo engine that Ferrari says does the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds. Its top speed is 320km/h. Something slinky would work behind the wheel, maybe Miu Miu, Schiaparelli or Prada, but for me it’s ditto Lambo attire with Zucchero’s Diamante on repeat.

Sunday

Camera Icon RAM 1500 Laramie. Credit: Olga de Moeller

In Old English, it’s sunnandaeg, literally the “day of the sun”. Time to get out and do a Bunnings run, then head out to Northam to check out the silo art. I’m taking the RAM 1500 Laramie. It’s a burger with the works, brash and blingy, flashing lots of chrome, dual tail pipes, a massive grille, 20-inch wheels with 275/55 tyres and 4.5-tonne braked towing capacity. That’s five pallets of potting mix. No wonder the ad says it “eats utes for breakfast” — though that doesn’t scare me off. Sit in the cabin and there’s barely a peep from the 5.7-litre V8 Hemi engine with 291kW of power and 556Nm of torque, but stand outside and it rumbles. The ride is velvety and smooth, like a limo, and the steering so effortless it’s easy to forget you’re driving a truck. I’d feel comfortable wearing my sparkles in this because it’s total luxe, but chores call for a chequered shirt and cargo pants. Music is Lee Marvin, starting with Wand’rin’ Star.