The Nissan 370Z is an old school, butch, rear-wheel drive sports car.
Nissan Z cars are perhaps better known in the US and Japan, where they have a cult status. We Europeans are traditionally snobby about our performance cars. How dare a jumped up Datsun say it can deliver a Porsche-like driving experience! Well, the fact is it can!
Nissan UK's latest advertising campaign takes a pop at its German performance car rivals, claiming it can deliver very capable cars like the 370Z and Skyline GTR at a more affordable price. In the Republic of Ireland, the 370Z starts at €56,795. For the cash you get a serious performer with traditional sports car looks.
The exterior is very similar to the old 350Z but it has trimmed down, making the 370Z look far more athletic. The new 370Z is shorter, has shed weight and been to the gym (it's now a 3.7 litre). It now delivers a truer, purer sports car experience. It really looks the part as well on the outside, with meaty18-inch alloy wheels, cool projector headlights, LED rear lights, UV reducing green glass and a gimmicky-but-good flashing 'Z' emblem indicator repeater. Inside, 370Z is a strict two-seater. You get a parcel shelf and a couple of cubbies and decent boot space under the large tailgate, but you can forget trips to Ikea - the Z is all about U (sorry, couldn't resist!).
Behind the wheel 370Z feels very nimble, tight and eager - but it is loud! There is too much tyre and road noise in the cabin. My only other grumble concerns the seat backs: they are too narrow to give proper lateral support to anyone larger than a jockey. T
Those aside, the Z wants to do exactly what you ask of it - as any good sportscar should - but the 370Z also goes on to deliver that bit more. Power is up to 323bhp, which not only means the Z has more poke than its German rivals, but it can also do the sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. That is faster than a TT RS (268bhp), Porsche Cayman (261bhp) and BMW Z4 sDrive30i (255bhp)!
My test car features the optional seven-speed, paddle-shift, automatic gearbox. It may cost €2,500 but is essential to make the car a true day to day machine as you can simply leave it in auto for an easy life or enjoy the downshifts when you need to blow away a few cobwebs at the weekend. The optional in-built Sat Nav (coupled with a few toys) is ridiculously expensive at €3,500.
The 'Greens' aren't fond of the 370Z as it falls into tax band 'G' for CO2 (€2,100 annual road tax), but then again so do most other performance cars. On the road the Z is a joy. The ride is comfortable and stiff enough for spirited road use without the need to have an osteopath on speed dial. You feel directly connected to the rear wheels through your backside. As you'd expect, there are a host of electronic driver aids like ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and of course VDC vehicle dynamic control (ESP/ESC) and Viscous LSD (limited slip differential) that will help keep you on the straight and narrow.
The 370Z is a very engaging car that ticks lots of boxes: rear-wheel drive, two seats, buckets of power, sharp steering and a meaty exhaust note. Behind the wheel you'll have a massive smile on your face.
Michael Sheridan
