- Great improvement over the successful 350Z
- Nice body lines, Rays wheels are icing on the cake
- Powerful motor with great sound
- GTR influence
Cons:
- Manual transmission not as slick as the competition
- No lumbar support or telescoping steering wheel
- Either less weight or more power and this could be an exotic challenger for a fraction of the cost
41 years ago Nissan (Datsun in the US) launched the 240Z onto our shores and turned the sports car market on its head. Here was a light, nimble, reliable, value oriented sports coupe for two which had decent cargo capacity. I had the pleasure of owning and wrenching on various Z cars through the 300ZX and still found the 240Z to be the purist of them all. Only when Nissan introduced the 350Z in 2003 did it appear that they had something of real value that could match their original Z sports car.
Just like the Porsche 911, Nissan has raised the level of performance and comfort through the years while paying tribute to its Spartan roots. Sure Porsche got a big head start (approximately 6 years), but Nissan has paid close attention to the formula which Porsche, and Chevrolet with the Corvette, have successfully followed through the years. Now the latest incarnation of the Z has brought this car very close to the level of its big brother GTR, but falls short in a few areas we will discuss later. Address these issues and keep the sticker under $40k, and except for some small back seats, the Z could overtake the GTR. Sound like the Cayman-911 argument? déjà-vu.
Design
From the early days of the 240-Z through the 300ZX years, Z cars were influenced by everything from the likes of Jaguar, Chevrolet, Ferrari and even Lotus; a Japanese version of these cars if you will. With the 350Z, Nissan took its La Jolla California design studio concept and brought it to production, and it was an instant hit. This sixth generation 370Z has improved the concept further by building out the fender flares and sharing design cues from the GTR, which share the same E platform as the current Infiniti G Coupe, FX, and Renault Alpine. It’s wider than the 350Z (read grip), and shorter than the previous Z (read quicker turning.)
The exterior fender flares results in a menacing look without being portrayed as a silly phallic symbol. When traffic approaches from the rear side, eyes will be pinned on the fenders and the beautiful Rays wheels our test car was equipped with. From all angles, the Z looks like it means business. The front bumper has GTR influences and also looks equally menacing on approach, so much so that mothers with small children quickly gathered the tykes as we rolled down neighborhood streets. It makes a statement like no other car with an under $30k base price. Our test car had an unusual Black Cherry paint finish, but the 370Z really looks best in bright silver….trust us here.
Drive Impressions
This is the truest version of the 370Z; the base car with the Sport Package ($3000), adding limited slip, 19” Rays Wheels, front and rear spoilers, and larger front brakes. Along with this comes a $580 add on for the matching Nismo brake pads. The finely tuned 3.7L engine makes 332 hp and launches the Z down the road with one of the best sounds from a V6 engine, powerful and smooth. Acceleration is pretty fierce and the amount of grip with the 275’s out back is serious. We turned off the traction control and the Z felt planted in the twisties, with plenty of torque to pull it up the most aggressive mountain roads with ease.
We mentioned that the 370Z has a shorter wheelbase than the 350Z, resulting is a faster turning car, but with that you get more jounce in the ride, especially over rough surfaces. Luckily, Nissan did a great job tuning the non-sport mode suspension to be fairly compliant, saving our brains on long freeway drives.
The Z’s manual transmission is probably the weak point of the whole car, not the ratios but the long throws of the shifter and clutch. This becomes most apparent when trying to go fast. We loved the sport mode, which stiffened the suspension, created more top end power from the motor, and activated the SynchroRev Match®, but this still didn’t address the throws of the transmission. We would suggest a dual clutch semi automatic transmission similar to the GTR, as that will shift faster than 99% of the humans out there. The wheels and tires were great, but Nissan could probably widen them another inch and still clear the fenders.
Nissan is at a point where the 370Z is getting eerily close to the flagship GTR in performance and looks. In fact, the 370Z tends to be more noticeable due to its aggressive fenders, beautiful wheels, and low stance. If they added 90 hp to the motor and AWD, it would be an R8 or Gallardo contender for less than $45k. Nissan has the platform, but a 370Z set up this way might obviate the need to produce the Skyline, or at least to carry it in this country. Sorry GTR fans, but 600 lbs is 600 lbs.
Comfort and Convenience
Just like the exterior, the interior is all business; no navigation, no XM radio, no power seats, not even leather; all of this kept our test car below a 3300 pound curb weight. Just a simple black interior with gray accents, along with tasteful brushed aluminum weaved into the scheme. The gauges are a combination of analog and digital, and strike a balance that makes immediate sense to the uninitiated, with the center dash being the traditional clock, oil temp and volt meter. Interior fit and finish is very good and up to the level of Nissan’s best. Materials and appearance are great; they didn’t try to get all fancy, so everything looks like it belongs.
Although the seating is low and comfortable, the Z could accommodate more drivers with a telescoping wheel, manually adjustable seat bolsters and a lumbar support. Most of our test drivers liked the eight way manually adjustable driver’s seat once they spent a little time making those adjustments. Owners of the 370Z learn to travel light. There is a tray (to place a small bag) and a compartment behind each seat, which expands storage beyond the rear area under the hatchback. There is only one cup holder, two bottle holders in the door panels, and no sunglass compartment at ceiling level; again all business.
This Z is more aggressive in exterior design than its predecessor and this becomes apparent when you have to go into reverse or change lanes, as rearward vision is somewhat limited; better than a Gallardo or R8, but still limited. It helped to open the window when backing into parking slots. The 2011 370Z claims to have more fender well and undercar insulation than the 2010 370Z, but the optional sport package tires still brought in a lot of road noise at freeway speeds. The car could also benefit from wind tunnel testing with the windows down, at speeds above 25 mph there is a distinct buffeting flutter when the windows are rolled down.
At Home on the Road or at the Track
The 370Z is probably one of the most purposeful 2 seat sports coupes made today. It can be driven calmly as a daily driver and can double as a canyon or track attack vehicle. It has aggressive lines that make an instant statement (almost exotic) when you pull up in front of your friends. Nissan makes no difference in output between their base and touring models (save Nismo with 20 more HP), so out of the box the engine propels the car to 60 in under 5 seconds. Overall mileage was about 19 MPG; keep in mind there was a lot of pedal to the metal during the weekend test.
Yes there are other practical 2+2 sports coupes available for less than $35k, like the American Pony Cars or Hyundai Genesis, but if you are looking for a purpose built two seat coupe you can live with every day, this is the one. The closest competitors are the Corvette and Cayman, but these move you $10k higher without the striking looks. This is an excellent value for a performance ride, just make sure you test both the manual and automatic transmissions before buying. Nissan is really pushing their 370Z slogan; Passionate Performance at an Excellent Value. It’s 1970 all over again, just in a Z that’s 2X faster and 5X more comfortable than the original Datsun.
