Car: Nissan 370Z
Prices: £26,900-£31,900 - on the road
Insurance Group: 19
Emissions: 249g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 5.3s / Max Speed 155mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 18.5mpg / (extra urban) 36.2mpg / (combined) 26.9mpg
Safety: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, ESP, active headrests
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 4250/1845/1315mm May 29th 2009
Z CANDY
Our Rating: 7.9 / 10
Nissan has given us cast iron evidence of late that it can still produce rip-roaring sports cars. Is the 370Z another one we can add to the list? Steve Walker reports.
Fans of the Nissan 350Z shouldn’t be disappointed by its 370Z replacement. The Japanese maker has done the decent thing bringing buyers more power from a larger engine while also bolting on a series of design and engineering upgrades and some exciting technological additions.
Nissan’s sports car stock couldn’t really be much higher at the moment. The GT-R has been showcasing its penchant for taking the established supercar elite to the cleaners at a fraction of the price and now there’s a replacement on the scene for the much loved 350Z. The 370Z coupe promises more of the same; more muscular styling, more hardcore driving thrills and, yes, more power.
The 350Z gained a loyal following for its no nonsense approach to making its driver smile. A charismatic V6 engine, a balanced rear-wheel drive chassis, manly control weights and a mild hooligan streak all helped to set it apart from the more sanitised offerings at its price point. In a way, the simplicity and old school charm of the 350Z was at odds with the technology fest that is Nissan’s GT-R sports car and there are signs that the 370Z is edging on a more tech-heavy direction.
The 370Z’s core component is its 3.7-litre V6 engine. It’s a development of the 350Z’s 3.5-litre but 35% of its parts are completely different. The powerplant uses Nissan’s VVEL variable valve timing technology which helps it achieve a smoother delivery of its 229bhp maximum power output. Peak torque of 366Nm promises a muscular mid range and the 7,000rpm redline should please those who like a sports car which rewards a hefty right foot.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspects of the 370Z are its two gearboxes. Buyers get the option of a close ratio six-speed manual set-up or a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The manual ‘box is the first in the world to feature a Synchro Rev Control function that, in the manner of a deftly executed heel and toe downchange, actually matches the engine speed to that of the next gear. In effect, it blips the throttle so that the next ratio can be engaged in a smoother manner.
We’re used to car manufacturers telling us how their latest product has grown in size compared to the one it replaced but there are signs that the cycle of perpetual growth may be drawing to a close. The drive for greater efficiency make downsizing and weight saving increasingly desirable goals for all kinds of reasons and those are magnified if we’re talking about sports cars. The 370Z is a smaller car than the 350Z. Admittedly, it’s only 100mm shorter in the wheelbase and 70mm shorter overall but shorter it is. Nissan has also employed lightweight materials extensively in the car’s construction which have reduced the weight of a body that’s also significantly stiffer than the 350Z’s. The sole areas of expansion are a 33mm increase in width and a rear track that’s up by 55mm, to enhance stability.
The 350Z wasn’t a pretty car per se but its neat lines had a handsome aggression that marked the Nissan out from its overtly style-conscious contemporaries. The 370Z isn’t a massive departure from this approach and if anything, it’s an even more imposing prospect. The rounded lines of the front and rear ends remain but the roofline now pivots at the top of the windscreen before sloping away steeply to the rear in a fashion reminiscent of the all-conquering GT-R. The front air-intake also borrows from Nissan’s supercar slayer and gives the 370Z greater malevolency as it looms in your mirrors with twin aerodynamic fins rising like fangs from its lower lip. Nissan is keen to stress the Z car lineage in the styling that can be followed all the way back to the 240Z of 1970 but the 370 still looks a very modern coupe.
The interior of the 350Z was something of a let down, well put together and functional but lacking the design flair that some expected from a £30,000 coupe. The 370Z looks to address this with improved materials and some extra creativity. A number of the old car’s trademark features are still intact, such as the instrument cluster attached to the steering colum
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