Nissan 370Z
Nissan's new 370Z is lighter and smaller than the 350Z, but does it retain the Z-car magic? Chris Rosamond gets his hands on the keys to the Zee.
We used to like the way the old 350Z looked. Low, wide, aggressive, and crammed with evocative design details that spoke to the heart and heritage of Nissan’s Z-car lineage. Then last year Nissan took the wraps off its replacement, the 370Z.
It’s as though, in the pursuit of ultimate ‘Zee’-ness, somebody stuck a vacuum cleaner up one of the 350’s tailpipes and sucked out unnecessary volume from an already lean design. The new shape is tauter, meaner and more obviously aggressive, as if the 370Z’s skin has been stretched tighter over a newly muscular frame – the visual drama further accentuated by 55mm of extra rear track and a useful 10mm chopped out of the wheelbase to improve agility. In fact, we couldn’t help thinking the promise of increased torsional stiffness from redesigned body architecture, reduced weight, upgraded suspension and additional power - coupled with the exotic athleticism of Nissan’s new design - was in danger of making the hugely likeable 350Z appear a little naïve and unfocused.
So we’ve been itching to get behind the wheel of the new model ever since its US debut last Autumn and grabbed an offer to try a Euro-spec car at Nissan’s launch event outside Paris this week – as well as a chance to chat about the car with Steve Robbins, senior vehicle evaluation engineer at Nissan Europe’s Cranfield Technical Centre.
‘The first thing drivers of the 350 should notice about the 370Z is the improved steering feel,’ he says. ‘We’re confident the set-up is as good as any rival in terms of letting you feel what the wheels are doing right up to the limit of grip. It’s not the same type of feel as in a mid-engine sportscar, but the amount of actual feedback is just as good.’
the cat amongst far pricier pigeons
like - you guessed it - the Porsche Cayman.
The auto’ gearbox is a new option for the UK, while the manual features a unique Synchro Rev Control feature which may well turn out to be one of the 370Z’s best features.
The revised V6 also features Nissan’s new VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) system – which with just 13 moving parts and electronic valve actuation provides valve response times up to 32 percent quicker than conventional valve spring systems.
‘VVEL allows the inlet valves to be used in part as a throttle control, improving engine responsiveness,’ says Steve. ‘On top of that, the engine is stronger in the lower to mid-revs range, with a torque curve that’s much flatter for more usable power.’
The door opens low and wide, presenting an inviting interior that turns out to be plenty roomy enough, even for this hulking six and a half footer. We’ve been offered the auto’ version first, but the roomy footwell is immediately noticeable on both auto’ and manual versions, as are the comfy but well-bolstered seats and excellent headroom. (You sit closer to the ground than in the 350, but the roof height is the same.) The view over the shapely bonnet is good, although thick A-pillars reduce peripheral vision a little, and a glance over the shoulder reveals the rakishly upswept rear side glass does nothing for visibility as the thick B-pillar sits right behind your ear.
No matter, once adjusted the interior and door mirrors provide a clear all round view, so it’s time to hit the start button.
The dashboard comes to life as the engine burbles into action – the needles on the centrally mounted tacho and adjacent speedometer performing an initial sweep as if limbering up for the workout ahead. Initially ignoring the wheel-mounted paddle-shifters, we go fully auto’ for the first few miles with the selector in ‘D’ – and it quickly becomes clear that even in this its least sporting mode the 370Z is eager to please.
and lower emissions.
Less pleasing is the amount of road noise evident in the cabin at relatively low speeds. With the good-looking (optional) 19ins forged alloys running 245/40 and 275/35 Bridgestone Potenzas at the front and rear respectively, tyre noise was always going to be an issue, but some of the coarser-grained tarmacs we found in France induced road roar that was sufficient to kill conversation at 60mph.
Engine noise is also evident, and although Nissan is justifiably proud of engineering the 370Z to be 32kgs lighter than its predecessor, it’s possible that anyone using the car for commuting purposes might soon wish that a few kgs of sound deadening had been surreptitiously slipped back in. Were the exhaust note a little more sonorous, we might hesitate to suggest such a sacrilegious act, but it seems EC regulations precluded fitment of the sporty sounding pipes the 370Z is blessed with in the US. According to Steve the US-spec exhaust may be offered through Nissan dealers with a ‘circuit use only’ warning, in which case you’ll naturally want to use it on the road.
The key element that has made the leap across the Atlantic is the US 370Z’s so-called ‘Track Spec’ suspension set up, which is standard on all European cars.
Despite the name, the suspension is very well-suited to fast road use, with a combination of supple damping and excellent body control on sharply undulating twisties that inspire full use of the ample reserves of power. We left the Vehicle Dynamic Control system switched on throughout our drive, and reckon the 370Z’s ECU programmers have found a confidence-inspiring balance – banging open the throttle or lifting abruptly in a fast corner will induce a pleasing sense of the rear end stepping out of line, but it’s swiftly and safely gathered up as you launch the car towards the next apex.
The brakes have been upgraded for the 370Z too, with 14ins front and 13.8ins rear discs providing excellent stopping power. The brake pedal itself has a relatively short travel, yet it remains reassuringly easy to modulate brake effort. In Steve’s words, what this means is ‘you can find the lock-up point without having to feel for it every time you approach a corner when you’re driving at the limit or on the track’.
Yet if the 370Z is a car to enjoy on a cross-country thrash in automatic guise, the manual version moves the experience to a higher plane.
Enter Synchro Rev Control, a cunning yet seemingly obvious device that eliminates the need for heel and toeing by working out which gear you’re looking for next and blipping the engine revs to exactly the required rate before the cog is engaged.
You can switch it off, but you probably won’t want to. The system has sensors on the clutch and the gear-lever gate, and seems foolproof in its ability to accurately match engine to vehicle speed whether changing up or down the box.
With super-smooth shifting guaranteed, you can bang down the ratios as fast as you like with little fear of destabilising the 370 into a corner, allowing maximum concentration on steering and braking. It’s effective, and more to the point it would probably flatter the driving style of Alain Prost. For us lesser mortals, it’s just pure fun – adding an extra level of engagement with the car and encouraging greater commitment from the driver under almost any circumstances.
In fact ‘greater commitment’ would be a valid summary of the new 370Z itself. Lower, wider, stiffer, grippier, faster, more involving and significantly more desirable than the model it replaces, the new model highlights Nissan’s stated commitment to strengthening its brand credentials with genuine enthusiast appeal – and the 370Z delivers.
| Specification | |
| Power | 327bhp @ 7000rpm |
| Torque | 270 @ 5200rpm |
| Weight | 1525 kg |
| Economy | 27 mpg |
| CO2 | 249 g/km |
| 0-62mph | 5.3 sec |
| Top speed | 155 mph |
) you'd be laughed away, but this actually looks quite decent. It's nicely reminiscent of the GTR without being a poor man's version, too.
Just wonder why Nissan didn't really go for gold on performance? Only a bit quicker (straight line) than the 350 - A bit more grunt and they'd have a real Cayman frightener.
Maybe? No?
Beyond that I think it's a great car and I'd have one if I could, probably not in white though, already getting bored of seeing every new car come out in white. Red or blue for me please along with the upgraded exhaust.
Roadroar was always a big issue (especially on Bridgestones) in the old 350Z, so nothing new there (mind you the Cayman is almost as bad). Wonder what it's like in the boot though - article says smaller than the 350Z which doesn't bode too well if there's still a brace in there.
Roadroar was always a big issue (especially on Bridgestones) in the old 350Z, so nothing new there (mind you the Cayman is almost as bad). Wonder what it's like in the boot though - article says smaller than the 350Z which doesn't bode too well if there's still a brace in there.
) you'd be laughed away, but this actually looks quite decent. It's nicely reminiscent of the GTR without being a poor man's version, too.
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