What do you do when you are handed the keys to a new car? Take it for a quick spin around the block, go to your mate Dave's and show him your new motor, or take it on a 1180-mile journey to Scotland and back?
Luckily, some weeks before the keys to our new Nissan 370Z Coupe were in my hands, an invite to a wedding in Fife was delivered through my door.
The first task was fitting in all the necessary attire one takes to a wedding. The 370Z's boot is not the most practical, resembling more a parcel shelf than an actual boot, so when a hat box suddenly appeared on the luggage list I started to have my doubts.
The boot is also a little peculiar in its shape, as the top of the rear shock mounts and arches encroach into the space. With a little game of boot-tetris everything fitted, but the large single suitcase had to be exchanged for two smaller bags.
With a full boot sorted and seats comfortably positioned for the long journey north it became instantly apparent the visibility out of the rear half is pretty awkward. The seating position is very low - which I love on a race track - but when reversing or negotiating a tight junction you do feel you are guessing where the rear is. There is also a problem with the blind spots; they are just that, and looking over your shoulder as you come down a slip road or to change lane is a pointless affair as you find yourself starring at the C-pillar instead.
The lower part of the UK was the usual trudge through traffic and roadworks but, as the congestion dissipated north of Birmingham, the car felt like a pretty good a motorway cruiser.
Around the Lake District the fuel light popped up, so 290 miles into the journey we pulled up for some lunch and a spot of fuel. Some cars make you feel tired and exhausted when you get out after four-and-a-bit hours in the saddle, but the 370's seats caused no issues and the break was only needed to fill car and occupants up with fuel. A quick fuel calculation showed the car running at 25.6mpg, which I must admit felt a little disappointing after motorway cruising.
Entering Scotland, the terrain changed and the A74(M) didn't look like the most exciting road to be on, especially with some nice A- and B-roads winding up to Edinburgh on the map. So we speared off. On the windier roads the car came alive. Approach a corner and turn-in is about perfect; responsive and accurate and, with the viscous limited-slip differential in the rear, you can easily get back on the power early.
The only problem with the dynamic experience is the engine note. On full power the 3.7-litre V6 doesn't sing like you feel it should and, though it gives a lowish rumble when you get above 5000rpm, you feel the car is running out of breath. Push to the max 8500rpm and the screaming from the engine is a little painful. This engine note is not helped by the six-speed SynchroRev Match manual transmission as, when you change down, it makes noises akin to a torture chamber rather than a reassuring rumbling blip. The SynchroRev works very well when manoeuvring around the gearbox, though.
The B-road traffic we encountered was effortlessly despatched, too. Most of the time you can happily make swift progress using no more than 5000rpm. We made swift progress through Scotland and arrived at the wedding venue after eight hours of driving ready to party the weekend away on the finest Scottish cuisine.
With a slightly sore head for the return leg I decided to let the sat-nav show us some sights. The 370Z is fitted with the latest sat-nav from Nissan which includes the usual routing options, but also nestled in the POI are Michelin guides for restaurants, hotels and tourist spots. So a little time sitting through the options of "worth a journey", "worth a detour", and "yeah, it's all right" (not strictly the name) we plumped for a castle on the Scottish eastern coastline and headed off towards it. Nissan's latest version is one of the best in-built navs yet. It is clear and has a breakdown of all junctions (and, on a motorway, service stops).
We eventually arrived at Tantallon Castle and decided that Michelin must have had an off-day when categorising this one and it is definitely a "yeah, its all right" kind of sight. In fact the only famous thing I could find out about the place is that it has had two pictures - independently verified - of ghosts in windows published in newspapers. I am pretty sure my picture of it has none. Not perturbed by this I went for another "worth a detour" castle but also set a route via The Holy Island of Lindisfarne - as I've always wanted to see that - and to the great driving roads around Hadrian's wall.
Deciding not to tackle a rising tidal-covered causeway to the island, we skipped Lindisfarne and went straight to the castle. This time Michelin got it spot-on and we pulled up at the quirky and interesting Chillingham Castle. I reckon that touring sights purely by sat-nav is a highly enjoyable and mysterious way of seeing the country. I highly recommend it. Before stopping for the night we pointed ourselves down the B6318 Military Road into Newcastle.
As I headed back to the busy south down the last parts of the M1 the following morning it dawned on me that I was approaching 1180 miles and just under 24 hours sat in the driver's seat and I loved every bit of it.
In fact, I'm enjoying the 370Z so much I may now have to go round to my mate Dave's house to show it off.