Nissan 370Z NISMO | Spotted

A resolutely old school prospect even when new - now with the residuals of a bonafide classic...

Back when the Nissan 370Z NISMO was launched in 2013, it didn’t seem tremendously significant. A version had already existed in the home market, and a Nissan Motorsport flagship was the perfect fit for a V6 coupe (in a way that it wasn’t exactly for the Juke). It added more power, attitude and focus - all the things you’d want from a Zed that carried a big premium over standard.

Only now the NISMO looks rather more notable. The Zed car as we know it is dead, Nissan is in dire straits and any performance car focus for the future will be on a GT-R. Nissan’s six cylinder sports car story that stretched all the way back to the 60s ended with this car. (And the standard 370, in fairness, but this is more interesting.)

Given the financial and legislative constraints faced by Nissan, hopes aren’t exactly high for any future sports car. Which makes the recent-ish past look all the more enticing. The NISMO was some way from perfect, the engine a tad gruff and the handling vaguer than the looks would have had you believe, but it was hugely likeable. That counted for a lot in the mid-2010s as a new sports car, and perhaps even more so now as a secondhand purchase with so much else vying for your cash.

This early example is the 370Z NISMO you want. There was a facelift that came just a couple of years after launch, and they’re the ones you see more of as it was on sale longer; new seats and mildly tweaked suspension were included, though it was fundamentally the same Zed car. The looks were softened off, however, which was disappointing: the update just didn’t have the swagger of the original.

This 2014 looks the business, in the best colour and with those stunning Rays wheels filling out the arches perfectly. The full history is said to mostly come from Nissan and specialist Abbey Motorsport, the mileage is extremely low at just 24,500, and there’s only been one advisory in ten MOT tests. A few people have really, really loved their NISMO, and it’s reflected in the condition: the inside may never have been that stylish, but here it’s wearing a dozen years very well indeed.

The NISMO caught some flack when new for its £10k premium over a standard 370 (with just 16hp more), but residuals have proved stout: you won’t pay less than £19k on PH, and that’s for a car with almost 90k. There are late low milers still at more than £30k, an intriguing almost-new-yet-very-old-school prospect. This one is in the middle, at £25,990. All 370s, in fact, are currently worth more than would probably have been predicted 15 years ago. Given the condition of this one, rarity of early NISMOs and uncertain future for sports cars, it looks as safe a place for the money as anything else Nissan badged and two-door. Just a shame V-Power doesn’t cost what it did in 2014, really.

SPECIFICATION | NISSAN 370Z NISMO

Engine: 3,696cc, V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 344@7,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 274@5,200rpm
0-62mph: 5.2sec
MPG: 26.7 (claimed)
CO2: 248g/km
Year registered: 2014
Recorded mileage: 24,500
Price new: £36,995
Yours for: £25,990

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Bluehorseshoe

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