Nissan 370Z GT
Discussion
Well, after two very enjoyable years in a Z4 Coupé, I felt it was time for a change. It was a very hard act to follow, as it was such good value and had most things I wanted in a daily sports car.
However, the Z4 was on Eibachs, Bilstein B8s and 19" CSL reps and I felt it was time for something a smidge less raw and with a few more modern toys like Bluetooth and in-built satnav.
Paddleshift auto was a must as I loved the one in the Z4 and do a lot of city driving, whilst I have some knee problems.
I started building a shortlist with a £30k budget. An old 911 (plus an upgrade to a more modern wheel with paddles) ticked all the boxes on the face of it, but unfortunately as a financial adviser specialising in wealth management, I just couldn't stomach the badge, as I feel it could alienate potential new clients.
Other hopefuls included:
- E92 M3
- S5
- RS5
- Z4 35is
Then I suddenly remembered the 370Z and a quick shifty reminded me what great value these cars are. However, I had never quite clicked with the styling of the Big Zed - it can look a bit gawky in pictures from some angles, whilst the reports of excessive tyre roar were off putting.
I almost wrote it off on the basis of the tyre roar comments, but so glad I didn't. A test drive of a local car revealed it to be no worse than my Z4, whilst the car looks much better 'in the metal' than in pictures and felt really good to drive.
As chance would have it, I noticed a very well priced GT auto had come up for sale 233 miles away from me with a trader called Castle Motors. My initial thought was: 'Is it even possible to get 233 miles away from Manchester whilst in the UK?!' The name sounded familiar and it turned out to be a well regarded motor trader in Cornwall just down the road from a good friend of mine. He and his family love their big-engine performance cars and have bought all their cars from this trader for the past ten years or so. So, my good buddy Karl dutifully went down to inspect the car and test drive it (whilst his missus was due to pop I hasten to add - what a guy!) and reported back that it was in brilliant condition, which tallied with the trader's description over the phone.
So, I took my brave pills and bought it unseen, paying cash over the phone and arranging for delivery to my doorstep!
On Tuesday morning the car arrived and couldn't resist taking a few snaps as it came off the trailer as this was the first time I had ever had a car delivered to my door.
I have now had chance to cover a fair few miles in it, having taken it over a deserted Woodhead Pass on Tuesday night and over Snake Pass early yesterday morning to a client meeting.
It is fantastic to drive and better than I expected. The V6 has a lot of punch with a very fat torquey mid-range, whilst the car has a lovely neutrality to it in the twisties which inspires a lot confidence, managing that rare trick of being firm, but still well damped so quite composed. The brakes are also brilliant, with loads of stopping power and a nice progressive feel to them. It really is great fun on the open road, though you have to be very careful to keep your speed in check, as it is easy to carry more speed than you think.
Around town meanwhile the auto is very chilled and the cruise control module on the steering wheel (a little anodised switch by your right thumb) is really tactile and nice to use, helping you stick to the speed limit and improve your MPG in light to mid town traffic.
On the downside, the interior is a bit plasticky and you might even say gimmicky. Whilst the instrument binnacle moves up and down with the wheel, there is no reach adjustment which is a bit annoying, though this hasn't prevented my finding a comfortable driving position. The seats are also absolute crap - they are really flimsy and feel too small for a human being. They remind me of the seats you used to get in the old Japanese imports of the nineties! Also as often remarked upon, the exhaust note is a bit bland in the mid and high end of the revs.
I had some other niggles at first which have quickly melted away now that I am learning how to drive the car and overall I am delighted with it. Insurance is cheap too, costing me no more than my Z4 Coupé, despite it packing an extra 60-odd bhp.
I already have a list of tweaks and mods I want to make, which will begin to be added over the coming weeks. Initial plans are:
- 25mm spacers all round
- Performance exhaust and panel filters
- Get the front 'fangs' and rear diffuser painted black
- Wrap the roof in gloss black
I will report back as things develop and put up some decent pictures once I have chance to take some.
Any comments or questions welcome and thanks for your interest.
However, the Z4 was on Eibachs, Bilstein B8s and 19" CSL reps and I felt it was time for something a smidge less raw and with a few more modern toys like Bluetooth and in-built satnav.
Paddleshift auto was a must as I loved the one in the Z4 and do a lot of city driving, whilst I have some knee problems.
I started building a shortlist with a £30k budget. An old 911 (plus an upgrade to a more modern wheel with paddles) ticked all the boxes on the face of it, but unfortunately as a financial adviser specialising in wealth management, I just couldn't stomach the badge, as I feel it could alienate potential new clients.
Other hopefuls included:
- E92 M3
- S5
- RS5
- Z4 35is
Then I suddenly remembered the 370Z and a quick shifty reminded me what great value these cars are. However, I had never quite clicked with the styling of the Big Zed - it can look a bit gawky in pictures from some angles, whilst the reports of excessive tyre roar were off putting.
I almost wrote it off on the basis of the tyre roar comments, but so glad I didn't. A test drive of a local car revealed it to be no worse than my Z4, whilst the car looks much better 'in the metal' than in pictures and felt really good to drive.
As chance would have it, I noticed a very well priced GT auto had come up for sale 233 miles away from me with a trader called Castle Motors. My initial thought was: 'Is it even possible to get 233 miles away from Manchester whilst in the UK?!' The name sounded familiar and it turned out to be a well regarded motor trader in Cornwall just down the road from a good friend of mine. He and his family love their big-engine performance cars and have bought all their cars from this trader for the past ten years or so. So, my good buddy Karl dutifully went down to inspect the car and test drive it (whilst his missus was due to pop I hasten to add - what a guy!) and reported back that it was in brilliant condition, which tallied with the trader's description over the phone.
So, I took my brave pills and bought it unseen, paying cash over the phone and arranging for delivery to my doorstep!
On Tuesday morning the car arrived and couldn't resist taking a few snaps as it came off the trailer as this was the first time I had ever had a car delivered to my door.
I have now had chance to cover a fair few miles in it, having taken it over a deserted Woodhead Pass on Tuesday night and over Snake Pass early yesterday morning to a client meeting.
It is fantastic to drive and better than I expected. The V6 has a lot of punch with a very fat torquey mid-range, whilst the car has a lovely neutrality to it in the twisties which inspires a lot confidence, managing that rare trick of being firm, but still well damped so quite composed. The brakes are also brilliant, with loads of stopping power and a nice progressive feel to them. It really is great fun on the open road, though you have to be very careful to keep your speed in check, as it is easy to carry more speed than you think.
Around town meanwhile the auto is very chilled and the cruise control module on the steering wheel (a little anodised switch by your right thumb) is really tactile and nice to use, helping you stick to the speed limit and improve your MPG in light to mid town traffic.
On the downside, the interior is a bit plasticky and you might even say gimmicky. Whilst the instrument binnacle moves up and down with the wheel, there is no reach adjustment which is a bit annoying, though this hasn't prevented my finding a comfortable driving position. The seats are also absolute crap - they are really flimsy and feel too small for a human being. They remind me of the seats you used to get in the old Japanese imports of the nineties! Also as often remarked upon, the exhaust note is a bit bland in the mid and high end of the revs.
I had some other niggles at first which have quickly melted away now that I am learning how to drive the car and overall I am delighted with it. Insurance is cheap too, costing me no more than my Z4 Coupé, despite it packing an extra 60-odd bhp.
I already have a list of tweaks and mods I want to make, which will begin to be added over the coming weeks. Initial plans are:
- 25mm spacers all round
- Performance exhaust and panel filters
- Get the front 'fangs' and rear diffuser painted black
- Wrap the roof in gloss black
I will report back as things develop and put up some decent pictures once I have chance to take some.
Any comments or questions welcome and thanks for your interest.
A deserted Woodhead Pass - your lying
I can't remember the last time I went over there and didn't get stuck behind something. Give the B6105 a try as well, its a small side round that runs off Woodhead about half way across, one of my favourite roads and usually very quiet but it is quite narrow and twisty.
Your Z looks very nice indeed in that colour, got any pics of the interior?
I can't remember the last time I went over there and didn't get stuck behind something. Give the B6105 a try as well, its a small side round that runs off Woodhead about half way across, one of my favourite roads and usually very quiet but it is quite narrow and twisty.
Your Z looks very nice indeed in that colour, got any pics of the interior?
Snap!
Got ours a fortnight ago. Totally loving it. Fantastic car!
Ours is a six speed manual.
Will be interested in how you get on with the mods, as its a broadly similar route to what i had thought to do.
Similar situation to us. £30K was buying older higher miles m3s and was going to be a bit of a stretch at the minute, so we opted for the 370z at just 2 years old and 9K miles for £10K less....
Got ours a fortnight ago. Totally loving it. Fantastic car!
Ours is a six speed manual.
Will be interested in how you get on with the mods, as its a broadly similar route to what i had thought to do.
Similar situation to us. £30K was buying older higher miles m3s and was going to be a bit of a stretch at the minute, so we opted for the 370z at just 2 years old and 9K miles for £10K less....
Edited by daemon on Thursday 14th May 12:34
Thanks for your interest guys.
Liner - cutting the budget appealed to me as it meant I didn't need to faff around with any finance. I like to live well within my means wherever I can - occupational hazard of being a financial adviser I guess! The Big Zed is still a nice step up in performance from my Z4 Coupe and having no monthly finance cost will help me when I look to take another step on the property ladder next year. I do love the old R34 GTRs (I am a big lover of all the old nineties Jap stuff) but I need a car that is presentable for business use. To anyone who isn't an enthusiast the R34 just looks like an extra from a Fast and Furious movie. Not that I am saying the 370Z has much badge caché, but it can just about be pulled off as a business car I think.
Maty - I was lucky on Woodhead and got a fair few miles to myself before hitting traffic - it was about 9pm. Its a great road when its empty, but you're right, its rare to get it to yourself and once you hit that convoy of traffic you just have to fall in line and chill as there are no safe overtaking spaces. That didn't stop some prize cock-end in a C250 coupe though. From two cars behind me, he pulled possibly the craziest overtake I think I have ever seen in my life - just pulled out and overtook a convoy of half a dozen cars stuck behind a lorry around a sequence of blind bends. Kirstie and I actually held our breath and braced expecting to see a fatal accident. WTF is wrong with people?! By the B6105 are you referring to the road to Holmfirth, a.k.a. THE-ROAD-OF-CERTAIN-DEATH? Crazy winding and undulating heading up a steep hill with a steep bank on one side and a drop down a ravine to your doom on the other? I love that road and have often used the laybys up there as good car-photo spots.
I'll be sure to take some pics of the interior when I get chance, one in daytime and one at night with the dials lit up. The cabin does actually have a rather nice ambiance to it when it gets dark.
Liner - cutting the budget appealed to me as it meant I didn't need to faff around with any finance. I like to live well within my means wherever I can - occupational hazard of being a financial adviser I guess! The Big Zed is still a nice step up in performance from my Z4 Coupe and having no monthly finance cost will help me when I look to take another step on the property ladder next year. I do love the old R34 GTRs (I am a big lover of all the old nineties Jap stuff) but I need a car that is presentable for business use. To anyone who isn't an enthusiast the R34 just looks like an extra from a Fast and Furious movie. Not that I am saying the 370Z has much badge caché, but it can just about be pulled off as a business car I think.
Maty - I was lucky on Woodhead and got a fair few miles to myself before hitting traffic - it was about 9pm. Its a great road when its empty, but you're right, its rare to get it to yourself and once you hit that convoy of traffic you just have to fall in line and chill as there are no safe overtaking spaces. That didn't stop some prize cock-end in a C250 coupe though. From two cars behind me, he pulled possibly the craziest overtake I think I have ever seen in my life - just pulled out and overtook a convoy of half a dozen cars stuck behind a lorry around a sequence of blind bends. Kirstie and I actually held our breath and braced expecting to see a fatal accident. WTF is wrong with people?! By the B6105 are you referring to the road to Holmfirth, a.k.a. THE-ROAD-OF-CERTAIN-DEATH? Crazy winding and undulating heading up a steep hill with a steep bank on one side and a drop down a ravine to your doom on the other? I love that road and have often used the laybys up there as good car-photo spots.
I'll be sure to take some pics of the interior when I get chance, one in daytime and one at night with the dials lit up. The cabin does actually have a rather nice ambiance to it when it gets dark.
Edited by Alfa159Ti on Thursday 14th May 14:46
daemon said:
Snap!
Got ours a fortnight ago. Totally loving it. Fantastic car!
Ours is a six speed manual.
Will be interested in how you get on with the mods, as its a broadly similar route to what i had thought to do.
Similar situation to us. £30K was buying older higher miles m3s and was going to be a bit of a stretch at the minute, so we opted for the 370z at just 2 years old and 9K miles for £10K less....
I actually test drove a manual locally as there were no autos nearby (meaning I not only bought my car unseen, but also having not even test driven the paddleshift auto - man points +1,000!). Got ours a fortnight ago. Totally loving it. Fantastic car!
Ours is a six speed manual.
Will be interested in how you get on with the mods, as its a broadly similar route to what i had thought to do.
Similar situation to us. £30K was buying older higher miles m3s and was going to be a bit of a stretch at the minute, so we opted for the 370z at just 2 years old and 9K miles for £10K less....
Edited by daemon on Thursday 14th May 12:34
I really liked it and was pleasantly surprised by how light the clutch was. The driving position and pedals felt really good and I liked the gearshift too, though I got the impression it didn't like to be rushed. It didn't seem to want to respond to quick changes, rather preferring you to take a moment longer to engage the clutch and precisely slot in the next cog, rather than rifling through the box quickly. Could have been my lack of skill with a manual these days mind you, as I only drive one occasionally because of my knee.
I got out with no knee pain and did ponder whether I could live with a manual as I enjoyed it, but given the amount of city driving I do, it didn't seem worth the risk.
What is on your mods list then?
I feel the spacers are pretty essential, as I think the rear wheels in particular look way too recessed within the arches.
I was also pondering adding Eibach 30mm springs to the mix, as combined with spacers they make the cars sit beautifully and somehow make the wheels appear more in proportion to the car. However, I worry it would make the car too firm. I did speak to Mitz about it at Cougar store however and he said he drove a car on Eibachs with standard shocks and was very pleasantly surprised at how good it felt. Might see if any local 370z forum members wth this set up want to give me a ride.
Also I had in mind to fit a Cobra resonated exhaust as I want more sound, but without drone or interference in normal driving. However, the forums seem awash with differing outcomes for those that have fitted them. Reviews of the Scorpion and HKS systems sound more like what I am after. Cougar store can provide a Scorpion system, but haven't located an HKS supplier in the UK yet.
Edited by Alfa159Ti on Thursday 14th May 15:07
I've just fitted spacers to mine , 25mm all round, I have a set of eibach roll bars to fit but I have no interest in lowering mine its low enough, its going to need a full geometry check afterwards as the spacers have altered the steering a bit , its lighter and more twitchy in a straight line but I've also just fitted Michelin Pilot super sports all round so its a lot more grippy in the corners
Mine is booked for a remap next week
Mine is booked for a remap next week
liner33 said:
I've just fitted spacers to mine , 25mm all round, I have a set of eibach roll bars to fit but I have no interest in lowering mine its low enough, its going to need a full geometry check afterwards as the spacers have altered the steering a bit , its lighter and more twitchy in a straight line but I've also just fitted Michelin Pilot super sports all round so its a lot more grippy in the corners
Mine is booked for a remap next week
I have the same car as liner33 in white. Great car for the money.Mine is booked for a remap next week
Mines a 2013 GT Edtition with Auto box. 4500 miles.
Worth about £20k now I'd guess.
I really can't fault it.
liner33 said:
I've just fitted spacers to mine , 25mm all round, I have a set of eibach roll bars to fit but I have no interest in lowering mine its low enough, its going to need a full geometry check afterwards as the spacers have altered the steering a bit , its lighter and more twitchy in a straight line but I've also just fitted Michelin Pilot super sports all round so its a lot more grippy in the corners
Mine is booked for a remap next week
That is lovely, I really like the GT Edition in white. The only auto one that was up for sale when I was looking was in Aberdeen and I didn't have the advantage of having a local petrolhead buddy in the area to go on a recce to look at it!Mine is booked for a remap next week
Is the GT Edition any lower than the normal GT? Your ride height looks spot on as is.
Do you have any other pictures from different angles that you could post up, showing how the wheels look now you have fitted the spacers?
I know a lot of people go 25mm all round, but was pondering just now when I got home whether 20mm might be better. Hard to tell really!
I fitted spacers to an Alfa I once had and I do remember it seemed to dull the handling a touch. What impact have you noticed on your Zed post-fitting?
Alfa159Ti said:
That is lovely, I really like the GT Edition in white. The only auto one that was up for sale when I was looking was in Aberdeen and I didn't have the advantage of having a local petrolhead buddy in the area to go on a recce to look at it!
Is the GT Edition any lower than the normal GT? Your ride height looks spot on as is.
Do you have any other pictures from different angles that you could post up, showing how the wheels look now you have fitted the spacers?
I know a lot of people go 25mm all round, but was pondering just now when I got home whether 20mm might be better. Hard to tell really!
I fitted spacers to an Alfa I once had and I do remember it seemed to dull the handling a touch. What impact have you noticed on your Zed post-fitting?
Dampers are different on the GT Edition think the springs are the same so ride height should be but they might have been changed in the past I dont know Is the GT Edition any lower than the normal GT? Your ride height looks spot on as is.
Do you have any other pictures from different angles that you could post up, showing how the wheels look now you have fitted the spacers?
I know a lot of people go 25mm all round, but was pondering just now when I got home whether 20mm might be better. Hard to tell really!
I fitted spacers to an Alfa I once had and I do remember it seemed to dull the handling a touch. What impact have you noticed on your Zed post-fitting?
I don't have many pics post spacers as they have only been on a couple of weeks , only difference I can tell is the steering as I said due to the pivot point altering but it needs setting up and they can correct it with camber but that will have to wait until the new sway bars go on
You cant fit 20mm spacers on the front as the studs will foul the wheel, well you can but you need to replace the stock hub bolts which is a lot of work, the rear wheels have a deeper recess so clear the studs just fine so you can fit the 20mm on there if you like , to be honest it might look a bit better with 20mm spacers on the back , I know that the 20mm back 25mm front configuration is popular in the US
wilwak said:
I have the same car as liner33 in white. Great car for the money.
Mines a 2013 GT Edtition with Auto box. 4500 miles.
Worth about £20k now I'd guess.
I really can't fault it.
Worth more than £20k surely? We gave £20K for our non Edition GT - 2013, 9k miles and it was the cheapest '13 car in the country by a mile.Mines a 2013 GT Edtition with Auto box. 4500 miles.
Worth about £20k now I'd guess.
I really can't fault it.
GokTweed said:
A 370Z over an M3......why?
The 370Z has only two seats so adds to the special more individual feeling and its a stand alone car built as a sports/GT type of car whereas the M3 is based on a boring diesel saloon with a fancy engine chucked in and the odd spoiler here and there bolted on...so that would be enough for me to favour a 370Z over a M3. cerb4.5lee said:
The 370Z has only two seats so adds to the special more individual feeling and its a stand alone car built as a sports/GT type of car whereas the M3 is based on a boring diesel saloon with a fancy engine chucked in and the odd spoiler here and there bolted on...so that would be enough for me to favour a 370Z over a M3.
Agreed its clear some people buy cars solely on the 0-60/bhp vs £ . GokTweed said:
A 370Z over an M3 or an RS5......why?
A combination of factors really.Initially when I started to spec out my next car move, it seemed to me that for anything significantly better than the outgoing Z4 Coupe, I would need to spend £25k - £30k.
I had been looking for a Z4 35is in that price bracket, but apart from a lovely grey one with red leather that I narrowly missed out on, no other decent ones were coming up within budget. They are a really rare car.
I started to drift towards M3s and RS5s but couldn't get very excited by the prospect somehow. I drove an M3 on track at Palmersport a few years ago and whilst brilliant, it didn't get under my skin. Also, running a complex V8 engined car as a daily would have likely been a significant increase in running costs too versus a six cylinder. (though admittedly at this level, V6 vs V8 becomes a bit academic in terms of economy anyway!)
I then realised what good value 370s are and was happy to find something that ticked the right boxes for me, that came in significantly under budget.
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