Nissan 370Z | Spotted
Nissan's decade-old V6 sports car still offers a compelling mix of old school charm and everyday usability
Can you believe that the Nissan 370Z is ten years old? It arrived as a successor to the 350Z back in 2009 and, alongside the GT-R, has helped to uphold Nissan's reputation as a builder of performance cars deep into the twenty-first century. But while the 370Z and GT-R have both always used V6 engines, that is, of course, where the similarities end because the GT-R's use of twin-turbocharging and four-wheel drive couldn't be much more contrasting to the 370Z's atmospheric, rear-wheel drive setup. The 370Z is by far the more traditional offering.
Even the delivery of the 3.7-litre engine's 331hp appears old school because it doesn't peak until 7,000rpm, meaning the 370Z only provides its best when worked hard. Do that, though, and the 370Z is capable of sprinting a from 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds - three tenths quicker than a 987-generation Porsche Cayman, an old rival of the Nissan's. The Stuttgart sports car is admittedly 130kg lighter, but the 370Z can both outsprint it and also arguably provides the more comfortable setting.
Where the Cayman holds an advantage is on-the-limit dynamics. The German has the more eager front end and better balance, thanks to its mid-engined layout. And where the old Cayman rewards big commitment, the Nissan feels quite content being stroked along a route - although it is also no slouch, nor does it ever lack drama. That 3.7-litre, for example, makes lovely, muscular six-pot noises and when it's coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox, Nissan's auto rev matching tech (called Synchor Rev Control) adds racey blips to each downshift.
A decade-old Cayman might also leave an owner nervous of impending reliability issues, but the 370Z is renowned for being tough, a trait that's probably helped by the fact the engine under its bonnet is one faced with little stress. That being said, the motor does struggle to offer urban economy above the teens, plus, the car needs to be serviced every 9,000 miles, so it's never going to be a cheap runabout. But that's obvious in a V6 model like this.
We've found a great low-mileage example of the breed, a 20,000-mile old 2010 370Z in grey with a black leather interior, in the classifieds. It looks to be in fine health and was owned by the same person until 2018, which is usually the experience of a much-loved car. The asking price of £13,245 therefore seems fair, although the car is located in Northern Ireland, so getting there might be an issue if you're not on the west side of the Irish Sea. But then again, of all the cheap 370Zs on the market, this might just be the one worth travelling for.
SPECIFICATIONS - NISSAN 370Z
Engine: 3,696cc V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 331@7000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 269@5200rpm
MPG: 26.6
CO2: 248g/km
Price new: £26,895
Yours for: £13,245
Click here to see the full ad.
And the CO2 emissions puts them in Band M after March 2006, and for me they aren't special enough to justify £555 a year in road tax!
I'd prefer a Z4M Coupe that does 0-62 in 5 seconds and has an 8,000rpm red-line, but it's great that cars like these were being built!
And the CO2 emissions puts them in Band M after March 2006, and for me they aren't special enough to justify £555 a year in road tax!
I'd prefer a Z4M Coupe that does 0-62 in 5 seconds and has an 8,000rpm red-line, but it's great that cars like these were being built!
A car like the 370z makes a lot more sense in the states, I’d definitely buy one if I lived in America, there are certain cars that just appeal more to me over there, not sure why.
A car like the 370z makes a lot more sense in the states, I’d definitely buy one if I lived in America, there are certain cars that just appeal more to me over there, not sure why.
The under body and the wheelarches. A common issue. OEM exhaust systems suffer too.I'd hope the 370Z is an improvement in this area so I do check them myself now and again. I agree the band M car tax is a consideration but this car is one of the few that actually got much cheaper to tax under the new regime in 2017 because its list price was < £40k unless you buy a nismo edition. Waiting for the used prices to drop.....
£13K would get you into any of them, at various different age and mileage, and between them deliver a range of different driver/owner experiences.
The 86 would deliver the newest car and lowest running costs, with excellent handling, the Cayman would deliver sublime handling but with scary borkage, particularly in pre-DFI S format, and the 370Z would deliver medium running costs, a whole lot more grunt than the 86, and crude but effective old school RWD handling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhLXvxlQR4
I also used to have a Z4M Roadster and I much prefer the 370Z, the 370Z has a far better chassis/ride for me and the manual gearbox is miles better too. I also much prefer the engine(it isn't anywhere near as revvy as the Z4M's engine though) in the 370 compared to the tinny wasp like noise that the Z4M makes.
The 370Z is a very nice old school recipe for me but at around the 1550kg mark in weight it is much more GT in character rather than a sports car.
It’ll be a shame when the 370Z is withdrawn from sale although it has to be said that it is very long in the tooth.
It is also a shame that the article is as much about Caymans as it is about Zeds.
Needs to be services every 9000 miles?
Needs?
I’m prepared to be shot down about this but I don’t see how it ‘needs’ a service every 9k other than Nissan wanting customers to return to Main Stealers as often as possible to drain them of more £££
Surely a large capacity modern engine is t under much mechanical stress so I’d have been expecting a service every 12/20/24 k? Or every 12/24 months?
Just sayin....
It's interesting how close the 370Z is on paper to the new Supra - power, weight, layout - yet it's massively cheaper and has the normally aspirated engine and manual gearbox everyone apparently wants. Would make an interesting twin test I think - I mean, I'm sure the Supra is better, but it would be enlightening to describe exactly what's better about it, and if it's worth the extra cash.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff