Sometimes the old ways are the best. While the new BMW M2 CS can boast Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic in its construction and 10-stage variable traction control, it is at heart a small(ish) rear-drive BMW with a great big straight six up front boasting loads of power. It’ll insist on having a great time while driving it, like so many cars of this ilk.
Because from M car to Mustang, there’s little beating the uncomplicated appeal of a front-engined, rear-drive two-door. There ought to be predictability to the handling, some useful space inside, and a nice big boot if you’re lucky as well. Which is why it remains so popular as a sports car layout. Or rather, why it used to be so popular; the CS arrives as the M2 is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, back when alternatives included the Jaguar F-Type Coupe, Mercedes SLK/C and the Toyobaru twins at a lower price point. A V6-powered Lotus, with the engine in the middle, was significantly more attainable than it is now. An all-wheel-drive Audi TT S was a smart steer, too. It’s not been a great decade for sports car lovers.
Which, inevitably, makes those we used to have look all the more interesting. The Nissan 370Z arrived in 2009, promising more of what the roguish 350Z had offered up so stylishly half a dozen years earlier. This meant it lacked some of the impact of its predecessor, not helped by launching at the same sort of time as the Lotus Evora and second generation of 987 Cayman. The NISMO a few years later certainly renewed interest, though it always felt like the 370 sold in smaller numbers than the 350. Despite probably being kept on sale a little too long.
But with the Z replacement not coming here and new sports cars extremely hard to come by, good Zs look all the more appealing. It was never the sharpest knife in the drawer to drive, but offered up a big engine and a big charm offensive. The looks, the sound, the sheer rear-driveness of the Zed ensured a very likeable old-school experience.
This one looks brilliant, in the fastest colour with a set of natty bronze wheels. There’s even a cloth interior, for full sports-car-like-you-used-to-have vibes. The advert uses a lot of words to say not much at all, but picture 73 of 74 in the gallery (don't say we never do anything for you) shows five Nissan main dealer stamps in the service book. There are also just two owners to the Nissan’s name, a flawless MOT past and 36,000 miles to its name. Or just 6k a year now, because 2019 really is longer ago than we’d like to think.
It’s possible to pay a four-figure sum for a 370Z, if you’re willing to accept a six-figure mileage. And the auto, which you don’t really want to. Decent manual coupes still command more than £10,000, and those on PH start at £14,995. The Vibrant Red Zed is £18,940, or a little over half the £34,285 it would have cost when new. They’ve garnered quite a following, the NISMOs in particular, as a final swansong for Zs in the UK. And with Nissan’s current travails, that situation doesn’t look like changing any time soon. Those who can bear the running costs will surely find the tried and tested methods very attractive indeed.
SPECIFICATION | NISSAN 370Z
Engine: 3,696cc V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 328@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 269@5,200rpm
MPG: 26.6
CO2: 248g/km
Year registered: 2019
Recorded mileage: 36,522
Price new: £34,285 (before options)
Yours for: £18,940
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