2009 Nissan 370Z Manual Road Test Review

WHILE CARS LIKE the Porsche 911 might enjoy a longer, more storied history, Nissan’s Z has its own unique pedigree.

It might not be as sophisticated, as quick or as desirable as the German, but in a lot of ways it’s equally significant. Here’s a quick history lesson.

Back in the late 1960s, Datsun (which later became Nissan) launched a lightweight, long-bonneted sports coupe into the American market that announced to the world that the still-young Japanese auto industry was capable of building a proper, bona-fide sportscar.

That car was the 240Z and it almost singlehandedly transformed how the world perceived Japanese performance cars. Prior to the 240Z, with the exception of the hard-running Datsun 2000 Sports, Japanese sportscars were variously seen as too small, too uncomfortable and, mostly, too gutless.

Specifically designed with western markets in mind, the Z changed all that.

The 240Z was a landmark car, and, when it arrived in 1969, absolutely jaw-dropping. But since then, unfortunately, Nissan kept the Z badge alive with progressively bigger, more upscale, and even bloated offerings that crept further and further away from the original's lightweight, agile beginnings.

In 2002, the 350Z brought back some of the qualities of the original and a return to form for the Z badge. A good car, brash and swift, it sold well for Nissan.

Now, with the all-new Z34 370Z, Nissan says it finally has the real successor to the 240Z: the first car to truly share the first Z’s ethos of raw, undiluted (and relatively cheap) thrills.

Let’s see if Nissan has got it right.

The Styling

In terms of aesthetics, the 370Z channels a lot of the venerable original Z's charm.

While outwardly similar to the 350Z that preceded it, the 370Z’s sheetmetal is an entirely clean-slate design. It also boasts entirely different proportions to the 350Z: 100 mm has been cut from the wheelbase, it’s 33mm wider, 7.6mm lower and overall length is 69mm shorter.

Nissan’s dimensional tweaks have resulted in a more cab-rearward design that adds more visual length to the bonnet – much like the 240Z of yore. The shape is still reminiscent of the 350Z, yes, but every detail has been changed.

The front bumper is now wider and has been given a bulldog’s fangs, the front and rear light clusters now have a peculiar fishhook shape to them and the beltline has been comprehensively reshaped to incorporate a 240Z-esque upwards ‘kick’ around the B-pillar.

It’s a more organic design too, with flowing lines and smooth, almost liquid forms. A pair of longitudinal ridges run back from the bonnet’s leading edge, continuing up the roof before terminating short of the rear glass, and the flared fenders are practically wide enough to sit on. Net result? It looks positively muscle-bound.

Australian Z34s also come with front and rear spoilers as standard – two elements that greatly augment the car’s already handsome looks. Unfortunately the 19-inch forged alloy rims that accompany sports models of the 370Z overseas aren’t available here. The standard-issue 18-inchers aren’t bad to look at, mind you, but they do appear a tad undersized for the Z’s frame.

The Interior

If the 370Z’s exterior is an evolution of the 350Z’s basic form, then the interior is something else altogether. There are recognizable elements there – like the instrument binnacle tied into the steering column and the ring-pull door handles, for example – but the execution is entirely different.

Gone are the 350Z’s hard, low-rent plastics; replaced by soft, tactile, leather-bound surfaces and more upmarket materials.

The level of fit and finish is also higher – nothing creaks or rattles, everything feels rock-solid and there’s a sense of durability in there. It also carries a premium feel, thanks largely to that big sat-nav console at the top of the centre stack and the healthy amount of leather trimming.

The sat-nav system and integrated six-CD Bose premium stereo is standard equipment, as is the leather and suede interior trim. There’s a lot of black in the Z’s cabin, but the silver accents on the instrument panel, the row of auxiliary gauges, the door handles and the centre console break it up nicely.

Ergonomically, the 370Z is fairly good. The power-adjusted seats are comfortable and supportive (if perhaps a little small for larger drivers) and the steering wheel is not too chunky.

The gear lever is positioned perfectly, barely a hand-span from the wheel, and the sat nav controls are easy to reach and use. However the buttons for some of the climate control functions are too small and placed too low to be convenient. Activating the demister at speed can literally be a hit-and-miss affair.

The steering wheel also doesn’t adjust for reach, only rake. The pedals, on the other hand, are perfectly spaced and the floor-hinged accelerator pedal is a nice touch.

Visibility from the driver’s seat is good – as long as you’re looking ahead. You sit reasonably low in the Z’s cockpit, with the high-waisted doors enveloping you and the short windows giving a letterboxed view of the outside world.

The central tachometer is large and clear, however the smaller speedo to the right is a bit hard to keep an eye on. A digital speed readout would have helped.

There’s also the Z’s signature trio of auxiliary gauges lined up on top of the dashboard, with battery voltage, oil temperature and a digital clock.

Rearward visibility is pretty terrible though, a fact not helped by those tiny rear three-quarter windows. Mercifully, the wing mirrors are big and eliminate blind spots effectively enough.

The boot does away with the bulky rear strut brace that spanned the 350Z’s cargo area, and is much more useable because of it. It’s still pretty shallow, however Nissan assures us two golf bags can be shoehorned into it. Beneath the floor lies an alloy space saver and a subwoofer for the Bose sound system (yet another standard feature).

Mechanical Package

As impressive as its design is, the real essence of the new Z lies beneath the skin. Built on a shortened version of the V36 Skyline’s FM platform (itself a highly-tuned evolution of the 350Z’s architecture), the 370Z is already off to a good start.

The Z’s all-alloy double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension has been retuned with new geometry to take advantage of the shorter wheelbase, and springrates and damping characteristics have been completely revised.

Nissan has also taken the opportunity to shed some kilos with the Z, utilizing lightweight aluminium for the bonnet, doors and bootlid. However, the addition of extra safety features and creature comforts means that despite the weight-saving measures, the 370Z still weighs much the same as the 350.

Weight distribution is a near-optimal 53 percent front, 47 percent rear

Big Akebono brakes are standard on Australian Zs (optional overseas) and they clearly have the mechanical muscle needed to haul up the 1471kg coupe. Never heard of Akebono? The Japanese brake manufacturer also supplies its stopping hardware to the Williams F1 team, not to mention Japan’s famous Shinkansen bullet trains.