Car Review: two thousand eighteen Nissan 370Z Nismo

Overview

A refreshing and rewarding sports coupe, even tho’ it’s almost a decade old

Pros Revvy engine, lovely harass note, no-frills driving practice

Cons Harsh rail, dated interior, price

Value for money Fair

What would I switch? Nothing. The Z is flawless with being imperfect

How I would spec it? Add all of the Nismo’s mechanical bits to the base Z and keep the price tag under $40K

In the world of cars, it’s unorthodox – almost unacceptable – for a vehicle to stick around, for almost a decade, without any significant updates. Sure, a duo of facelifts and some neat fresh features parsed out over the years keep things fresh and interesting, but it’s also a wonderfully effective way to make a car feel real old, real tired, real quick. Naturally, there are exceptions to the rule. Witness the Nissan 370Z.

Local Pricing & Incentives

• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

See what your neighbours are paying

It’s been about nine years since the 370Z very first landed as a fresh car for the two thousand nine model year – hardly a drop in the bucket considering the Z-car’s rich lineage, but an eternity by all other accounts. Whichever rivals the Z has left, they’ve become either lighter or stronger, cheaper or more expensive. Turbocharged. Direct-injected. More technologically advanced. Friendlier to drive. The Z has stayed the course and it’s greying at the temples; its forehead more puckered and forearms more weathered than you reminisce. But slipping into the part-leather, part-Alcantara cabin of the full-zoot 370Z Nismo, all of a sudden none of that matters.

Scoffing at the idea of turbochargers and direct-injection, the badge on the back directly correlates to the engine size. Power comes from a normally aspirated, Three.7-litre V6 engine. Base and mid-range models pump out a respectable three hundred thirty two horsepower and two hundred seventy lb.-ft. of torque, while in Nismo flavour, that’s cranked up to three hundred fifty HP and two hundred seventy six lb.-ft. Nissan (and Infiniti) faithful know this engine well; part of the VQ family, it wakes up with a mischievous purr at the poke of the starter button. Peg the throttle and, while not as silky as some other six-cylinder coupes out there – the BMW M240i comes to mind – the Z awakens with a guttural howl past Four,000 rpm. Suffice it to say, the Z is still equal parts bark and bite, even if that bite isn’t as strong as it used to be.

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

Still, driving a Z is refreshing. It’s not for everyone, but there’s a pleasant weight and mechanical feel to the Z that you’d be hard-pressed find anywhere else these days. The steering is strenuous and communicative, and because it’s a hydraulic setup, there aren’t any buttons to adjust how much effort it takes to turn the wheel. The shifter, tho’ not as buttery slick as a Mazda MX-5 Miata, is pleasurably notchy and lightly manipulated. The clutch lets you know exactly when it bites and shoves back on your foot just enough, but not to the point where you regret skipping gam day. Fully disabling the stability and traction control safety nets is a one-button process. It does take a bit of a deep stab at the throttle to bang a flawless rev-matched downshift, but the throttle is still decently responsive and it’s effortless to drive this car slick. Or in anger; the harass note is nothing brief of intoxicating – and what you hear isn’t electronically manipulated or amplified by any speakers whatsoever.

Of course, the soundtrack is just part of what the Nismo trimmings suggest. It’s a fairly accomplish package – you get a few mechanical bits, including the aforementioned power bump and harass system, plus beefed-up brakes peeking through a set of lovely 19-inch split five-spoke alloy wheels and Dunlop summer rubber, and a laundry list of chassis tweaks, including upgraded springs and dampers, and more bracing. They add up to a bit of a harsh and noisy rail, but come on. When you’re driving a sports car, compromise is often the name of the game. Contrary to our friends south of the border, where you could opt for a Z Nismo with a seven-speed automatic transmission, Canadian-spec cars are available exclusively with a six-speed manual with rev-matching. Do yourself a favour and leave that doohickey off, however.

You also get a few showy bits, including a bod kit – not as shouty as you’d think, and the ducktail-style spoiler is reminiscent of a Porsche nine hundred eleven Carrera RS Two.7 – and a few neat touches inwards, like a crimson stripe atop the steering wheel and a pair of lovely (but by hand adjustable and non-heated) Recaro seats, among others. It’s a fairly cohesive package, striking a solid balance inbetween meaningful spectacle upgrades and decently aggressive looks. Drawbacks? Well, there are a few. Sit down, this might take a while.

Car Review: two thousand eighteen Nissan 370Z Nismo, Driving

Car Review: two thousand eighteen Nissan 370Z Nismo

Overview

A refreshing and rewarding sports coupe, even however it’s almost a decade old

Pros Revvy engine, lovely harass note, no-frills driving practice

Cons Harsh rail, dated interior, price

Value for money Fair

What would I switch? Nothing. The Z is flawless with being imperfect

How I would spec it? Add all of the Nismo’s mechanical bits to the base Z and keep the price tag under $40K

In the world of cars, it’s unorthodox – almost unacceptable – for a vehicle to stick around, for almost a decade, without any significant updates. Sure, a duo of facelifts and some neat fresh features parsed out over the years keep things fresh and interesting, but it’s also a wonderfully effective way to make a car feel real old, real tired, real quick. Naturally, there are exceptions to the rule. Witness the Nissan 370Z.

Local Pricing & Incentives

• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

See what your neighbours are paying

It’s been about nine years since the 370Z very first landed as a fresh car for the two thousand nine model year – hardly a drop in the bucket considering the Z-car’s rich lineage, but an eternity by all other accounts. Whichever rivals the Z has left, they’ve become either lighter or stronger, cheaper or more expensive. Turbocharged. Direct-injected. More technologically advanced. Friendlier to drive. The Z has stayed the course and it’s greying at the temples; its forehead more puckered and forearms more weathered than you recall. But slipping into the part-leather, part-Alcantara cabin of the full-zoot 370Z Nismo, abruptly none of that matters.

Scoffing at the idea of turbochargers and direct-injection, the badge on the back directly correlates to the engine size. Power comes from a normally aspirated, Trio.7-litre V6 engine. Base and mid-range models pump out a respectable three hundred thirty two horsepower and two hundred seventy lb.-ft. of torque, while in Nismo flavour, that’s cranked up to three hundred fifty HP and two hundred seventy six lb.-ft. Nissan (and Infiniti) faithful know this engine well; part of the VQ family, it wakes up with a mischievous purr at the poke of the starter button. Peg the throttle and, while not as silky as some other six-cylinder coupes out there – the BMW M240i comes to mind – the Z awakens with a guttural howl past Four,000 rpm. Suffice it to say, the Z is still equal parts bark and bite, even if that bite isn’t as strong as it used to be.

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

Still, driving a Z is refreshing. It’s not for everyone, but there’s a pleasant weight and mechanical feel to the Z that you’d be hard-pressed find anywhere else these days. The steering is strong and communicative, and because it’s a hydraulic setup, there aren’t any buttons to adjust how much effort it takes to turn the wheel. The shifter, tho’ not as buttery sleek as a Mazda MX-5 Miata, is pleasurably notchy and lightly manipulated. The clutch lets you know exactly when it bites and thrusts back on your foot just enough, but not to the point where you regret skipping gam day. Fully disabling the stability and traction control safety nets is a one-button process. It does take a bit of a deep stab at the throttle to drill a ideal rev-matched downshift, but the throttle is still decently responsive and it’s effortless to drive this car sleek. Or in anger; the harass note is nothing brief of intoxicating – and what you hear isn’t electronically manipulated or amplified by any speakers whatsoever.

Of course, the soundtrack is just part of what the Nismo trimmings suggest. It’s a fairly finish package – you get a few mechanical bits, including the aforementioned power bump and harass system, plus beefed-up brakes peeking through a set of lovely 19-inch split five-spoke alloy wheels and Dunlop summer rubber, and a laundry list of chassis tweaks, including upgraded springs and dampers, and more bracing. They add up to a bit of a harsh and noisy rail, but come on. When you’re driving a sports car, compromise is often the name of the game. Contrary to our friends south of the border, where you could opt for a Z Nismo with a seven-speed automatic transmission, Canadian-spec cars are available exclusively with a six-speed manual with rev-matching. Do yourself a favour and leave that doohickey off, however.

You also get a few showy bits, including a assets kit – not as shouty as you’d think, and the ducktail-style spoiler is reminiscent of a Porsche nine hundred eleven Carrera RS Two.7 – and a few neat touches inwards, like a crimson stripe atop the steering wheel and a pair of lovely (but by hand adjustable and non-heated) Recaro seats, among others. It’s a fairly cohesive package, striking a solid balance inbetween meaningful spectacle upgrades and decently aggressive looks. Drawbacks? Well, there are a few. Sit down, this might take a while.

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