Nissan 370Z: Getting In Is Worth It

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 05:39

Are you looking for a sports car? Is a Porsche too expensive for you? Well, there are alternatives, including ones that are fun. This includes the Nissan 370Z. Our driving report shows what it has to offer.

With all the Porsche 911, Audi TT or Mercedes GT, it is often forgotten that other brands also have beautiful daughters, or rather beautiful sports cars. And much cheaper too. When it comes to the price-horsepower ratio, the Nissan 370Z is currently taking a hit. In the basic version, but at least with the 3.7-liter six-cylinder and its 328 hp on board, the Japanese coupe is officially listed in the price list for 34,130 euros.

And our test car, a convertible that is always better equipped by default, costs just over 40,000 euros. Such offers are actually known from privately imported American icons. The question remains: where did Nissanbecause saved there and what can you expect for this comparatively low amount? Well, first and foremost an aggressively styled, but quite handsome body that looks like a lot more money, as the curious-envious looks of passers-by and drivers confirmed again and again. Flat, sharp and even when standing still, that's how you could sum up the shapes of the 370Z.

Old school gasoline engine

An old-school petrol engine works under the flat hood, with a large displacement and without the assistance of compressors or turbochargers. 3.7 liters combustion chamber, six cylinders, 328 hp, 363 Nm maximum torque and rear-wheel drive. On paper, the Nippon athlete has everything you could want. In practice, however, this is not implemented quite as confidently as expected and desired. The manual six-speed gearbox is quite stiff and a little unsteady, the shift travel unnecessarily long. In addition, the engine needs high speeds in order to meet its theoretical level of performance. The maximum torque is only available at 5,200 revolutions.

So it's not an extremely modern unit. And not a particularly economical one. Officially, the standard consumption is 11.2 liters. With a relatively cautious driving style, we achieved an average of just under 14 liters. Anyone who uses the 370Z the way it actually wants to be used - i.e. always at high speeds - can easily calculate two or three liters more. Part of the low price is quickly put into perspective at the gas station.

A lot of noise in the convertible

But if you always pay blindly there, without worrying about spoilers like average consumption or the resulting amount of the fuel bill, you can still have fun with the 370Z. Assuming a healthy back, the - let's say - honestly sprung Japanese can be moved very sportily. In spite of the high performance, curves are more his profession than long, fast motorway stretches.

Because the background noise is enormous, especially with the convertible, even when closed. Then it's better to open the electric convertible top and cruise comfortably over the country road at 2000 to 3000 revolutions. The vacuum cleaner is actually really fun in cooperation with the rear-wheel drive, if only it weren't for the gearshift, which is not very sporty.

In the interior you can tell from the Z that the designers had to adhere to strict savings guidelines. The workmanship is correct, but some of the materials look really cheap and the entire furnishings look a bit after the 90s. But that's purely subjective and doesn't have to bother every driver. There can be no discussion about the operation. This is anything but logical and takes some time to get used to. The navigation system also works very slowly and didn't seem to know its way around very well. The screen is also not easy to read when you have sunglasses on, which is supposed to happen in a convertible. None of these are deficiencies that should definitely hit a sports car.

But it shows that even Nissan cannot do magic in the 40,000 euro class. Regardless of whether it is a convertible or a coupé, the 370Z is first and foremost a street athlete who wants to be driven by its driver and kept in a good mood. For those who look at the street and not at the plastic interior, who perceive the background noise as music and who do not blare the latest standard pop from the radio and who prefer to work behind the wheel than to be driven more or less - for them the 370Z is a serious alternative. And for those who like to do all of this outdoors, the convertible version is recommended. (SP-X)