Becoming one with the NISSAN 370Z

By Farzana Chaumoo

Gather around friends, I have a story to tell.

The year is 2007. I’m riding in the backseat of my parents’ car with some family, returning from a day out. We pull up at the main intersection of our hometown, waiting for the green light, chatting, laughing, singing along to Black Eyed Peas, when lo and behold, a new Nissan 370Z pulls up next to us. Everybody’s faces are fighting for window space, talking about how fast this car must be and how one day we may own one of those.

Fast forward ten years. The Nissan 370Z gets significant cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, along with some new 19” alloy wheels, an EXEDY® high performance clutch and a new red metallic colour. The 2018 model year 370Z parades around the 2017 Festival of Motoring at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, showing off its dynamic improvements.

A few months later, the Coupe pulls up at our office, and unexpectedly, the keys get handed to me, “I thought you would like it for a few days”. Surprised, I respond with “Yeah, ok, I wouldn't mind taking it,” unsuspecting of what the Nissan 370Z had in store for me.

In the span of these ten years, not only being majorly submerged in all things motoring, but also becoming a motoring writer, I’ve had the pleasure of driving plenty of fast cars. I mean, I even own a fast car, so that excitement from ten years ago was nowhere near as intense anymore. Also, I’m not usually given sports cars at work because it’s usually a wrestling match for the keys, one I generally just observe from the sidelines. So naturally, I was more surprised at having the keys in my hand than the car itself.

Anyways, I parade around this red 370Z for a few minutes, taking my videos for social media. Unique matte chrome door handles allow you access into the car, where a premium infotainment system, featuring a seven-inch touch-screen (now standard), satellite navigation, DVD player and rear-view camera can be found, and a six-speed manual gear lever is spotted in the centre console. Walking around to the rear, I see a black painted rear diffuser and darkened lights, which was previously only available on the NISMO model. I glance up at the massive glass rear-window, aka boot lid, and figure out how to open it. A boot button is found behind the gear lever, and there pops the whole glass. I return to lift and open the boot - the glass door is heavy and the boot size looks as though pillows and laptop bags will only barely fit in it.

The Drive

Despite all the fast cars I’ve driven before, I still hadn’t driven any derivative of the Nissan Z-cars before this one arrived. Once I hit the road, I could sense that the Nissan 370Z feels solid and composed. Its road stature is supported by a mechanical package that justifies its reputation as a satisfying sports car.

Beneath its long, prowling nose is a 3.7-litre, all-aluminium V6 engine that has an absolute thrilling exhaust note. This is most intense when the revs rise and its roar comes out in full force. The V6 engine puts out 245kW and 363Nm of torque. The 370Z has a claimed acceleration time from 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, something I wouldn’t question or doubt, because this car feels genuinely quick!

The updated Nissan 370Z has a refined suspension that is more absorbing and compliant than before. With a combination of 245/40 R19 tyres in front, and wider 275/35 R19 tyres in the rear, the car has resolute grip to the road.

I felt like ‘boosting’ out of every stop and let me not forget to mention its downshifts! (insert heart-eyes emoji). Its EXEDY sourced clutch is lighter than the previous one and makes rapid downshifts a little less taxing, while also enhancing gear change precision and comfort. The ideal downshift is due to an automatic (electronics-induced) blip of the throttle, governed at the perfect moment. Its rev-matching shifts also keeps the car from jerking between shifting.

Claimed urban fuel consumption sits around 15.3L/100km, but it does improve under combined settings. Frequently ‘boosting’ it from a standstill will definitely use some more, but otherwise I didn’t find it exceedingly heavy on petrol.  

What I liked and disliked?

As small as the boot appeared to be, I managed to fit inside, with the glass-lid fully closed, and I was even able to make a few movements. You can read that sentence again: yes, I climbed in, simply out of curiosity. That said, you can fit larger items in it, however, this will completely block your rear view. Rear view and all-round visibility from the driver’s seat is not great. Even though it has a large glass rear window, from the driver’s seat you can only see through a small piece of it. The Coupé design also makes it tricky to check your blind spots.

The second thing I disliked was the stowage space and placement of a single cup holder between the driver and passenger. I couldn’t place my phone in it, let alone try to place a drink in it because it was in the way of my elbow when I needed to change gears. The door also doesn’t have much space to hold loose items. However, there is a storage unit behind the cup holder, which can hold those items. There is also a little bit of space behind each seat to stash away a handbag or shopping packet.

Many people have mentioned that the 370Z has a dated feel when asking me about the car. Yes, inside the cabin, its center console, controls/buttons, plastic bits and general design have a somewhat dated feel, but that’s the only place where ‘dated’ can be felt.

What I liked, no, loved, was the view in my side-mirrors of the 370Z’s thick thighs. Those curves and bulging over the rear-wheels was distinct in the mirrors. You don’t always get to see the aggressive parts of a sports car from the driver’s seat but in the 370Z you’ll find that view.

Should I buy one?

I thoroughly enjoyed driving this car for a week. One and half weeks after returning it, I was still, unconsciously, kicking-in an imaginary clutch and reaching for my gears in my automatic car. I really bonded with the 370Z, and wouldn’t mind having one in my garage for random drives when your mood is down, or when heading out to paint the town red.

The latest version of Nissan’s Z Coupe remains a head-turner of note. It’s fast, and it’s strikingly gorgeous with all those curves. I think it’s as unique in the market and on the road for Nissan as it was nine years ago, when it was first released. It carries forth major tradition, and all the thrills of a Z-car.

It’s also a hefty car and sitting through peak-traffic is where you’ll feel its weight the most. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend it as a daily driver if peak traffic is a regular feature of your commute, unless you don’t mind that heft and drinking habits.

The 370Z is definitely a weekend or playboy/playgirl car. Its single cup holder and lack of luggage space makes me wonder what the designers had in mind for an owner of this car. I’ll leave your imagination to run with that one...