Aged sporting warrior still has lots of fight left
Overview: A refreshing and rewarding sports coupe, even though it’s almost a decade old Pros: Revvy engine, lovely exhaust note, no- frills driving experience Cons: Harsh ride, dated interior, price Value for money: Fair What I would change: Nothing. The Z is perfect 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 nearly a decade without any significant updates. Sure, a couple of facelifts and some neat new 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.
It’s been about nine years since the 370Z first landed as a new car for the 2009 model year; it’s 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 heavier, cheaper or more expensive, t urbocharged, direct- i njected, more technologically advanced or friendlier to drive. The Z has stayed the course and it’s greying at the temples; its forehead is more wrinkled and hands more weathered than you remember. But slipping into the part- leather, part- Alcantara cabin of the full- zoot 370Z Nismo, suddenly 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 3.7- litre V6 engine. Base and mid- range models pump out a respectable 332 horsepower and 270 pound- feet of torque, while in Nismo flavour, that’s cranked up to 350 hp and 276 lb-ft of torque.
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 4,000 rpm.
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 heavy 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, though not as buttery smooth as a Mazda MX- 5 Miata, is pleasantly notchy and easily manipulated. The clutch lets you know exactly when it bites and pushes back on your foot just enough, but not to the point where you regret skipping leg day. Fully disabling the stability and traction control safety nets is a onebutton process. It does take a bit of a deep stab at t he t hrottle to nail a perfect revmatched downshift, but the throttle is still properly responsive and it’s easy to drive this car smooth. Or in anger, when the exhaust note is nothing short 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 offer. It’s a fairly complete package; you get a few mechanical bits, including the af o r e mentioned power bump and exhaust 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 ride, but come on, when you’re driving a sports car, compromise is often the name of the game.
Canadian- spec cars are available exclusively with a six- speed manual with rev- matching. Do yourself a favour and leave that doohickey off, though.
You also get a few showy bits, including a body kit, which is not as shouty as you’d think, and the ducktailstyle spoiler is reminiscent of a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
Drawbacks? Well, there are a few. The Z Nismo shows much of its age inside. It cocoons you rather well — as a sports car should — but the infotainment system is dated and not as intuitive as others out there. You’ve got Bluetooth, USB connectivity, GPS navigation and a radio, and, er, that’s about it. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto here.
And then there’s the price. The Z Nismo costs just over $ 48,000, and it comes one way: fully loaded. At this point, $ 48K buys you a lot in the six-cylinder, two-door, rear-drive, sporty car realm. However, few of those competitors offer a driving experience as direct as the Z. As a cohesive whole, the Z is a breath of fresh air; it’s an aged track warrior that’s refreshingly simple, rewarding, mechanical, and one that can still fight.