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ON the face of things I should have been delighted with the Nissan 370Z I drove last week.

Here was a two-seater sports car with sizzling performance, that made all the right noises, good looks, lots of space and all the kit.

In the end, though, I was glad to see it go. In only one way did it make me happy.

That, of course, was its performance. The rest, though, ended up being a letdown.

Let’s start with “good looks”. At first glance the 370Z is a smasher. That’s because my first view of it was from the side.

Diabolical

It seems sharp as it leans forwards like it’s ready to attack. In reality this means that seeing out of the passenger side results in a cramped and twisted attempt to find out if anything is coming.

It gets worse. Rear vision is, at best, diabolical.

Fair enough there’s a reversing camera, but with no parking sensors you’re never sure that reversing isn’t going to end with a sudden bang.

Moving on to “lots of space” the huge hatch at first seems massive. Closer examination, however, shows that because the car slopes to the rear it means that your near three feet deep boot is just eight inches high at the back while its tallest is 19 inches at the front.

It got worse when the car’s key repeatedly failed to work its electric opening switch.

There’s no other way in unless you buy a convertible so you stand there helplessly waiting for your food shopping to go off.

Why can’t Nissan give it a manual release from the inside?

Moving on to “all the kit you could want” it doesn’t take long to discover that its radio doesn’t have DAB reception. Why not? It’s standard on a £7,395 Dacia Sandero.

Examine the interior more closely and it’s got leather seats and lots of silver trim but the instruments are old-fashioned.

When you try to change radio stations your fingers suddenly seem huge and fat as you press the wrong programme on its tiddly display.

By this stage I suspect that a lot of you are thinking I shouldn’t be testing a sports car.

What do I want? An ice maker in the boot, perhaps, and then a cocktail bar behind the back seats?

No, of course I don’t expect any molly-coddling fineries but I would certainly like a car that is up to date. In fact, the 370Z engine has barely changed since it first arrived here in Britain in 2009.

That’s why it’s so thirsty and also explains its horrendous CO2 emissions of 248g/km which add a hard-todismiss £1,700 to its road tax bill.

Yes, it is stunningly fast with a top speed you would be brave (and stupid) to attempt in speed camera-riddled Britain.

Racket

It sounds fantastic, too. Forget the roar and racket of a Jaguar FType.

The 370Z sounds like a jet fighter as it howls up to 8,200rpm in third gear, where it hits 100mph. That’s a proper sports car.

Do I care that its also noisy, even at low speed, with the GT’s 10-inch wide tyres on 19-inch alloys creating a ridiculous and permanent racket.

No, that’s what I want and expect. That’s part of the package.

What I also want, though, is a 2018 car that reflects the year it is made in, rather than the rather oldfashioned original.