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370Z: Second Generation Continues Purist Roots
With the 370Z Roadster on sale this month, Nissan’s 370Z full family has arrived. The latest coupe went on sale in January 2009, followed by an on-road track car in the NISMO 370Z in June 2009. This summer, we found time for all three.

370Z should be Nissan’s personality distilled, affordable and practical, but edgey and at home in Everyman’s garage. Good thing for them, Nissan successfully refined without sacrificing its edge or rough-and-ready nature. If you didn’t like the 350Z, you’re not going to like 370Z. If you did, there’s only more to love.
The new car is easy to pick as a modern Z. Against the 2003-09MY car, proportions have been adjusted and it lost a few inches. The new car takes cues of today’s Nissan family in its lights, and the convertible top looks more of a piece than the 350Z. There’s more power under the hood, always nice, but less weight being carried around, even better. Weight was lost with the shrinking of the Z, but also with selective use of aluminum (including hood and doors).

Harsh Ride Paid Off in Rewarding Handling
Whether coupe or convertible, the 370Z is happiest on demanding roads and with little traffic. All 370Z models share much, including the 332HP 3.7L DOHC 24v V6, mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic. SynchroRev Match blips the throttle as you shift for faster, more accurate shifts. It makes just about any mere mortal seem better and faster. Both coupe and convertible come in two models: 370Z or 370Z Touring. The top is available in black or Bordeaux, in which case the leather interior is wine; that combination is sharp with the new Black Cherry exterior paint.


The standard 370Z coupe and Roadster are not so happy in routine traffic, but they are true to the Z nature. The Nissan’s commuting manners are only marginally worse than Dodge Challenger R/T, Chevrolet Camaro SS, or Ford Mustang GT, while the Z’s smaller size and lower weight provide a more rewarding experience when you get to open road. Take your rewards at the early or late shift, avoid typical rush-hour traffic, and take your 370Z for a weekend spin, and you can live with harshness here and there.


The NISMO takes the whole thing up a notch. It takes a committed driver to prioritize track-quality handling characteristics to the exclusion of day-to-day basic comfort. For that driver, the NISMO delivers. Periodic access to a track can justify being jostled about there and back. But overall happiness will be measured by some ratio of track time to real time. Without the chance to let the NISMO run, it can get tiring. In fact, being in the passenger seat can be very tiring; sharing stick time with a co-driver is part and parcel of media drives, good for the evaluation, and generally something I don’t mind. But this time I could not wait for my co-driver’s turn to be over. Once behind the wheel, I didn’t want to leave! So, track boy, don’t bother bringing a date to your race day. From the driver’s seat, the ride is rewarded with great response and an involved drive. There is no such reward for the passenger.

Worse than the ride, though, is side and rearward visibility, unless the Roaster’s top is down. Poor visibility is expected with sexy low-roof styling, but it is extreme here and the Z does not offer rear parking assist or blind-spot assist, both technologies in Nissan’s engineering arsenal. Those elements might sissify the car, but they’d also save owners on repair bills. More likely the lack has to do with cost containment than avoiding electronic nannies; the 370Z is well priced (about $31,000 to $40,000), and that took careful decision making throughout the program.

Improved Interior
Among the best sides of the new car is inside, particularly in comparison to the outgoing car. Like the outside, it still looks like nothing but a Z. Nissan kept the overall gauge layout, similar door handles, and body-hugging seats. The personality carries over, but improved materials make it a smoother environment. Softer materials and contrast stitching, a new steering wheel, and revised, easier-to-use radio/HVAC controls are all part of the story. The Z flavor carried into the new execution nicely. The Roadster continues this interior improvement story: The inside of the cloth power softtop is fully lined, and a change to hydraulic motors means smoother operation.


The Roadster brought with it Nissan’s latest navigation system, updated Bluetooth (with streaming audio), and a USB connector for iPods. That USB connector would have been appreciated when I drove the coupe on a short road trip this summer. Adding it with the 2010MY addressed one criticism I’d had.
2010 NISMO 350Z: What Makes a Weekend Racer?
On sale in June 2009, the NISMO bundles factory performance upgrades, allowing buyers an off-the-shelf racer without a voided warranty. Nissan installs H-configured exhaust, muffler tuning, revised the engine computer module for responsive upper-end power, NISMO-branded strut tower brace for increased rigidity, performance dampers for managing road-input vibrations, and specific springs and stabilizer bars to create the NISMO 370Z. Elements available as part of the standard Z’s Sport package are also included with the NISMO. Among them: the SynchroRev Match six-speed manual, five-spoke nineteen-inch RAYS forged aluminum-alloy wheels, Nissan sport brakes, and viscous limited-slip differential. The NISMO also gets stickier, Yokohama Y-rated tires.

NISMOs can also be identified by revised nose and integrated chin spoiler that improves downforce, special side sills and rear bumper (for under-vehicle air flow), and a functional rear spoiler that also increases downforce. Inside are NISMO-logo seats with black and red fabric and red stitching, NISMO tach, aluminim pedals, red stitching for the steering wheel, and a smooth leather-wrapped shift knob.
Improved Dynamics, Power, Handling, Interior, and Stronger Personality
Kudos to Nissan for successfully improving the formula without taking Z’s edge. And while some (including me, obviously) may carp about the stiff ride, the car is not for all drivers.

The Z has a specific audience, and among that group there are likely to be few complaints about a rough ride. If you want a similar formula in a more civilized package, there is always the Infiniti G37.