Nissan 370Z 2009 Review - International

Nissan 370Z

What we liked
>> Looks great in the metal
>> Excellent performance for the money
>> Taut handling

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
If there's a single car that symbolises Nissan's Lazarus-like rise from the brink of financial ruin a few years ago, it has to be the 350Z. It was the canny Carlos Ghosn who masterminded the Japanese carmaker's dramatic resurgence, and the Brazil-born CEO was also the driving force behind the conception of the New Millennium Z car, which aimed to recapture the essence of the iconic 240Z of the 1970s.

The 'Three-Fiddy' certainly achieved the latter goal, offering punchy performance and sassy looks for a not-extravagant sum of money. Consequently, the design objectives for the new 370Z were pretty straightforward: update and improve those aspects that were beginning to lag behind the opposition (of which Porsche's Cayman S was considered one by Nissan's top brass), but leave the basic formula alone.

This is evident when you look at the car's sheetmetal and basic specs. It's an evolutionary design that doesn't look dramatically different from its predecessor (notwithstanding the arrowhead-shaped headlights and boomerang taillights), but what you may not glean at first glance is that it's shorter and wider-in-stance than its forerunner, as well as being lighter (despite added mod-cons and safety gear).

The new chassis is also stiffer than before, while the VQ engine has been enlarged to 3.7 litres (hence the badge) to liberate a few extra kilowatts and Newton metres. The drivetrain is rounded off by a new seven-speed automatic transmission, or a six-speed manual that debuts a new downshift-rev-matching feature that negates the need to heel-and-toe when dropping down through the ratios.

Maintaining the core selling proposition of the car, Nissan says the 370Z offers more bang-for-buck than sports coupes such as the Porsche Cayman, BMW Z4, Audi TT and Mercedes-Benz SLK. On paper, this certainly appears the case...

PRICING & EQUIPMENT
The 370Z is due in Australian showrooms in May and pricing will start around $68k for the manual version, according to Nissan Australia spokesman, Jeff Fisher.

Standard kit will include a stop/start button, viscous limited-slip differential, 18-inch alloys and a beefed-up braking package (vis-à-vis the 350Z), while up-spec models will add heated leather and suede seats, a BOSE audio sound system, Synchro Rev Control, a gear position indicator and cruise control.

Safety gear includes the usual ESP, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist, while driver and passenger airbags are complemented by side and curtain 'bags. Active head restraints are fitted as standard.

Also standard on the 370Z is a 'pop-up' bonnet that raises itself automatically in a crash to create a cushion of air between the bonnet and the engine's hard points, lessening the impact of a collision with a pedestrian. This technology has already featured on cars such as the current-generation Jaguar XK.

The 370Z's lighting package comprises standard projector style xenon headlamps with full LED tail-lights.

MECHANICAL
Although the 370Z carries over the basic formula and configuration of its predecessor, the whole recipe has been refined in a bid to sharpen its dynamics and elevate its performance to match -- or at least threaten -- the Porsche Cayman S.

One of the key upgrades is a more powerful 3.7-litre V6 (known as the VQ37VHR). This unit punches out 243kW and 366Nm, handy increases compared with outputs of 230kW and 358Nm for the final iteration of the 350Z.

Nissan says the engine features more than 35 per cent new parts. Changes aimed at enhancing the durability of the engine include a new oil pump, improved water flow paths, stronger upper and lower oil pans and rocker covers and revised cylinder heads.

But perhaps the biggest change is the adoption of VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) technology to optimise efficiency. The upshot, according to Nissan, is greater low-end power and high-end torque, as well as lower emissions and better fuel economy -- the company quotes an overall consumption figure of 10.5L/100km.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a lightweight carbon-fibre composite propshaft, a development pioneered in motorsport and first seen in a production car on the 350Z.

As mentioned earlier, the six-speed manual gearbox debuts Nissan's Synchro Rev Control (SRC) system, which remains engaged by default. This tech ensures engine revs are perfectly matched to road speed, eliminating the need to 'heel and toe' on downshifts.

You can disengage the system by holding down the 'S' button for three seconds. That said, Nissan says even its most experience test drivers were unable to match the speed and consistency of SRC, which ensures gear changes in half a second, twice the speed of a 'normal' gear change.

If clutch pedals aren't your thing, you can opt for the new seven-speed automatic, which has been "tuned to think like a manual". While it can be driven as a conventional automatic and left to its own devices, enthusiastic owners can treat it as a clutchless manual of sorts, using either the centre shift lever or magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel to change gear.

Nissan claims it's honed the auto transmission to the stage where it has the fastest manual mode shift time of any automatic. As per the manual 'box, a Downshift Rev Matching (DRM) system automatically blips the throttle on downshifts in manual mode to provide seamless gear changes.

Other key tech changes include a new bodyshell that alters the car's proportions significantly. The 370Z's wheelbase is 100mm shorter than its forerunner, but track width has increased by 15mm at the front and 55mm at the rear. Torsional rigidity is also up by 30 per cent, and Nissan says the biggest gain is at the front end, where a bracing bar has been mounted on top of the suspension turrets.

Extensive use of aluminium (it's now used for the doors and rear hatch as well as the bonnet) plus other weight saving measures have seen more than 32kg trimmed from the car's mass, despite extra safety, environmental and luxury equipment. 

These changes are matched by a new double-wishbone front suspension layout and a revised multi-link rear suspension, both of which are lighter yet stronger with greater lateral stability, according to Nissan.

New forged aluminium alloy links at the front are 25 per cent lighter than used previously, while the revised subframe -- a high vacuum die-cast alloy cradle -- delivers a similar weight saving. Other changes at the front include reinforced steering arms and bigger front hub bearings, while the hollow anti-roll bar is not only lighter but also 35 per cent more effective, according to Nissan.

The 'front-midship' nomenclature refers to the mounting position of the engine at the front of the car, but as far back in the chassis as possible for best possible weight distribution, which remains at 53:47 front to rear when the car is static.

Once moving, however, weight distribution changes. As a driver brakes for a corner, the extra weight over the front wheels helps provide better traction for sharper turn-in, says Nissan. Conversely, when the car accelerates away from the apex, the weight distribution transfers towards the driven wheels, helping to create a 50:50 balance when it's needed most.

The rack-and-pinion steering system has also been revised to provide more communicative feedback and better response around the dead-ahead position. Now with electric speed sensitive assistance, Nissan claims the steering delivers greater agility around town and enhanced stability at motorway speeds.

Stopping power comes via 355mm ventilated discs at the front and 350mm at the rear -- framed by four-piston aluminium calipers at the front and twin piston calipers behind.

A viscous limited-slip differential is standard along with Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with combines electronically operated traction and stability systems to reduce engine torque and/or apply individual wheel braking if needed. For track day use, VDC can be deactivated via a dashboard switch.

PACKAGING
Every panel of the 370Z is new and every dimension has been changed -- but still there's no mistaking the 370 as anything but a Z.

Shorter than the 350Z by 65mm, the 370Z measures 4250mm from bumper to bumper and sits on a 2550mm wheelbase, exactly 100mm shorter than its predecessor's. At 1315mm tall, it's the same height as the 350Z, while body width has grown by 30mm to 1845mm.

To ensure the roofline doesn't impinge on interior headroom, Nissan's boffins lowered the seating position, and this brings the added benefit of a lower centre of gravity.

The shortened wheelbase has effectively moved the rear wheels even closer to the seats, and Nissan says this gives the driver a stronger 'seat-of-the-pants' sensation of the car's handling.

Borrowing design elements from the Nissan GT-R, the new 370Z has a cantilevered roof, which is at its highest point at the A-pillar. From here it plunges rearwards directly to the tailgate spoiler (unlike the 350Z's roofline, which rises from the A-pillar to a peak above the cabin before falling away).

The side window graphic is also different in the new car, with the small quarter window behind the doors framed by an upswept flick that starts its trajectory towards the trailing edge of the door.

Perhaps the most overtly visual changes marking out the new car are the lights, with boomerang-shaped LED tail-lights framing the rear of the car, and thin arrowhead headlights giving the 370Z a 'direction pointer' at the front. Meanwhile, the air intake integrated in the aggressive snout has been likened to a shark's jaw.

Nissan claims aerodynamic efficiency has also been improved over the outgoing car, with a discreet splitter at the front and a rear spoiler integrated into the tailgate creating extra downforce.

Inside, the 370Z retains three dials in the centre of the dashboard and angled directly at the driver, who is separated from the passenger by a full-length centre console.

Although still a pure two seater (no attempt has been made at providing occasional rear seats), the practicality of the 370Z has been enhanced by a larger luggage area and increased cockpit storage.

Weight saving measures include the use of aluminium for the bonnet, doors and tailgate (350Z used aluminium for the bonnet only) as well as extensive use of lighter materials and components in the body structure and mechanical layout.

Eighteen-inch rims wrapped in Yokohama Advan rubber -- 225/50 R18 at the front and 245/45 R18s at the rear -- are standard, but optionally available are larger RAYs lightweight forged alloy wheels shod with 245/40 R19 and 275/35 R19 Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

SAFETY
The 370's complement of active safety gear includes ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. Also worth a mention here are the upgraded braking package and viscous limited-slip differential, which helps maximise the car's tractive capabilities.

NCAP crash-test ratings aren't as yet available for the 370Z, but its more rigid bodyshell (compared with the 350Z) and raft of occupant-protection systems -- driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, plus active head restraints -- suggest it should garner a good score.

As alluded to earlier, the 370Z also debuts a 'pop-up' bonnet that automatically raises itself by a few millimetres in a frontal crash. This creates a cushion of air between the bonnet and the engine hard points, lessening the impact of a collision with a pedestrian.

COMPETITORS
The affordable (for a sizeable part of the demographic) coupe segment that the 370Z competes in is populated by a diverse range of contenders. These include the Audi TT (from $70K), Alfa Romeo Brera (from $65K), Mercedes-Benz SLK (from $89K), BMW Z4 (from $88K -- though a new ones around the corner) and Porsche Cayman (from $122K).

The Nissan is the most potent and overtly sporting offering of any of these two-doors (barring the significantly more expensive Cayman S), so when you factor in its keen pricing, it stands up as excellent value for money for the performance enthusiast.

ON THE ROAD
On seeing the first official images of the 370Z last October, my immediate thought was: "What on earth were they (the styling department) thinking?" You see, static, two-dimensional pictures don't necessarily portray the latest-gen coupe's true visual impact, but seeing it in the metal dispelled any doubts. Put simply, the car looks great.

The arrowhead headlights and boomerang tail-lights that looked awkward in the pics somehow manage to look purposeful and well resolved in the flesh. The proportions of the car are also far more imposing than before.

The significantly shorter wheelbase and widened front and rear tracks -- housed within pleasingly flared guards -- combine to make for a more athletic shape, and also nice is the GT-R-inspired cantilevered roof, which peaks just above the A-pillar.

Enough about the looks though, it's the driving that you're probably more interested in. If so, you'll be pleased to glean that Nissan has managed to move the game on convincingly.

Slide in behind the driver's seat and you'll find the familiar Z touches -- a large central tacho is flanked by two smaller dials (one of which is obviously the speedo), while perched above the centre console are three more supplementary dials (which include a temperature gauge and digital clock).

Driver and passenger are separated by a high transmission tunnel, and it must be said that the 100mm trimming of the wheelbase doesn't seem to have compromised leg- or headroom. One minor gripe is that the steering wheel isn't reach-adjustable, but fortunately there's enough adjustability in the seat to conjure up an agreeable driving position.

Fire up the engine via the start button and the V6 settles into the familiar metallic hum that characterised the 350Z. Slot the stubby gearlever into first (we kicked off the drive program by driving a six-speed manual) and the 370Z moves off smoothly.

Once underway, the added tautness of the new bodyshell becomes evident, and the feeling conveyed through the seat of the pants is one of directness and control -- yet this doesn't come at the cost of a bone-jarring ride (even though all the cars at the international launch were equipped with 19-inch rims shod with liquorice-band rubber).

Narrow, sodden (and at times poorly surfaced) French backroads aren't ideal terrain to explore the outright cornering capabilities of any car, particularly a powerful rear-driver with a relatively short wheelbase.

Somewhat surprisingly, we found the Z was quite easily provoked into spinning up the rear tyres and executing lurid fishtails (even with traction control on!) when powering away from wet intersections.

We asked a Nissan development engineer about this trait after the drive program and he said the traction/stability control systems have been programmed to allow some latitude with wheelslip and yaw, provided you're progressive with your inputs.

Tromp on the throttle and the electronic nannies will kick in immediately, but feed the power in quickly yet smoothly and it'll allow you some leeway. Enthusiastic drivers will enjoy this aspect, but more sedate types might be slightly alarmed by the car's apparent twitchiness in the wet.

On a different note, the manual gearbox's Synchro Rev Control system works a treat, effortlessly matching engine revs with road speed on gearshifts, and even more impressive is the new seven-speed auto. The latter is smooth, quick-shifting and highly responsive when commandeered via the flappy paddles (although I have to admit I found the actual paddles a bit flimsy-feeling).

The enlarged and upgraded V6 engine offers plenty of punch across the rev range, but to my ears it's not the most sonorous powerplant around -- there's certainly no Alfa Romeo-esque yowl to be savoured.

The huge brakes are excellent, serving up ample stopping power, as well as feeling progressive.

Driver and passenger are hugged by superbly comfortable seats, but if there's any disappointments inside, it's in the fact that there's a lack of special-ness in the cabin's design and layout. Despite Nissan's efforts to make strides in this area, the likes of the Audi TT instil a much greater sense of occasion.

On the plus side, luggage space has greatly benefited from the deletion of the rear strut brace (no longer required), and there's also space behind the seats to stash a briefcase or two. That said, the cabin could do with more storage cubbies for small odds and ends.

Overall verdict? An unreserved thumbs-up... Nissan has succeeded in carrying over the essence of the Z, while maintaining its strong bang-for-buck selling proposition. It looks the biz, goes like stink and is a doddle to drive in traffic. Job done!