Nissan 370Z NISMO finally arrives
Up to a third of all 370Z buyers to opt for new NISMO-tuned coupeNissan has today released the long-awaited 370Z NISMO in Australia, and it expects the 253kW/371Nm sports car to account for about 30 per cent of overall Z sales.
Australia’s first NISMO-tuned 370Z is available here only in coupe form but with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission (priced at a respective $61,490 and $63,990, plus on-road costs).
The latter is forecast to account for two-thirds of sales, in line with overall 370Z sales, which have numbered almost 4200 since launch, but of which only five per cent were roadsters.
Based on the sixth-generation Z-car first launched Down Under more than eight years ago in April 2009, the 370Z NISMO has been available in the US for almost as long.
However, it not only comes with a paltry $4560 premium over the 370Z Coupe’s previous base price, but tops a repositioned 370Z line-up that now starts from under $50,000 for the first time, at $49,990 plus ORCs — almost $7000 less than before.
The 370Z’s new sub-$50K starting price undercuts other rear-wheel drive sports coupes like the popular BMW 2 Series (from $51,300) and sister brand Infiniti’s Q60 (from $62,900).
The two-seat 370Z NISMO Coupe, meantime, is pitched below mid-size German coupes like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, and just $4000 higher than the $57,490 5.0-litre V8 Fastback GT version of Ford’s Mustang, Australia’s top-selling sports car.
The aged 370Z, for which there’s no sign of a replacement, needs all the showroom help it can get, with just 183 sold to July 2017 – down 17 per cent year-on-year.
So far this year it was outsold by the Mustang (with almost 6000 sales), Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe/cabriolet (1831), Hyundai Veloster (1359), 2 Series coupe/convertible (1125), Toyota 86 (1118), Mazda MX-5 (951), BMW 4 Series coupe/convertible (670), Subaru BRZ (412), Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe/convertible (338), Audi A3 Convertible (329), Audi A5 coupe/cabriolet/Sportback (300), Porsche 911 (288), Lexus RC, MINI Cabrio (212) and Abarth 124 Spider (221).
Nissan Australia’s second NISMO model after the GT-R NISMO is the most powerful 370Z ever officially sold in Australia, with outputs increasing to 253kW/371Nm courtesy of a revised ECU and H-shape exhaust system with 30 per cent lower back-pressure.
That’s 8kW and 8Nm up on the 245kW/363Nm VQ-series 3.7-litre DOHC petrol V6 found in the standard 370Z, but still slightly less than the 260kW/374Nm outputs in the same car sold in the US.
Chassis upgrades include a retuned suspension set-up with increased spring, damper and anti-roll bar rates, plus what Nissan says is a NISMO-reinforced three-point front strut tower brace.
There are upgraded brakes too, including high-rigidity brake hoses and performance brake fluid, but the vented rotors remain unchanged at 355mm front and 350mm rear, with four-piston front and two-piston rear aluminium callipers.
Stickier Dunlop SP SPORT MAXX GT 600 high-performance tyres measuring 245/40 R19 up front and 285/35 R19 at rear (up 10mm) replace the standard 370Z’s same-size front and 275-section rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050As.
They’re fitted to unique 19-inch RAYS alloy wheels measuring half an inch wider at 9.5-inch front and 10.5-inch rear, and a tyre repair kit replaces the temporary spare wheel.
There’s a bespoke NISMO body kit comprising more aggressive front/rear bumpers, side skirts and black wing mirrors – all with red inserts – plus a specific rear spoiler and NISMO badging for the front/rear, engine cover, front strut tower brace, centre console and tacho.
Other interior changes include Recaro NISMO sports seats with red Alcantara centres and black leather bolsters (plus eight-way manual adjustment for the driver, four-way for the passenger), a black/red NISMO Alcantara/leather steering wheel with red-stitched centre marker, red start button and, for auto versions, red paddle shifters.
Four exterior paint colours are on offer: Eau Rouge red, Diamond black, Shiro White and Brilliant Silver, which is an extra-cost premium hue.
Carryover standard features include Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and dual front, side and curtain airbags.
Like all 370Zs, there’s also a 7.0-inch integrated colour touch-screen, reversing camera with predictive path technology, HDD satellite-navigation with 3D mapping, Bluetooth connectivity, eight-speaker Bose audio system with 9.3GB hard drive, automatic climate-control, Xenon headlights, daytime running lights and viscous limited-slip differential.
2017 Nissan 370Z pricing (plus ORCs):
370Z Coupe manual — $49,990
370Z Coupe auto — $52,490
370Z Roadster manual — $60,990
370Z Roadster auto — $63,490
370Z NISMO Coupe manual — $61,490
370Z NISMO Coupe auto — $63,990
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