Nissan 370Z Coupe

On the inside, things are not as impressive as that on the outside, and it is the cabin which makes us believe that it is indeed a sports car from the previous generation. Though the overall interior cabin is purely driver-centric with sporty elements, the overall design has clearly begun to show its age.

The round themed three-spoke steering wheel gets a host of buttons to operate your music system, however, it looks to plain for a sport car of this cadre. Same can be said about the three-pod analogue instrument console, which though driver-focused, lacks the novelty appeal. The centre console too looks a bit old school and has been designed as if it belongs to an SUV of yesteryears, with vertical AC vents, horizontally laid controls for touchscreen infotainment system and dated looking buttons for climate control.

The only things which look a bit cool are the three different performance-oriented gauges above the centre console on the dashboard. However, the 8-speaker music system from BOSE sounds absolutely fantastic. Being a 2-seater sports car, space is set at a premium, however, the 235-litre boot space is quite practical by sportscar standards.

The Nissan 370Z hasn’t gone under any significant change in all these years. Which might make one think that the 370Z is one terribly dated sportscar. But that’s not the case here, as the overall design still manages to look fresh and purely unique, giving the 370Z a distinctive appeal.

At the front, the Nissan 370Z looks minimalist with a huge rounded-rectangular grille on the front bumper and boomerang-shaped projector headlamps. The vertical daytime running LEDs on the looks like an aftermarket thought, though. Moving towards the sideways, the large 19-inch alloy wheels, coupling up with low ground clearance and sloping roofline, give the 370Z a very sporty stance.

The chrome finished vertical door handles is another unique trait of the 370Z, which is unseen on cars of today’s generation. At the rear, the boomerang-shaped LED tail lamps mirror the design of that of the front headlamps, while the dual exhaust pipes, as well as boot, mounted spoiler gives the rear of the 370Z much-needed flavour of aggression.

Given its sports car persona, the Nissan 370Z’s front double wishbone and rear independent multi-link suspension are set on a stiffer side which makes the overall ride quality harsh. However, the advantage of this stiff suspension setup is the absolutely precise handling, which only gets sweeter by the accurately weighted steering. This drive setup makes the Nissan 370Z an incredibly fun-to-drive sportscar.

The Nissan 370Z was never about the creature comforts in the cabin, but was, and still is about the action under the hood. Powering the Nissan 370Z is a 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine, which produces a nerve-wracking 330 PS of power and 362 Nm of torque. No turbocharger, no modern day gadgetries to boost up the power delivery – this old school naturally aspirated engine is a mad powerhouse with a peaky redline performance to set your pulse racing.

Its’ quite sad to see that the Nissan 370Z misses out on many of the modern day electronic riding aids and safety features. However, the 370Z still packs in some noteworthy features, such as six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, traction control and vehicle stability program to make sure it is safe to handle the amount of power the V6 motor packs in.

The Nissan 370Z might not sweep you off with its lack of modern day features and limited changes in its overall design. However, the exterior design still looks dramatic enough to turn many heads. Also, the old school and unadulterated performance and driving dynamics make sure that the Nissan 370Z still remains one of the top picks in the entry-level sports car category.