Test Drove a 370Z Nismo - Anyone have one?
Discussion
Had my F-type V6S for 2.5 years and getting itchy feet and could do with a coupe to get our cocker spaniel in the boot for hiking trips. It's between the 370Z Nismo (same value as F-type) or splashing more cash and going for a newer F-Type coupe or 2019 Supra. I test drove the 69 plates Nismo this morning, just 6500 miles on the clock. Here's my initial thoughts:
Whilst not a fan of black cars, lovely looking car, very menacing and purposeful. Would look amazing lowered a little and with wheel spacers.
Loved the Recaro seats. When I got in I initially felt a really perched compared to the F-type, but soon settled in. Really comfortable and supportive. Be nice if you could lower them. I was surprised by the wear to the lower side bolster for a car with only 6k miles.
Old school and raw, but in a positive way. Sure interior is dated and low rent materials, but that's ok with me for a weekender. In fact the entertainment system didn't bother me at all, not worse than my 2013 F-Type, wouldn't put me off buying it. No creaks or rattles. Quite a lot of cabin noise, that was the first thing I noticed when up to speed, suspect it would make long trips quite tiring. Bose system is ok, nothing special.
Car felt brisk, but never fast. Pulls well from about 5000rpm to 6500rpm. Too tall geared IMO, would really benefit from a shorter ratio diff to liven things up. Little lacking low down, but that's to be excepted coming from a supercharged V6. Again diff would help with that.
Artificial engine noise didn't actually bother me, but definitely needs and aftermarket exhaust. Super quiet for a car of that nature. Didn't have much drama to it.
So much mechanical grip, loads of grip and corners very flat. This was the highlight for sure. Was expecting the ride to be choppy after reading many reviews. But oddly the traction control light was flickering constantly on third gear pulls. Never felt it intervene, but it was going crazy nonetheless, it's not that powerful to be wanting to spin the wheels and as we know, not much torque. Had Goodyear F1’s with loads of tread.
Steering was very nicely weighted, heavy but not too heavy, very direct too. An improvement on F-type, even though both are hydraulic.
Really needs a digital speedo on the taco. Very difficult to read your speed which is fine on the open road, but not in town.
Super strong brakes and look fantastic.
Didn't like the high biting point on the clutch, had hoped the uprated clutch from 2018 onwards had sorted that. I know you can replace the pedal.
Car reminded me of the Z4M coupe (I had the roadster), but way more competent, the Z4M always felt flawed despite the amazing engine.
Exhaust pipes look corroded internally. Was not expecting that, but would be getting replaced anyway
Suspect it will gobble the fuel and be a lot worse than my F-type. Also a pain it needs serviced every year. Cheap road tax is a bonus.
F-type feels, sounds and looks more special, but 370Z is perhaps a more focussed car and definitely better handling.
So what next?? Well when the F-type sells (absolutely no rush) I'd been really keen to drive the Supra and see if it's worth the extra expense. If I went for the 370Z, it would be white or silver and would definitely change the clutch pedal, throw on a short shifter, lower it by 10/15mm, short tails and wheel spacers. The longer run look at Diff options. That would make for a very interactive, entertaining and competent weekender, with just about the right power for the road.
Anyone have or had one and wish to share their experiences.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/8rNQ3aPQ[/url]
Whilst not a fan of black cars, lovely looking car, very menacing and purposeful. Would look amazing lowered a little and with wheel spacers.
Loved the Recaro seats. When I got in I initially felt a really perched compared to the F-type, but soon settled in. Really comfortable and supportive. Be nice if you could lower them. I was surprised by the wear to the lower side bolster for a car with only 6k miles.
Old school and raw, but in a positive way. Sure interior is dated and low rent materials, but that's ok with me for a weekender. In fact the entertainment system didn't bother me at all, not worse than my 2013 F-Type, wouldn't put me off buying it. No creaks or rattles. Quite a lot of cabin noise, that was the first thing I noticed when up to speed, suspect it would make long trips quite tiring. Bose system is ok, nothing special.
Car felt brisk, but never fast. Pulls well from about 5000rpm to 6500rpm. Too tall geared IMO, would really benefit from a shorter ratio diff to liven things up. Little lacking low down, but that's to be excepted coming from a supercharged V6. Again diff would help with that.
Artificial engine noise didn't actually bother me, but definitely needs and aftermarket exhaust. Super quiet for a car of that nature. Didn't have much drama to it.
So much mechanical grip, loads of grip and corners very flat. This was the highlight for sure. Was expecting the ride to be choppy after reading many reviews. But oddly the traction control light was flickering constantly on third gear pulls. Never felt it intervene, but it was going crazy nonetheless, it's not that powerful to be wanting to spin the wheels and as we know, not much torque. Had Goodyear F1’s with loads of tread.
Steering was very nicely weighted, heavy but not too heavy, very direct too. An improvement on F-type, even though both are hydraulic.
Really needs a digital speedo on the taco. Very difficult to read your speed which is fine on the open road, but not in town.
Super strong brakes and look fantastic.
Didn't like the high biting point on the clutch, had hoped the uprated clutch from 2018 onwards had sorted that. I know you can replace the pedal.
Car reminded me of the Z4M coupe (I had the roadster), but way more competent, the Z4M always felt flawed despite the amazing engine.
Exhaust pipes look corroded internally. Was not expecting that, but would be getting replaced anyway
Suspect it will gobble the fuel and be a lot worse than my F-type. Also a pain it needs serviced every year. Cheap road tax is a bonus.
F-type feels, sounds and looks more special, but 370Z is perhaps a more focussed car and definitely better handling.
So what next?? Well when the F-type sells (absolutely no rush) I'd been really keen to drive the Supra and see if it's worth the extra expense. If I went for the 370Z, it would be white or silver and would definitely change the clutch pedal, throw on a short shifter, lower it by 10/15mm, short tails and wheel spacers. The longer run look at Diff options. That would make for a very interactive, entertaining and competent weekender, with just about the right power for the road.
Anyone have or had one and wish to share their experiences.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/8rNQ3aPQ[/url]Edited by scz4 on Saturday 28th May 14:06
I have a 370Z Gt rather than the Nismo. Similar but different.
Mine is fitted with the Nismo exhaust and I have noticed the same wrt rust. The exhaust is Stainless but the perforated section in the rear silencers seems to rust. Not an issue, but if you are going to replace anyway then not really relevant!
The bolsters should be fine at that mileage - perhaps a hefty/lazy previous owner?
The Gt certainly rides far better than most modern performance cars - a very good tradeoff, but as you say the wide rear tyres do generate a bit of road noise - most noticeable in the wet as you are sat right in front of the rear arches and there is minimal sound proofing there.
Mine is the paddle shift/7sp auto also with Goodyear Eagle Assy 5 F1s and there is no hint of the traction control light coming on even in the wet with the shorter gearing of the 7sp. Perhaps a drive of a different car is in order?
It is defininitely an old school approach to a 'sports car'. Cerb4lee is the man if you want to know about a loud exhaust!
Also, there is plenty of room for our dogs in the back - for short runs for two or longer ones with just the one. Very practical really...
Mine is fitted with the Nismo exhaust and I have noticed the same wrt rust. The exhaust is Stainless but the perforated section in the rear silencers seems to rust. Not an issue, but if you are going to replace anyway then not really relevant!
The bolsters should be fine at that mileage - perhaps a hefty/lazy previous owner?
The Gt certainly rides far better than most modern performance cars - a very good tradeoff, but as you say the wide rear tyres do generate a bit of road noise - most noticeable in the wet as you are sat right in front of the rear arches and there is minimal sound proofing there.
Mine is the paddle shift/7sp auto also with Goodyear Eagle Assy 5 F1s and there is no hint of the traction control light coming on even in the wet with the shorter gearing of the 7sp. Perhaps a drive of a different car is in order?
It is defininitely an old school approach to a 'sports car'. Cerb4lee is the man if you want to know about a loud exhaust!
Also, there is plenty of room for our dogs in the back - for short runs for two or longer ones with just the one. Very practical really...
Om said:
It is defininitely an old school approach to a 'sports car'. Cerb4lee is the man if you want to know about a loud exhaust!
I noticed the traction light flickering on mine a lot the first day I got it(370Z Roadster), so I'm just in a habit of switching it off as soon as I get in it now.
Exhaust wise high flow sports cats make a massive difference, and you get such a lovely change in tone as you climb the revs, plus they also make a big difference in volume too.
I love how supple the ride is, and that gives you confidence to throw it down a nice B road I reckon(even though it is predominantly a GT though).
I've had mine for over 3 years now and I still love it as much as when I first got it. I absolutely love the Nismo too, and I love the styling details and of course the Recaro seats.
I have 25mm spacers on mine all round and it makes a nice difference to the way it sits I think.
I just really like the whole Nissan Z car vibe for sure.
Thanks for the comments\feedback, much appreciated.
Regarding the high flow cats, so they not make it a little raspier? Think I prefer the deeper sound from the short tails.
Browsing YouTube, funny how the same engine can sound fantastic with the "right" exhaust and absolutely awful\cringey with the "wrong" one.
Regarding the high flow cats, so they not make it a little raspier? Think I prefer the deeper sound from the short tails.
Browsing YouTube, funny how the same engine can sound fantastic with the "right" exhaust and absolutely awful\cringey with the "wrong" one.
I have had my Nismo since March 14. I had owned a 350z for 6 years prior to the Nismo so give or take now 14 years of Zed ownership.
|
I have a custom valved Exhaust and it's a definite to swap it, the Nismo exhaust does decompose fairly badly - mine was really bad when I swapped it. Apart from that changed mine is fairly stock as shipped. It's a rare-ish car on the road I used it a daily for 6 years - with no real issues (I bought a new battery one winter after about 5 years). It's now just a weekend car. Prior to about 2016 (I think) they didn't have the noise injection.
It's not an expensive car to keep, apart from Fuel and you will routinely get low 20 but it's not really about that. Insurance is cheap - I insure the Nismo for about £170 a year - but age, etc plays a part. Worth checking out know issues such as steering lock issues, clicking axles, etc some issues existed on the 350z. My car has never spent a single night in the dealer.
I always say the 370z is an Analogue car in a digital world, it lacks a lot of modern tech, but it won't spit you into a ditch unless you push it beyond the limit and it will tell you before it does. Be ready for lots of attention as well with people generally interested and complimentary of the car.
Servicing is annual - but you have P1, P2 & P3 services, and its worth checking out the prices and frequency of those - you may be surprised its not much different to a hatchback in service costs. I still have the original brakes on mine and its 8 years old. You can swap air filters in I about 30 seconds a side. So if you go for new drop-in filters - it will take a couple of minutes to fit them.
Speedo - I have a small digital speedo on the dash - or you can use a phone app. The 350z had one in the 3 cluster - it was dropped on the 370z - but you can get around it with a phone app.
Bonnet hinges need oiling to keep them from having issues. There are some great aftermarket companies out there who can add/change anything you will want and no coded parts to worry about - reprogramming, Under the car, you will probably find the W Brace is in a state - that happens to all cars - why Nissan put the cheapest / nastiest part under the car to rot who knows. But they are available as either OEM or aftermarket - if you swap it OEM I would treat/spray it before you fit it and then it should be good.
Clutch, I am not sure mine is that high, so might be worth asking them to adjust it.
|I have a custom valved Exhaust and it's a definite to swap it, the Nismo exhaust does decompose fairly badly - mine was really bad when I swapped it. Apart from that changed mine is fairly stock as shipped. It's a rare-ish car on the road I used it a daily for 6 years - with no real issues (I bought a new battery one winter after about 5 years). It's now just a weekend car. Prior to about 2016 (I think) they didn't have the noise injection.
It's not an expensive car to keep, apart from Fuel and you will routinely get low 20 but it's not really about that. Insurance is cheap - I insure the Nismo for about £170 a year - but age, etc plays a part. Worth checking out know issues such as steering lock issues, clicking axles, etc some issues existed on the 350z. My car has never spent a single night in the dealer.
I always say the 370z is an Analogue car in a digital world, it lacks a lot of modern tech, but it won't spit you into a ditch unless you push it beyond the limit and it will tell you before it does. Be ready for lots of attention as well with people generally interested and complimentary of the car.
Servicing is annual - but you have P1, P2 & P3 services, and its worth checking out the prices and frequency of those - you may be surprised its not much different to a hatchback in service costs. I still have the original brakes on mine and its 8 years old. You can swap air filters in I about 30 seconds a side. So if you go for new drop-in filters - it will take a couple of minutes to fit them.
Speedo - I have a small digital speedo on the dash - or you can use a phone app. The 350z had one in the 3 cluster - it was dropped on the 370z - but you can get around it with a phone app.
Bonnet hinges need oiling to keep them from having issues. There are some great aftermarket companies out there who can add/change anything you will want and no coded parts to worry about - reprogramming, Under the car, you will probably find the W Brace is in a state - that happens to all cars - why Nissan put the cheapest / nastiest part under the car to rot who knows. But they are available as either OEM or aftermarket - if you swap it OEM I would treat/spray it before you fit it and then it should be good.
Clutch, I am not sure mine is that high, so might be worth asking them to adjust it.
Edited by lesmo on Tuesday 14th June 06:33
I've put about 26,000 miles on a 370 Nismo in the past two and a half years.
The materials Nissan used for the interior are cheap, really cheap to the point that there is a hole in the carpet after only 28k and there are visible signs of wear on the drivers door card where my right knee rubs against it.
The steering wheel is not adjustable for reach so depending on your height/reach you might struggle to find a position that works for you.
The headlights are not up to much, mainbeam is almost non existant for driving on an un-lit road.
The traction control light is almost certainly down to the Goodyear F1 tyres, they are known for having a very soft sidewall, I had some on the rear of an M5 and took them off after 400 miles as the car felt unsafe. I would also question why it has them on at 6.5k? Standard fitment was Dunlops and mine lasted 12k rear and 18k front, currently running Falkens, half the price of a Dunlop with just as much grip and last just as long.
The clutch really lets the car down, whoever designed the clutch delay valve deserves to be bum raped by pox riddled rhino. Twice. The gearbox is great and the rev match is brillant but the delay valve coupled with a fairly crude LSD can make pulling out of tight junctions 'fun'
Don't forget that they need 98 RON fuel as a minimum and MPG will vary quite a bit winter to summer as they have a variable lift engine which can also be a bit jerky when properly cold. They are not as bad on fuel as you'd think, mine is averaging very high 20's on Shell optimax, runs ok on Tesco super unleaded too but avoid 97 RON as the MPG will take a real hit.
It took me a while to get used to the 55/45 weight distribution after 160,000 miles in an M5
I'm seriously considering chopping mine in for an M4, partly 'cos it's a 20 mile round trip to the nearest Shell station and mostly 'cos the boot is tragically small and the engine has bugger all torque.
Eta
The rear rim is 0.5" wider than the rest of the 370 range so runs a 285/35 rear tyre which can limit your choice.
The materials Nissan used for the interior are cheap, really cheap to the point that there is a hole in the carpet after only 28k and there are visible signs of wear on the drivers door card where my right knee rubs against it.
The steering wheel is not adjustable for reach so depending on your height/reach you might struggle to find a position that works for you.
The headlights are not up to much, mainbeam is almost non existant for driving on an un-lit road.
The traction control light is almost certainly down to the Goodyear F1 tyres, they are known for having a very soft sidewall, I had some on the rear of an M5 and took them off after 400 miles as the car felt unsafe. I would also question why it has them on at 6.5k? Standard fitment was Dunlops and mine lasted 12k rear and 18k front, currently running Falkens, half the price of a Dunlop with just as much grip and last just as long.
The clutch really lets the car down, whoever designed the clutch delay valve deserves to be bum raped by pox riddled rhino. Twice. The gearbox is great and the rev match is brillant but the delay valve coupled with a fairly crude LSD can make pulling out of tight junctions 'fun'
Don't forget that they need 98 RON fuel as a minimum and MPG will vary quite a bit winter to summer as they have a variable lift engine which can also be a bit jerky when properly cold. They are not as bad on fuel as you'd think, mine is averaging very high 20's on Shell optimax, runs ok on Tesco super unleaded too but avoid 97 RON as the MPG will take a real hit.
It took me a while to get used to the 55/45 weight distribution after 160,000 miles in an M5
I'm seriously considering chopping mine in for an M4, partly 'cos it's a 20 mile round trip to the nearest Shell station and mostly 'cos the boot is tragically small and the engine has bugger all torque.
Eta
The rear rim is 0.5" wider than the rest of the 370 range so runs a 285/35 rear tyre which can limit your choice.
Edited by Tango13 on Wednesday 15th June 00:56
funbobby said:
So did you buy it? im thinking of one of these myself.
No, not sold my F-Type. I do keep looking at them, but since I'd be looking for a 2018 car onwards with low miles that's between £28k to £32k, not convinced it's a £30k car!! Plus I'd no doubt spend another £3k or £4k on modifying\enhancing.
With the MK5 Supra's coming in a nearly £40k now, think that would be a much better buy , a far more modern platform, drivetrain and interior. I drove one of those and the handling and performance blew me away.
With that said, still thinking about combining the F-Type and 5 series into a M340i touring...
So basically who knows what I'll do.
sparkyhx said:
roof down would win every time for me.
I drove my 370Z Roadster for the first time today in 5.5 weeks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to SORN it from November to April for the first time this year(I usually keep it taxed all year round), and I'm sure I will miss it big time. cerb4.5lee said:
sparkyhx said:
roof down would win every time for me.
I drove my 370Z Roadster for the first time today in 5.5 weeks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to SORN it from November to April for the first time this year(I usually keep it taxed all year round), and I'm sure I will miss it big time. Now have the e46 and a 435d convertible as a daily, via an SLK.
Roof comes down every drive unless its snowing or raining. When wifeys in car, anything below about 12c it stays up, but I dont care, whack the heater up and its fine.
cerb4.5lee said:
I drove my 370Z Roadster for the first time today in 5.5 weeks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to SORN it from November to April for the first time this year(I usually keep it taxed all year round), and I'm sure I will miss it big time.
My 350Z comes off the road for its annual lay up at the end of September. I always enjoy that first drive in the spring. Alias218 said:
My 350Z comes off the road for its annual lay up at the end of September. I always enjoy that first drive in the spring.
I bet! 
I took mine out today after not using it for 2 weeks and I loved it. I'm definitely going to struggle with not using it for 6 months that is for sure.
Not using them definitely helps you really appreciate them I think.
Out of interest, why are you guys taking them off the road through the winter? I use my weekend cars right through the winter even up here in the NE of Scotland. These are main stream production cars. Not a "delicate" Lotus/Caterham etc. Genuine question. Maybe to save some roadtax? Lol.
scz4 said:
Out of interest, why are you guys taking them off the road through the winter? I use my weekend cars right through the winter even up here in the NE of Scotland. These are main stream production cars. Not a "delicate" Lotus/Caterham etc. Genuine question. Maybe to save some roadtax? Lol.
I've never took my occasional cars off the road before, and I usually drive them over winter(I even used to go to work in the Cerbera when it was only 2 degrees sometimes!). I'm only doing it this year to save half of the £630 road tax bill! 
To be fair I do only ever drive the 370Z with the roof down though, so it isn't always all that enjoyable with the really low temps. I might find that I miss it too much though, and I'll probably end up taxing it again I reckon.
scz4 said:
Out of interest, why are you guys taking them off the road through the winter? I use my weekend cars right through the winter even up here in the NE of Scotland. These are main stream production cars. Not a "delicate" Lotus/Caterham etc. Genuine question. Maybe to save some roadtax? Lol.
There are lots of reasons. I take my S2000 off the road over winter each year. - there are fewer opportunities to drive it, and when I do the weather’s worse
- the wet and (God forbid) salt do the car no favours at all
- I like to be able to tinker with the car without feeling rushed to get it back in one piece
- save a bit of road tax
griffter said:
scz4 said:
Out of interest, why are you guys taking them off the road through the winter? I use my weekend cars right through the winter even up here in the NE of Scotland. These are main stream production cars. Not a "delicate" Lotus/Caterham etc. Genuine question. Maybe to save some roadtax? Lol.
There are lots of reasons. I take my S2000 off the road over winter each year. - there are fewer opportunities to drive it, and when I do the weather’s worse
- the wet and (God forbid) salt do the car no favours at all
- I like to be able to tinker with the car without feeling rushed to get it back in one piece
- save a bit of road tax
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