Ever feel like you're being bombarded with choices? No? Then just walk down the snack food aisle in any major supermarket — or go shopping for a sports car.
Anyone who gripes about the golden days of performance or who wishes manufacturers paid more attention to the enthusiast market simply isn't paying attention. We are up to our eyeballs in smart little sportsters, and for the Nissan Z, that's a really big problem.
When the 240Z came out, it didn't really have much direct competition. Sure there were Mustangs and Camaros to contend with, but the Z was more of a corner carver. It was a reliable E-Type Jaguar for the everyman.
The modern Z, on the other hand, is quite an expensive car, and thus it's hard to make a case for it as a value-priced everyday driver. And the market these days, as mentioned, is crammed with everything from V-6 Hyundai Coupes to Ecoboost Mustangs.
But what's this? A 370Z for less than $30,000? Cloth seats, 300 horsepower, rear-wheel drive and a stick shift? Maybe it's time to pop this box off the shelf and give the Za second look.
Design
As a car that's been on the market for several years, the 370Z has aged well. Actually, according to multiple passers-by, it's aged extremely well. At least once a day, the Z received a compliment, a gaze, a hoot of admiration.
You can see why. While not as pretty as the original - and few cars are - the 370Z manages to be all hunched, muscular fury, yet still retains a non-threatening face. It's a bit fishy looking and very Japanese, but it looks great with LED running lights and those big 18-inch alloys filling the wheelwells. It's also fairly compact, something that's not really apparent until you park it next to an old Acura Integra or similar. This is a proper-scale sports car, not oversized at all.
Environment
This being a base model, the Z doesn't exactly impress on the inside. If anything, it reminds me of a Scion FR-S. But then again, those two cars are fairly close in price now.
With that in mind, the basic Z has everything a driver needs, and few distractions. Some features are a bit goofy, like the extra dials on the dashboard that display less-than-relevant information like battery voltage, but the seats are grippy and comfortable and the entire instrument cluster moves with the steering wheel.
Rear trunk space is surprisingly good, thanks to the opening hatch. The old 350Z was pretty cramped, limited by a huge strut-tower bar that blocked golf clubs and the like. This 370Z's a lot more liveable, and while I wouldn't recommend one to an NHL goalie for equipment hauling duties, it would work as an everyday car.
Performance
The 370Z is old enough to remember when the badge on the back of a car actually had something to do with engine displacement. Under the nose is a 3.7-litre V-6 that makes 332 h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. and 270 foot-pounds of torque at 5,200 r.p.m. That's a healthy amount of scoot, and it becomes doubly impressive when you consider the price point is within $500 of a basic Mazda MX-5. Suddenly leather seats and satellite navigation just look like fat to be trimmed — for this kind of money, the Z is all lean meat.
Rearward visibility is flat-out terrible, especially in the three-quarter panels. However, everything else about driving the Z in city traffic is relatively painless. The suspension is very taut, but with the slight extra sidewall protection provided by the 18-inchers (instead of 19s), ride comfort is liveable. The V-6 is built to rev, but has enough grunt for you to be lazy with the gear changes. The accelerator travel is quite long, so you do have to really want to stir up the 370Z to get it into attack mode, but here too is a revelation. There's no Sport button, just a switch if you want to turn traction control off. The sportiness of the Z is entirely up to the driver — so here we go.
This is a great little oft-overlooked car, as fierce to drive as it is to look at. Despite the short wheelbase, it doesn't snap into oversteer, but will very gently let you know it's rear wheel drive when you blast down an onramp. The V-6 really wakes up towards the end of the rev range, so there's joy to be found in thoroughly stirring up the six-speed transmission and making the '6 howl.
Cornering isn't artificial either — fire the Z through a couple of backroad bends and its low seating position and driver-centred pivot point give a greater sensation of speed. The steering is great, analog feel in an age of numb electric power-assist. In short, the 370Z has aged, yes, but everything that's old about it is the good stuff. We can live without updated infotainment when the raw entertainment is this good.
Features
Equipped with Bluetooth hands-free as standard and USB connectivity, the Z has the basics covered. You might not actually need anything else. The only thing to be wished for is a proper limited-slip differential, which doesn't come on this $29,998 based model, requiring a huge jump to the nearly-$40K Touring. However, you could always opt for an aftermarket solution.
Fuel economy is pretty average for a V6-powered coupe. Official ratings are pegged at 13.3 (litres/100 kilometres) city and 9.2 on the highway. Mixed-use driving netted around 10-11, depending on how hard one dipped into the throttle.
Green light
Styling ages well; raw, focused performance; excellent performance value.
Stop sign
Visibility isn't great; interior very basic; limited year-round practicality.
The checkered flag
A deep price cut slashes the fat off Nissan's sports car and reveals the essence of what made it great.
Competition
Hyundai Genesis Coupe ($29,499): Often overlooked as a performance bargain, Hyundai's Genesis coupe gives you V-6 power (348 h.p.), usable back seats for kids, a reasonable trunk, the limited-slip diff you don't get on the base Z, and even Brembo brakes. Hyundai turfed their turbo model and went all V-6 for the Genesis Coupe lineup, but that's a heck of a deal in the base car.
It's a bigger car than the Z, maybe a little less focused and more dual-duty for the family man. Still, though, that's a compelling price for a whole range of performance goodies.
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