2009 Nissan 370Z Review

The new 2009 Nissan 370Z dots the road more and more these days. On the surface, Nissan’s latest Z chassis has a lot in common with its big “sister”, the Nissan 350Z, though the new Fair Lady is shorter and wider. You also see little gestures that are a throwback to its roots, the rear window even beckons back to the 1970 Nissan 240Z.

The new 370Z is and will be compared with numerous other conventional sports cars, perhaps none more than a Porsche. The physical similarities are hard to argue, especially around the rear of the car where the lights look more like a Porsche than the 350Z did.

Sports car enthusiasts are pleased that it is still a two-person vehicle, with room to travel in plenty of comfort. And the power and speed factors are more than adequately catered for, as we have come to expect from a Nissan Z chassis. The convenience of the drive is assured by the new SynchroRev system; you will never need to over-rev again.

Model Lineup

None of this messing about with a different model for every letter of the alphabet, the 2009 Nissan 370Z is available in two models: Base and Touring. The Z34 Touring is a little over $4,500 more expensive than the Base model, but one can argue the value of some nice extra features such as a 6 CD audio system with eight speakers and heated leather seats.

Two add-ons packages may go some way to slaking your thirst for difference: Sport and Navigation. The 2009 Nissan 370Z Sport package will require $3,000 extra and will repay you with lightweight alloys, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A radials, rear and front spoilers and higher-spec brakes. The 370Z Navigation package requires a more modest $1,800, which pays for a GPS that will update constantly with downloaded traffic news, as well as an interface system for your iPod. And to keep you safe, there are front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control.

Walk Around

So you know it will keep you safe, but this is a Nissan Fair Lady — a car that is beloved for its look and feel. The first word that comes to mind is “compact”; no inch of space is wasted. Nissan kept the vertical exterior door handle, which is not welcome news to some who found it awfully difficult to grasp in the past. And that 240Z Nissan S30 chassis cue we spoke of earlier: a quarter-window at the back, a look that has not aged badly into the new millenium.

Unlike some of the new cars coming on to the market, the new 2009 Nissan 370Z does not show a conscious effort to “bling” it up: the classic Nissan logo on the front, the model number on the back in chrome, and that’s it. The lack of excess is a statement in and of itself, as long as the beast under the bonnet has some bite. The doors, hood, and rear hatch are all aluminum where they once were steel, shaving off 90 pounds.

Interior Features

In previous Nissan Z incarnations, the interior could be described as cold and plastic. Comparatively, this sixth generation could be described as one of class: tasteful leather on the seats and steering wheel, handy buttons for the stereo and cruise control, and handy gear shift flippers if you go with the automatic. The display is large and readable without being too bulky, temperature and fuel signaled by a row of LED’s. The three usual auxiliary gauges are there too, signaling time, oil temperature, and battery charge.

The seats in the new 370Z are bigger with better support calibrated for passenger and driver – and some critics say they look better than those of the 350Z. The Navigation package GPS is integrated into the dash, and many feel that it is very user-friendly. The interior features, much like the exterior and performance, is being advertised as the kind of details you normally pay much more for..

Driving Impressions

When the 350Z came out, many complained that it was a little crude and clumsy, and the hope was that things would improve. They have. The new Nissan 370Z exhibits the improvements every make loyalist hopes for in model progression; features seem better integrated in the Z34, the wheel, pedals, and levers know what each other are doing. In connection with the shorter, tighter body, it is all a whole lot easier to drive.

The 370Z is a car that wants to be driven. Nissan even fitted the new car with the SynchroRev system, the clutch’s promise to behave — though it may not be what traditionalists would choose.

“Smooth” is another word that is hard to avoid when discussing the 370Z. Not just “compact”, it is just so apposite. Unless you try to get the rev counter over its 7,500 rpm redline, it will never growl back at you. The 2009 Nissan 370Z is being lauded for its versatility: great for throwing around corners on a sports track, while at the same time being controlled and genteel enough for the commute to work. It is a car for the sports car fan – no two-seater should be otherwise – with a broader range than its predecessors.