Hello, Bob Aldons, The Car Guy writing about the Nissan 370Z Nismo. The nice people at Nissan Australia invited me to test drive and review the latest car in their ‘performance range’ the 2017 Nissan 370Z Nismo coupe. Unfortunately, in the week I had it, the Queensland weather has been less than ideal. Rain, slippery roads and more rain is not the ideal conditions to road test a performance car unless you were contemplating drifting it, and no it wasn’t on my agenda.
I’m not imagining having to call the people at Nissan and telling them that I’d crashed their Nissan 370Z Nismo into an Armco barrier, or anything else less forgiving. So here I am tootling around like a 60-year-old, running up and down the gears pretending to be immune to the rain.
There’s significant history with the Z branding at Nissan. The first Z car was released in 1969 – the 240Z came out at a time that made it one of the very few Japanese sports cars on the market. Fast forward to 2017 and there’s been a plethora of Z’s – 240Z, 280ZX, 300ZX, 350Z, 370Z and now the Nismo.
From the start, Nissan used performance engines in the Zed – 2.4 litres, then to a 2.6 litre, 2.8 litres and eventually a 3.0 litre engine in the 300ZX. A 3.5 litre was fitted to the 350z and now we have a 3.7 litre V6 in the 370Z Nismo
Old Zed’s are fetching crazy prices in Australia. A trawl through the online sites shows cars in various stages of repair from $20,000 to $60,000 and more. So, if you’ve got one and it’s in fair to good condition, hang onto it – there’s no doubt, in my opinion, that it will increase in value in the years to come
As to non-factory upgrades, you have a wide range of choice if you want to risk your warranty – chip upgrades, superchargers, Garret Twin Turbos’, suspension and more. The kW output of the standard car is around 235kw but if your pockets are deep enough there’s any number of performance shops that will extract up to 370kw with an extreme kit.
So let’s get into the review and do The Car Guy walk around. Important note for my readers – normally I don’t talk about performance in my reviews, but this is a sports car and for sports car type people, I’ll give you enough information for your knowledge.
Front
An aggressive front end with a large air opening under the front bumper makes the Nissan 370Z Nismo stand out from the crowd. The overall shape is generational and you can still see the styling cues from the original car nearly 50 years ago. From a driving position, the bonnet disappears – it’s not as long as it once was. Y shape headlights (and tail lights) are distinctive. An alloy bonnet reduces the weight over the front wheels
Under the Bonnet
As the car’s nomenclature suggests we’re faced with a 3.7 litre V6 engine – produces about 253kw of power which is more than sufficient in a car weighing a bit over 1500kg un-laden and 1800kg with a full load, a driver a passenger and a full load of fuel (72 litres) 5.2 seconds 0-100 klm isn’t the quickest around, but it’s no slug at all and value for speed is excellent. The part with the Nismo badge is a suspension brace – couple with the Nismo excellent suspension set up, it makes the handling fantastic overall.
Surprise and Delight Features
The SynchroRev Match function automatically controls and adjusts engine speed when shifting to the speed of the next gear position, essentially blipping the throttle to smooth out any up/down shifts.
This not only allows the driver to focus more on braking and steering, it improves the smoothness of gear shifts by reducing the typical ‘shock’ when the clutch is engaged. The system can be activated with a button next to the gearshift by the driver who wants the car to automatically do the doing part or deactivated with the same button for drivers who prefer to shift on their own
Driver’s Seat
Short throw gearshift – driving a performance car, it’s better if you don’t have a long way to move the gear lever between gears. That’s what a short throw gearshift is. Makes changing gears when driving a bit harder than normal better.
Instrumentation is clear and concise with the rev counter positioned right in front of the driver. Not so happy with some of the controls on the steering wheel particularly the volume control for the sound. It’s a bit too small for my larger fingers, but it’s not a deal breaker.
Passenger Side and Safety – Nissan 370Z Nismo
I’m in love with the brushed chrome door handles and the overall side look of the 370Z Nismo. The designers have kept the traditional Zed look – and along with the red highlight side skirts and the illuminated Z badge makes the Nismo purposeful.
As far as safety is concerned, the tech is very good, but not necessarily at the top of the options list. Missing, in my opinion, is adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and emergency braking functionality.
19” Alloy Wheels are standard
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Brake Assist (BA)
Child restraint anchorage points
Driver seatbelt warning light
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
Energy-absorbing steering column
Front and rear crumple zones
Nissan Anti-Theft System vehicle immobiliser
Rear view camera with Predictive Path technology
Seatbelts, 3 point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
Seatbelts, front load limiters and pre-tensioners
Side intrusion bars
SRS airbags, Driver and front passenger front-impact
SRS airbags, Driver and front passenger side-impact
SRS curtain airbags, door mounted
SRS curtain airbags, roof mounted
Traction Control System (TCS)
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
Xenon headlights with auto leveling and washers
LED daytime running lights
LED taillights
Colours
8 colours are available in the Nissan 370Z Nismo range – Bordeaux, Brilliant Silver, Diamond Black, Eau rouge red, GT Blue, Gun Metallic, Chicane Yellow and my favourite, Shiro White
Warranty and Service Nissan 370Z Nismo
myNissan Service Certainty Μ • • • • • • 3 year /100,000 kms Warranty++ • • • • • • 3 year 24 Hour Roadside Assistance Program* • • • • • • Genuine Nissan Extended Warranty~
Nissan recommends servicing every 6 months or 10,000klm and have a capped price service program for this. Including brake fluid changes, you’re looking at $5735 for 6 years or 120,000klm services
ANCAP Safety
According to official ANCAP safety ratings, the Nissan 370Z Nismo version have been tested, so I’m not able to provide ANCAP ratings
Green Vehicle Guide – Nissan 370Z Nismo, Manual
Fuel Consumption 10.6 litres / 100klm Combined
Air Pollution Standard Euro 5
Annual Fuel Cost $2488
Insurance
As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, my go-to comparison insurance site is www.finder.com.au/car-insurance I typically get comparison quotes from Bingle, Budget Direct and then another at random. Why these 2? Simple – they’re the companies that I see on television the most. So if they’re spending big bucks on marketing, then I figure that they’ll be competitive. Here are their offers on a Nissan 370Z Nismo – the insured, me, is 60, living in postcode 4019, car garaged at night but in a driveway during the day. No accident history in the last 3 years, no suspensions, canceled license.
Bingle (part of Suncorp) $581.52
Budget Direct $447.00
Woolworths $1063.34
And here’s another reason that you should check your renewal premium every year. Why would you pay over double with Woolworths than with Budget Direct? Loyalty? I really don’t think loyalty is worth paying so much more. Check out the comparison sites like Finder and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Pricing and Where to See
Nissan 370 Manual Coupe $54540 Drive Away in Queensland
Nissan 370Z Nismo Manual Coupe $66442 Drive Away in Queensland
Prices indicated are approximate drive away for vehicles registered for 12 months in Queensland with dealer delivery included. For an exact price, contact one of these Nissan dealers.
Moorooka Nissan 917 Ipswich Rd Moorooka 38487811
Westpoint Nissan 440 Moggill Rd Indooroopilly 38780440
Other Vehicles to Consider (excluding on road costs)
Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe $89000
Audi TT Coupe $74700
BMW 2 Series Coupe $93300
Infiniti Q60 2 door Coupe $62900
Lexus RC200T Coupe $64869
Find One
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