• 

  Nissan has impressed us with room improvement in the cabin plus a more useable boot space. Photo Gallery

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Nissan 370Z and finds it ?a bit better than good?.

During my rather relaxing stint in a psychiatric ward, people in white coats showed me pictures and asked what I saw. If my answer matched theirs, I got a smile and a progressive tick towards being let out onto the street.

The pictures were interesting. They were all of cars, of course, though they tried to trick me into believing they were ink blots. Ultimately I played their game and called everyone an ink blot and they promptly released me. It's all about perception.

When Nissan launched its 350Z that echoed the 1970s 240Z, the hype was so big that you'd swear it could run down Porsches and outcorner Gallardos. We were all told it was the new 240Z so we all expected lots. Too much, in fact. The 350Z isn't great. It's good. The new 370Z is a bit better than good.

The new number gets a shorter wheelbase than the 350Z and tauter chassis with performance-honed suspension.

Engine

Nissan isn't a wealthy car company so it lifted its overbored 3.7-litre V6 engine from its US-spec Infiniti range. That gives more herbs to the tune of 245kW which is decent mumbo installed in a relatively light 1485kg body. It delivers an unofficial 100km/h standing sprint of 5.4 seconds — depending on wind, weight and wishful thinking — which is undeniably brisk.

The problem is, it doesn't feel that quick. It does, however, feels fast mainly because it's not a quiet machine and the engine noise assaults the ears and the tremble buzzes the footwell. This aurally-assisted acceleration suits me just fine — electrotherapy impaired my hearing.

Appearance

But the performance and sound may not be for the common man who bought the 370Z on style alone and was really seeking a civilised coupe. You missed the point, buddy. The 350Z is not really a style leader. The basic shape is attractive and its now stubbier profile relates closer to a crouching animal. Perhaps like a large woman recoiled to lunge through Myer's front doors at 8.59am on post-Christmas sale day.

What upsets the shape is the ancilliaries. The door handles are bloody awful — grossly oversized and cheaply sculptured grabbers — and the enlarged badges on the nose, tail and flanks look decidedly Soviet.

But the arrow-head headlights and tail lights are the most distinctive feature and on the freeway drive-by identification test, clearly identifies this from its smaller-engined predecessor.

Interior

The most impressive improvement is in the cabin. It feels roomier despite the 100mm snipped out of the wheelbase, and now more closely reflects the car's $70,000-odd price tag.

Regular visitors to the local Nissan showroom will see much carried over from the new Maxima, notably the dashboard that now has better materials and a more attractive look. I liked the 350Z because it had a pleasantly simple cabin that was dead easy to navigate. The 370Z is fruitier in colour and quantity and received glowing feedback from the handful of former inmates that I took for a spin.

The new body also deletes the old model's thick crossbar that linked the rear suspension towers. That means a more useable boot space, though anything placed their will still burn beneath the rear window and expose itself to light-fingered passers-by.

Transmissions

The 370Z gets the choice of a six-speed manual or, as tested, a seven-speed auto with paddle shifters on the steering wheel column. Don't think the auto is for softies — it's a good box with excellent upshifts given its conventional technology.

Driving

The engine gives a fat midrange bang which, with some practice, can be precisely tuned to your gearchanges to make this coupe quite a weapon on the track.

The short wheelbase livens up the rear end — primarily because your butt is now closer to the rear axle — and gives the car immense fun appeal. I loved the handling and the tactile relationship between the road and the driver's fingers. It works better with the traction control off but I'd advise leaving that for track conditions.

There are times when this car brightened my day and times it felt too ordinary to be worth $70,000. As value for money, the jury is still out. You could buy it for its looks, but it's subjective to state this is prettier than the 350Z. I, of course, saw only an ink blot.

Nissan 370Z auto
Price: $70,990
Engine: 3.7-litre, V6
Power: 245kW @ 7000rpm
Torque: 363Nm @ 5200rpm
Performance: 0-100km/h 5.4 seconds
Economy (official): 10.4 litres/100km, tested): 11.8 litres/100km
Emissions: 247g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, sequential; rear-drive, LSD
Verdict: 80/100
Rivals:
Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 ($69,990) — 79/100
Audi TT 2.0TSFI ($69,990) — 81/100
BMW Z4 2.5 ($86,200) — 84/100