Ferrari GTC4 vs Nissan 370Z

What's the difference?

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is a properly fast, beautifully composed, and supremely luxurious four-seat coupe.

Sadly, evermore stringent emissions regulations have put atmo V12's on the knife edge of extinction, with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and a few others hanging on for grim death.

In fact the twin-turbo V8 Lusso T (powered by the same engine used in the California T and 488) will arrive and be sold alongside this car in Australia later this year.

But we’d like to propose a captive breeding program to keep the big V12s alive because this engine’s soundtrack and the GTC4Lusso’s overall driving experience is magnificent.

It's hard not to be ageist when it comes to the current Nissan Zed, because 15 years in market (nine if we're generous) is a lengthy stretch in anyone's book. But somehow the 370Z is more than the sum of its parts. It has fantastic front-engine/rear-drive balance, an increasingly rare atmo engine, and a beautiful manual 'box. The value equation is decent, and it's nicely put together. Just don't expect to be dazzled with the latest safety, driver-assist and multimedia technology.

Revealed to the world at last year's Geneva motor show, the GTC4Lusso is a substantial evolution of the out-going FF, and follows classic Ferrari GT form, with a glorious, 6.3-litre, naturally aspirated, V12 sitting majestically in its nose.

The car's proportions echo that configuration with a long snout and rear-biased, gently tapered cabin maintaining essentially the same silhouette as the FF. But Ferrari has remodelled the nose and tail; tweaking the aero detailing at the same time.

There's a host of new vents, ducts and louvers contributing to a claimed six per cent improvement in drag coefficient.

For example, the diffuser is a work of aerodynamic art, following a keel shape, with vertical fences channeling air flow towards the centre to reduce drag and increase downforce.

A wide, single-piece grille dominates a smoother front end that moves from upright to a distinct forward lean, with a neat chin spoiler enhancing the racier look.

Larger, triple-blade vents in the front wings add more aggression, and the treatment of the rear side glass and tailgate have been refined and simplified.

Always a subjective call, but we think the restyling work, done in-house by Ferrari Design, has made an already distinctive car even more appealing.

Ferrari says the interior was developed around a 'dual cockpit' concept, to “enhance the shared driving experience”, and the cabin is beautiful.
 
There's a new 10.3-inch colour touchscreen, with the interface for the climate control, sat nav and media all refreshed. It's backed up by a more powerful 1.5Ghz CPU with 2GB of RAM, and it’s much, much better.

'Our' car also boasted the optional ($9500) 8.8-inch ‘Passenger Display’ incorporating performance read-outs, and now, the ability to select music and fiddle with the nav.
 
The attention to design detail and the quality of its execution is breathtaking. Even the slender sunvisors in our test example were hand-stitched leather. And the pedals are drilled alloy. Not alloy covers, or some other faux creation – real aluminium, right down to the passenger footrest pad.

If you want to go all the way back, the 370Z clearly takes its design direction from Datsun's star of the '70s, the original 240Z.

Inspired by Ferrari, and (along with the Toyota 2000GT) a sports-car breakthrough for the Japanese industry, the first Zed's front-engine, long-nose proportions have remained largely intact in successive iterations over the decades.

With a broad, flat nose, distinctively jagged headlights, and steeply raked rear profile, there's no mistaking the 370's signature stance, with pumped-up guards sitting over fat, 19-inch alloy rims.

Sharp-eyed car-spotters will notice the update's new design RAYS forged wheels, smoked front and rear lights, and a similar smoked finish on the exterior door handles.

A new colour, 'Cherry Red' also replaces 'Bordeaux Black' in an eight-shade colour palette. Our test example was finished in 'Gun Metallic'.

Inside, echoes of Zeds past abound, with a trio of hooded gauges (clock, voltmeter, oil temp) sitting in the centre of the dash top, and the tachometer in the middle of a cowled, three-instrument main cluster shaded by an exaggerated tube.

And aside from consciously retro design touches, some elements have been present inside the car for so long they're just... ancient.

For example, old-school orange graphics for the odometer, gear position and trip computer are dated, and the small (7.0-inch touchscreen) multimedia display has the feel of an early noughties edition of Tekken 6.

Forget a digital speedo or head-up display. A CD slot still sits proudly in the centre stack, and matt silver highlights scattered around the cabin are as on-trend as double denim.

And the steering wheel (joined with the instrument binnacle) adjusts for height, but annoyingly, not reach.

That said, friends and family who rode in the car during the week I had the keys all commented on the swoopy exterior and cozy cockpit feel of the interior. So, what do I know?

For once we can mention Ferrari and practicality in the same breath because the Lusso offers generous accommodation in the front and rear. Forget '2+2', the back seats are for grown-ups.

With all its drive and dynamic tech on board it's hard to think of a more elegant and capable four-seater for your next trip to the chalet for a cheeky weekend skiing off piste.

In fact, Ferrari says the FF attracted a new, younger batch of owners that make greater use of their cars.

Admittedly, Ferraris don't generally rack up huge kays, but clocking mileage 30 per cent higher than average is significant.

Front seat passengers slip easily into generous and intricately sculpted sports seats, with slim map pockets in the doors and space for bottles, a single large cupholder in the substantial centre console, as well as a lidded storage box (which doubles as a centre armrest) housing 12 volt and USB outlets.

There's also a decent-sized glove box, and a second tray sits further towards the dash to store your black credit cards, Vertu phone(s), and assorted jewellery. Its leather trimmed, double-door closure is reminiscent of the finest Milanese cabinet.

The long, leather-wrapped transmission tunnel continues uninterrupted through to the back, dividing the individual rear bucket seats. A pair of jet fighter style vents sit in the centre, slightly ahead of another two cupholders and a small oddments box containing additional USB ports.

But the big surprise is the amount of head, leg and shoulder room on offer back there. The door aperture is enormous and the front seats quickly tilt and slide forward with the flick of a single handle, so entry and egress is relatively easy.

It's an ultra-comfortable and relaxed place to be, and at 183cm I could sit behind the front seat set to my position with heaps of headroom and three to four centimetres of knee clearance. Finding space for your toes under the front chair is more of a challenge, but an extended journey in the back of the Lusso would be fine.

The only caveat there is the test vehicle’s optional 'Panoramic Glass Roof' ($32,500!), which essentially removes the roof lining, and it would be interesting to sit in a car without it.

Cargo space is real-world useful, with a substantial 450 litres on offer with the rear seats upright, and a full 800 litres available with them folded down.

There’s no spare tyre; a 'can of goo' repair kit being your only option.

Two seats means practicality is a relative term when applied to the 370Z. For example, getting in and out is an athletic exercise requiring gymnastic levels of flexibility and poise. As with most low-lying coupes, I found the outer hand on the A-pillar technique helps with swinging down into the car, or lurching up out of it.

Once ensconced behind the wheel, you're confronted with a relatively modest amount of storage space, running to a medium-size glove box, a lidded bin at the rear of the dividing console, a single cupholder, and door pockets incorporating recesses for small bottles only.

There are two lined recesses for soft bags or coats behind each seat, including a fold-out map pocket, but they're not exactly convenient for retrieving things when you're on the move. What's missing is a tray where you can easily stow things likes keys, coins or a phone.

There are also two 12-volt power outlets, a USB port and an aux-in audio connection.

Rear load space is limited to 195 litres, mainly due to the boot's shallow floor (an alloy space-saver spare sits underneath). It does incorporate a cargo blind and four tie-down hooks, but we only managed to squeeze in the largest (105-litre) suitcase from our three-piece hard set, or a combination of the two smaller ones (35 and 68 litres).

We also had a crack at stuffing in the CarsGuide pram (there is a top-tether hook provided for child seat fitment) and managed it with only a couple of beads of perspiration expended.

Forget the nappy-bag paraphernalia, though. The soft bags with all the baby stuff would have to go in the storage bays in the cabin behind the seats.

The arrival of the tricked-up 370Z NISMO in August last year, offered Nissan Australia an opportunity to reposition the regular model, dropping the MSRP for the manual version from $56,930 to $49,990.

Aside from adjusting the car's value-for-money proposition (and pissing off those who'd bought one in July), that close to seven grand haircut delivered more pricing headroom up to the Roadster (starting at $60,990), and NISMO (from $61,490) versions.

For that money the standard equipment list includes, keyless entry and start, cruise control, climate control air, go-fast alloy finish pedals, 'HDD' (Hard Disc Drive) sat nav with 3D mapping, a 7.0-inch colour multimedia touchscreen, and Bose eight-speaker audio with 9.3GB 'Music Box' hard drive.

You'll also pick up sports seats with lots of features. First, they're 'leather accented', which is code for genuine hide in all the places you regularly contact, and a faux equivalent everywhere else. Not uncommon, and not necessarily unpleasant. Then they're heated and four-way power-adjustable, (with manual lumbar and height adjustment for the driver).

The steering wheel and gear knob also cop the 'leather accented' treatment, plus you can expect LED DRLs and tail-lights as well as auto headlights. It's worth noting that the headlights are garden-variety xenons, and things you might expect in a $50k coupe, like, rain-sensing wipers, dual zone climate, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity or tyre-pressure monitoring are 100 per cent absent.

Lining up direct competitors for the 370Z isn't easy, because there aren't any. But the closest is arguably a 2.3-litre EcoBoost version of Ford's Mustang at $45,990 for the manual. A further stretch of the imagination could haul in the Mazda MX-5 RF ($43,890) or the 86 GTS+ ($39,440) and Subaru BRZ tS ($39,894).

The Lusso is powered by a 6.3-litre, 65-degree, naturally aspirated V12 producing a monumental 507kW (680hp) at 8000rpm and 697Nm at 5750rpm.

It features variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust side, the rev ceiling is a lofty 8250rpm, and revisions from the FF installation include redesigned piston crowns, new anti-knock software, and multi-spark injection, for a four per cent gain in power and two percent rise in maximum torque.
 
Also new for the Lusso is the adoption of six-into-one exhaust manifold with equal length pipes and a new electronic bypass valve.

The Lusso features an insanely rapid-shift, seven-speed 'F1 DCT' dual-clutch transmission, working in parallel with Ferrari’s new and improved '4RM-S' system, which combines all-wheel drive, and now, four-wheel steering to enhance power down and dynamic response.

The drive and steering tech is integrated with Ferrari's fourth-gen side slip control, as well as the 'E-Diff' electronic differential and 'SCM-E' suspension damping syste.

The 370Z is powered by an all-alloy, 3.7-litre (VQ37VHR), naturally aspirated, quad-cam V6, producing 245kW at 7000rpm and 363Nm at 5200rpm.

Serving in a vast array of Nissan, Infiniti, Renault and Mitsubishi models, the VQ V6 engine series has been around in various displacements for over 20 years.

It features the 'Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System' (CVTCS) with 'Variable Valve Event and Lift' (VVEL) on the intake side. And while all that may sound new and ultra-high tech, it was actually introduced in 2007.

Transmission choice is between a seven-speed auto (with manual mode and paddles) or six-speed manual gearbox, as tested here. And this 2018 upgrade brings a high-performance clutch from Japanese specialist Exedy.

Drive goes to the rear wheels via a carbon-fibre composite drive shaft, connecting with a viscous limited slip differential (LSD).

Additional features that won't necessarily be music to purists' ears include 'Active Noise Cancellation', and 'Active Sound Enhancement'.

The former monitors and measures engine sounds, using the audio speakers to produce "acoustically opposing signals to cancel undesirable sounds". So, okay, maybe filtering out the messy noise is a good thing.

But at the same time Active Sound Enhancement employs "digital signal processing to enhance the engine note, using the vehicle's sound system to augment or modify the spectrum of select powertrain sounds in the cabin". Yuck.

I can cop a tube that channels a bit of genuine engine noise into the interior, but in this context, the phrase 'digital signal processing' is a turn-off.

In case you're interested - and if a Lusso is genuinely on your shopping list, you're almost certainly not - claimed fuel consumption is reassuringly voracious.

Ferrari’s claimed figure for the combined (urban/extra urban) cycle is 15.0L/100km, emitting 350g/km of CO2 in the process. And you'll need 91 litres of premium unleaded to fill the tank.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 10.6L/100km, the 370Z emitting 249g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over roughly 250km of city, suburban and freeway running, we averaged 15.6L/100km, at the bowser. Far from miserly.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, although Nissan says "for optimum performance" you should stump up for 98 RON. And just to rub it in, you'll need 72 litres of it to fill the tank.

Although the big V12's maximum torque doesn’t arrive until close to 6000rpm, 80 per cent of it is available from just 1750, and that means the Lusso is flexible enough to dawdle around town or storm towards the horizon with massive acceleration available via a single twist of the right ankle.

We were able to burble up more than gentle inclines (at reasonable speed), in seventh gear, with the engine more or less ticking over at 2000rpm. In fact, in auto mode, the dual clutch is always keen to march towards its highest ratio.

But if the mood is a little more urgent, despite its substantial, 1.9-tonne kerb weight, (with the help of ‘Performance Launch Control’) this family-friendly force of nature can storm from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.5, and on to a staggering maximum velocity of 335km/h.

From a gruff blare on start-up, through a muscular bellow in the mid-range, to a heart-pounding howl at the top end, pushing the Lusso towards its 8250rpm rev ceiling is a special event… every time.

Channelling all that forward thrust into lateral force is the job of the double wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension, with magnetic dampers and other electronic gee-whizzery in support.

Despite the 4WD system, weight balance is an ideal 47 per cent front, 53 per cent rear, with the 'SS4' torque vectoring set-up distributing torque to the front axle when required even faster than the FF.

The 20-inch Pirelli P Zero rubber grips like a Donald Trump handshake (as do the sports front seats), and the monster brakes - ventilated carbon discs front and rear - are mega.

Even in tight, first gear corners the Lusso turns in quickly and progressively thanks to the four-wheel steering and excellent electric assistance set-up, remains neutral mid-corner and slams its power down on exit.
   
Switch the wheel-mounted Manettino dial from 'Sport' to 'Comfort' and the Lusso settles into an impressively supple mode, deftly soaking up even sharp imperfections.
 
In short, this is a big beast, but point-to-point, it's a fearsomely rapid, surprisingly agile and hugely entertaining drive.

The Nissan 370Z is actually the car many want the Toyobaru 86/BRZ to be. I can sense some of you spluttering out a sweary response to that notion. But hear me out.

If you, like many others, think the 86/BRZ would be perfect with an extra 50kW/80Nm, just bolt on a turbo or supercharger, and voila. You'll get that extra grunt, but remember, the 86/BRZ was conceived to be light, tactile, and, not least of all, affordable.

Up the outputs and you light the wick on an engineering arms race that should also lead to bigger brakes, an engine with more exotic pistons and a tougher bottom end, a stronger gearbox and clutch, a beefier diff, sturdier chassis, fatter rims and rubber... the list goes on, and on. Until you end up with something very much like the spec, weight, and price of the 370Z.

That's not to say this car isn't a fun drive. It is. Just don't expect the quick reflexes of an MX-5 or 86/BRZ.

Despite light-weighting tricks like an aluminium bonnet and all-alloy suspension, the 370Z weighs in at a not inconsiderable 1467kg. And although its 3.7-litre V6 develops a solid 245kW/363Nm, first impressions are dominated by its hollow mid-range.

Much as I love the free-revving nature of a naturally aspirated engine, there's no denying a modern turbo typically delivers lots of torque low down, with peak power also available within a useful rev range.

All the action here is at the top end, with maximum torque arriving way up at 5200rpm, and peak power taking over at a nose-bleed 7000rpm (the rev ceiling is 7500rpm). Not exactly an easily accessible sweet spot.

The gearbox is a sweet reminder of what a pleasure it is swap ratios in a top-notch close-ratio manual.

But there's still so much to like about this evergreen Zed. Its classic front engine/rear-drive layout results in a 53/47 front to rear weight distribution and the car feels balanced and beautifully predictable.

Suspension is double wishbone front, multi-link rear, and ride comfort, even over choppy bitumen surfaces is surprisingly good. On the flip-side, rumble coming up from the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A rubber (245/40 f / 275/35 r) is always noticeable, and often intrusive.

The steering is supported by old-school hydraulic power assist and while connection with the front wheels is impressive, overall feel is light. Hello 'Merica.

The gearbox is a sweet reminder of what a pleasure it is swap ratios in a top-notch close-ratio manual, and hats off to Exedy for producing a wonderfully progressive clutch. Personal preference was to turn off the standard 'SynchroRev Match' function, because I like having a go at the ol' heel 'n' toe tap dance myself.

Brakes are ventilated front and rear with almost equal size rotors (355mm f / 350mm r) clamped by four-piston calipers up front and two piston units at the rear. They are reassuringly powerful and consistent.

Age has not wearied the 370Z's ergonomics. Although the lack of a digital speedo and no reach adjustment for the steering column is annoying, the sports seats are snug and comfortable, the moderately chunky wheel feels great, and all the major controls are simple to use. Who needs slick screens and 'piano black' finishes?

The 370Z must feel like a wall flower at the crash-test disco because it currently isn't rated for safety performance by ANCAP, its Euro NCAP affiliate, JNCAP in Japan, or the USA's NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) or IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

That said, in terms of active safety features you'll find ABS, BA, EBD, traction control, 'Vehicle Dynamic Control' (stability control), and a rear-view camera with 'Predictive Path' guidance lines.

But if you're looking for more current active tech, look elsewhere, because things like AEB, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, active cruise, lane-keep assist, auto high beam or any kind of pedestrian detection are missing-in-action. They're not even available on the options list.

If all else fails and a crash is unavoidable, primary passive safety runs to active head restraints and eight airbags (driver and passenger front and side airbags, plus roof- and door-mounted curtain airbags).

Ferrari offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, the latter part of that equation being somewhat hilarious because most Ferraris don't travel very far… ever.

Service is recommended every 12 months or 20,000km, and the seven year 'Genuine Maintenance' program covers scheduled servicing and labour along with genuine parts, oil and brake fluid for the original owner (and subsequent owners) for the first seven years of the car's life. Brilliant.

Nissan offers a three year/100,000km warranty, which isn't exactly ground-breaking in the age of Kia's seven year/unlimited km commitment.

But it does include 24-hour roadside assistance for three years, and Nissan's 'myNissan Service Certainty' capped-price servicing program applies for up to six years/120,000km.

The scheduled maintenance interval is six months/10,000km, with charges ranging from a low of $283, to a high of $831 (100,000km), averaging out to roughly $428 per service.