Nissan 370Z (2009) CAR review

Nissan's Zed car is back and that new 370Z moniker indicates a bigger 3.7-litre V6 – up from the old car's 3.5 and lifted from the Infiniti G37. Yet thanks to the extensive use of aluminium throughout, the new 370Z weighs exactly the same as the current 350Z. Time to find out if this make the new Nissan 370Z as good as a Porsche Cayman. Read on for CAR's first drive.

So the Nissan 370Z has been working out? More power, same weight and subtly different looks...

Nice of you to notice. Check out those swollen rear arches and pinched waist. The current 350Z never looked quite right – the rear end was a mess and the flanks lacked definition – but the 370Z answers almost every aesthetic criticism while still retaining the distinctive look of the Zed we’ve loved since 2003.

It’s not just cosmetic stuff either. The wheelbase is 100mm shorter than before to improve agility and the doors, bootlid and bonnet are fashioned from aluminium to peg the kerbweight at 1480kg, exactly what the old car weighed. Nissan reckoned this was needed to offset a 100kg increase resulting from meeting more stringent crash standards.

But it’s the same car underneath?

It’s the same in spirit, but the components are different. The platform is new – albeit one adapted from the old car’s – and also underpins the latest Infiniti saloons, coupes and convertibles.

The Nissan and Infinitis share the V6 engine too, which displaces 3.7 litres, up from 3.5 litres, hence the extra 20 in the name. It kicks out 331bhp, up from 309bhp and 269lb ft of torque, delivering said steeds to the limited slip-equipped rear axle via a six-speed manual gearbox or new seven-speed automatic. Other markets have had auto versions before, but this is the first time Brits have been offered a two-pedal version.

>> Click 'Next' to read more of CAR's first drive of the new Nissan 370Z