A while back we spent a week with a 2009 Nissan Nismo 370Z and it was a blast. Driving characteristics of the Nismo 370Z are better than the normal 370Z and giant leaps over the outgoing 350Z. The Nismo edition of the 370Z adds sport tuned suspension, a higher rev limit, a nice looking body kit, Rays forged 19 inch wheels, and a total of 350 horsepower from the 3.7-liter VQ-series V6.
It is always a pretty awesome thing, from the perspective of a true automotive enthusiast, to hear relatively loud audible feedback from the drivetrain. That is just what we get when driving the Nismo 370Z, and you get a lot of it. It makes you feel as-if the 370Z is a raw sports car and I am sure some would argue that it really is.
Confidence is what you get when driving the Nismo 370Z. The tuned sport suspension incorporates extra valving in the shocks so when you hit a relatively hard bump in the road, the time for rebound is shortened and then unfortunately sent through your spine. They tried to develop something that was useful to soften an already increased spring rate over the normal 370Z. I guess it works well on the track and during drifting. Don’t ask how I know.
The exterior is very pleasant to the eyes and in my opinion, the Nismo 370Z looks lot better than any other modern day Z-car including the 350Z. The front bumper with the rectangle air-dam is a big improvement over the slanted teeth that the 370Z gets. The rear bumper is a nice appeal as well with an integrated diffuser over the enlarged exhaust tips. It has boy-racer written all over without being “fast and furious” over-done.
Inside of the Nismo 370Z you will find a very nice interior well laid out just like any other new 370Z with the addition of some red stitching that adds a sporty feel to it all. The driver is placed in a sunk-in position having to look over the hood at times depending on if your head is about to touch the roof. My only complaint about the interior, and I am sure you would agree with me, is the stereo. I thought the stereo in the E46 3-Series BMW was bad, oh no, the Nismo 370Z takes the cake. From a family of Nissan vehicles that are accustomed to getting a decent Bose (no highs no lows, must be Bose) stereo system, they sure missed it with the Nismo 370Z. The stereo plain sucks. This is where you will say to me, “this is a sports car and it does not need a radio or for that matter, a good one”. I call BS! A car with these looks at least deserves a decent stereo with more than just door speakers. What is your girlfriend going to listen to? The hum of the VQ engine? Well maybe, when you up-shift the 6-speed manual with the syncro-rev match feature enabled.
Over-all, the Nismo 370Z is a hot item and a good looker. Everywhere we went in the Nismo 370Z, we received head-turns and comments such as, “that’s a nice car” or, “do you want to race?” At $40,500 for our test-car, I think it is priced just right.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Price: $40,550
Type: Compact Coupe
Where Built: Japan
EPA Class: Two Seaters
Dimensions
Exterior
Length: 174.3 in.
Width: 72.6 in.
Height: 51.8 in.
Wheel Base: 100.4 in.
Curb Weight: 3300 lbs.
Gross Weight: 3968 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 38.2 in.
Front Hip Room: 54.6 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 54.4 in.
Front Leg Room: 42.9 in.
Luggage Capacity: 6.9 cu. ft.
Maximum Cargo Capacity: 7 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 2
Performance Data
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 5.3 sec.
Braking Distance (60-0 mph): 115 ft.
Base Number of Cylinders: 6
Base Engine Size: 3.7 liters
Base Engine Type: V6
Horsepower: 350 hp
Max Horsepower: 7400 rpm
Torque: 276 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 5200 rpm
Drive Type: RWD
Turning Circle: 34.1 ft.
Fuel Data
Fuel Tank Capacity: 19 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway/Combined)
Manual: 18 mpg / 26 mpg / 21 mpg
Range in Miles:
Manual: 342 mi. / 494 mi. / 399 mi.
