Nissan 370Z GT Edition (2011 onwards)

Model: Nissan 370Z GT Edition
Bodystyle: Two-door coupe
Engine: 3.7-litre V6, petrol
Transmission: Six-speed manual

Gallery: Nissan 370Z GT Edition
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What is it?

Nissan has tweaked its famously macho 370Z with revised suspension and equipment levels for the 2011 model year, this GT Edition representing a limited run of specially liveried cars celebrating the firm's success in various levels of GT racing.

This has been achieved with the 370Z at GT4 level against Aston Martins, Ginettas and more, while in the big boys' GT1 class the race version of the formidable GT-R has been making a real name for itself. As a result the GT Edition gets retro racing stripes and a few choice upgrades.

Where does it fit?

The 370Z range starts at £29,950 for the base coupe model - good value for a 328hp, rear-wheel drive coupe. £33,250 gets you the GT spec with tasty Rays 19-inch forged wheels and fancier trim, £35,000 the same with the Nissan Connect Premium navigation and infotainment system.

This is standard on the GT Edition, which also costs £35,000 and has dark coloured versions of the Rays wheels and three colour choices including Dark Rose - exclusive to the GT Edition. For comparison a base Cayman with only 265hp costs £39,162, the 272hp Audi TTS £35,605.

Is it for you?

Speccing those two German rivals to anywhere close to the 370Z's level is going to add another £5K to the price of each too and there really is nothing to touch the Nissan in terms of an affordable way to own a proper, red-blooded sports coupe.

Like its predecessor, the 370Z is an unashamedly butch car too in the way it looks and drives. And that stands out in this day and age, in a good way. OK, the badge might not have quite the cachet but there's little doubt about the 370Z's provenance as a proper sports car.

What does it do well?

Those suspension modifications bring a new sophistication to the way the 370Z rides too. A short wheelbase, fat rubber and 19-inch wheels are never going to be a plush combination but the engineers at Nissan's Bedfordshire technical centre have done a great job retuning the Z to British roads.

Damping has been increased to improve body control and there's a real sense all four corners of the car are working together rather than in competition. It's more composed, more communicative and more fun to drive as a result, these modifications fitted to all 370Zs as standard, not just the GT Edition.

And it's fast. A 3.7-litre engine is a big, brawny lump of an engine in a car this small and it'll hit 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds. But it's not a turbo and you need to work it like the old-school normally aspirated engine it is to really get its best.

Thankfully the snickety six-speed manual - complete with neat, self-blipping downshifts - is a delight to use. The seven-speed auto isn't bad either. OK, it's not a dual-clutch like you can get in the Audi or Cayman but it's plenty crisp and responsive enough in the manual mode.

What doesn't it do well?
The biggest problem with the 370Z? The engine. There's nothing wrong with the way it works but if you're going to pay the considerable price of satisfying its epic thirst you'd want it to sound a lot more exciting than it does.

This may sound insignificant but a car like the 370Z is all about character and the engine is its heart. So why does it sound so flat and boring? It's feedback like that which makes driving a sports car so much fun. Without it the 370Z just seems a bit neutered.

What's it like to live with?

Well, it's a small, two-seater coupe. So there are obvious practical compromises to live with there. But that's to be expected and, in fairness, the Z has a decent, if shallow, boot under that rear hatch and there's space enough for a weekend away.

The ride, though firmer, is subjectively more comfortable too. It's not plush but it's liveable with. The rather button-heavy Connect Premium pack has all the toys you'd ever need too and nicely crisp and colourful graphics on the nav display. A rear view camera is now included on this as standard too.

How green is it?

Again, if the engine sounded a bit more exciting you could, perhaps, begin to justify its prodigious thirst. There's clearly a reason most rivals have smaller engines and though you'll save money on the purchase price you'll soon be paying that back at the pumps.

Driven with any vigour the 370Z barely scrapes low 20s mpg and the 248g/km (245g/km for the auto) is going to cost you a fortune in VED too. A TTS is just 184g/km, to put that into context. Running this car is not going to be cheap.

Would we buy it?

The 370Z feels properly bombproof, which it should given the 1,525kg kerbweight. Even after extended track use it feels completely unshaken though, the rear-drive chassis providing plenty of entertainment should you feel brave enough to switch the stability control off.

It would take real commitment to choose it over the safe bets like the TT or Cayman and anyone who does deserves applause. The chassis mods make it a much more convincing bet though - now all it needs is a properly loud exhaust!

Gallery: Nissan 370Z GT Edition
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