Mention the word Japanese muscle-car, and most folks will likely start thinking about the venerable Nissan GT-R. The GT-R definitely deserves plenty of praise – it is the only modern day Japanese offering that has been able to put continental supercars to shame is almost every department. Shame then, that Godzilla has cast such a huge shadow over Nissan’s other offerings. The Nissan Fairlady 370Z is not a supercar by any means… but it is definitely a muscle-car worthy of mention, rivaling cars like the Porsche Boxster/Cayman, BMW Z4, Mercedes SLK and in some occasions even the mighty American V8s like the Camaro and Mustang. And, like the GT-R, the 370Z is without a doubt a muscle-car bargain.
The 370Z retains most of the old car’s styling cues, but is now packaged to be sleeker, more squat, and a whole lot more muscular. I kept looking at the rear haunches – they are incredibly flared! While most cars grow up, the 370Z is actually 2.7 inches shorter in length, has a 3.9 inches shorter wheelbase, and is 2.2 inches wider in the rear. Worth noting is also the lowered centre of gravity with a 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution. Under hard acceleration, this actually shifts to a perfect 50:50 weight balance… definitely some impressive stuff!
Muscular lines mish-mashing everywhere. Squat, aggressive stance.
Lines flow smooth along the flanks. Styling grew on me very quickly.
I love those hips!
Pop the hood and you will see the familiar, aural V6… except with an extra 200cc (as the name clearly suggests). Numbers have been upped in the 370Z – 336PS and 365Nm, an increase of 31PS, although torque remains unchanged. The VQ37VHR (Very High Revving!) produces max power at 7,000rpm and max torque at 5,200rpm which meant you had to wring the car out to properly enjoy it. I had zero complaints in this aspect, and discovered just how much of an arse I could be on the road. All this power is transferred to the massive rubbers in the rear and helps catapult the Zee from zerotohundred in 4.9 seconds. I’ve got to admit my results hovered around the sub 5 second mark no thanks to my poor launches and sloppy gearchanges.
3.7L VQ37VHR V6 mill under the hood.
Open up, aaaah...
Before I continue about the 370Z, let me first admit to a couple of bloopers. That V6 lump is mated to a 6MT in the 370Z and it has been a good 7-8 years since I last drove stick. That’s not to say that I’ve never changed gears on my own accord before – I have, in the form of slick dual-clutch boxes with flappy pedals and what-not. I’ll admit to having stalled the car a few times, but perhaps the most embarrassing incident was when I faced some trouble trying to engage reverse gear. Having got myself tangled in a lorong, I tried desperately several times to reverse out, only to keep engaging sixth gear, until someone from Nissan walked over and told me to press the gear knob down…
Moving back to the Zee; as I dropped into the low seats, I noticed how worn and weary the cabin materials were. No fault of the car, though – this test unit has been around for a good two years or so and has covered over 27,000kms. That said, fitment was still top notch; there were not rattly parts or stitches out of place. Button placement was decent although I still needed a little time to acclimatize. A Bose 8-speaker, 6 CD stereo system comes as standard, but I barely turned it on since I preferred the soundtrack up front. There are also plenty of cubby holes to store your bits and bops, although it is clear the centre console should house a navigation system. Finding the perfect driving position took only a couple of minutes and as you grasp the chunky steering wheel, you will notice the long sloping bonnet ahead of you. For a car that has undoubtedly been thrashed by journos, there weren’t any loose bits making prattling sounds. If there was one annoyance, it would be the vibrating gearstick that cheapened the experience ever so slightly.
That seat on the right is a great place to be.
6-speed manual tranny; supposedly quite rare in the 370Z.
The Zee is scruffed and well worn out, but functions perfect.
SynchroRev Match (SRM) is the 370Z’s party trick. In essence, there are sensors on the clutch pedal and shift lever that work together with a tuned ECU and a transmission speed sensor. Once you depress the clutch pedal, the ECU calculates the engine speed and automatically adjusts the electronic throttle. The SRM system also helps to balance the engine speed at the targeted rpm during upshifts, preventing any chugga-chugga moments when the revs dip too low. In normal cars with manual tranny, you need to blip the throttle ever so slightly to match the engine’s rpm with the speed of the lower gear to ensure a smooth downshift. This technique is regarded as the heel-and-toe and is fairly difficult to execute. The SRM system helps the driver execute perfect shifts every single time and for someone who hasn’t driven stick for a very long time, I found this a huge plus.
In the handling department, the Zee produced some contrasting results. Ride was harsh through surface pimples but over undulating road surfaces, the Zee bobbed around a lot – enough to sap away my driver confidence. German rivals tend to handle undulations better, providing a more hunkered down sensation. When the road quality improves and there is no obstructing traffic is when the Zee starts to properly shine. Its muscular nature devours plenty of tarmac in very little time and every corner carved helped to develop my trust in the Zee. Step hard on the brakes and you immediately get whoomped into the driver’s seat; they provide plenty of stopping power. Over the weekend, I met up with some folks from the Blue Jackets and I am happy to report that the Zee managed to keep up with a Camaro SS, 997S and even its older GT-R brother. On my regular test route, I managed to hit 270km/h in sixth before I had to back off the accelerator – very impressive, considering the numbers only go up till 280km/h.
Twin-tailpipes look really good, but does not sound as good as it looks.
Zee, not Zilla.
Cabin lights aren't very fancy, but I still enjoyed being in this cockpit.
As the saying goes; all good things come to an end, and this was not an end that I looked forward to. I know most readers would have compared the Zee to Zilla, but the two are inherently different cars. The GT-R is an absolute monster; mechanically pacey and sublime in handling whilst the 370Z on the other hand is much more raw. Zilla employs the shock & awe approach but Zee is that friend who nudges you into committing hooliganism, constantly engaging, always flattering the driver. Sure, it has it's quirks (did I mention how I never figured out how to open the boot from inside the car, despite having searched on Google?), but which car doesn't? It is difficult to pick between the two, but I will tell you this – I completely understand the 370Z.
Nissan 370Z: 0-100km/h & 0-190km/h acceleration - YouTube
Nissan Fairlady 370Z
• Zerotohundred: 4.9secs
• Top Speed: 270km/h (tested)
• Engine: 3.7L V6 (VLQ37VHR)
• Power: 333PS / 7,000 rpm
• Torque: 363Nm / 5,200 rpm
• Weight: 1466kg (kerb weight)
• Fuel Economy: N/A
• Wheels: 9.0 x 19" (front), 10.0 x 19" (rear)
• Tyres: 245/40 R19 (front), 275/35 R19 (rear) on RAYS 5-spoke forged alloys
• Price: RM380,987.07 (OTR with insurance)
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** View all the pictures of the Nissan Fairlady 370Z here.
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