The 370Z Coupe is one of two sport cars which Nissan offers, alongside the incredibly fast GT-R coupe. The two-door 370Z is an alternative for car buyers possibly also considering the likes of the BMW Z4, Audi TT and Porsche Boxster.

There’s currently three specifications sold for the 370Z, the standard trim, the GT model and the Nismo derivative. The latter has several performance-enhancing tweaks which result in a much more striking exterior design.

Nissan’s performance arm Nismo has been around for decades, but we’ve only seen it come to the mainstream UK line-up in the last year, first in the crossover Juke, then the 370Z and also the flagship GT-R version.

The 370Z Nismo like other high-powered coupes is aimed predominantly at driving enthusiasts. Particularly with the new body kit attached, the 370Z Nismo is likely to attract the attention of track day enthusiasts.

The biggest qualm here however is the price – it costs £37,015 which is a whole £10k more than the standard model – with, arguably, little extra to offer. Still, it’s an attention-seeking model which attracts lots of glances on the road, although some can be hostile.

Performance

All 370Z models use a 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine. For the standard and GT trim specifications, this unit produces a tantalising 323bhp.

In the range-topping Nismo specification, which we tested, the V6 engine produces as much as 339bhp. This allows the coupe to cover the benchmark sprint in 5.2 seconds. That might sound more impressive if it weren’t only 0.1 seconds faster than the standard 370Z.

While the performance feels impressive for the cheaper standard and GT models, it seems hard to justify it as a Nismo model on that teeny difference, even if there is uprated suspension and brakes and a sports exhaust.

It’s fun for straight-line acceleration though in low gears – 1st, 2nd and 3rd but above that, it’s a little disappointing, lacking the responsiveness in the higher gears that you’d expect from an out-and-out sports car.

If you consider this is the tuning arm of Nissan - its equivalent of BMW’s M line or Mercedes’ AMG – the driver should feel connected and passionate about this car. Instead though you come away feeling that it’s a little, well, bland.

There are a few rivals to consider here, such as the Peugeot RCZ R which has a 1.6-liter THP petrol unit delivering 266bhp. This is more on a par from a badge appeal perspective then other alternatives.

The RCZ R does 62mph in 6.1 seconds, 1 second slower, but it costs £31,995, a whopping saving therefore compared to the Nismo. Admittedly, it’s more of a warm, comfortable sports coupe opposed to the Nismo, billed as a raucous enthusiast car, but nonetheless offers a better all-round package.

Ride and Handling

The 370Z is sharp and offers a lot of grip through the corners but it is noticeably firm on the road as well.

The 370Z is sharp and offers a lot of grip through the corners but it is noticeably firm on the road as well. Suspension is predictably harder on the Nismo version, which means that it’s best on track and certainly not as an everyday car. Add in the lowered bodykit, and every speed bump becomes an arduous task to overcome. Handling isn’t as good as you’d hope either way for a performance-led introduction to the range. The car feels quite weighty, like it’s going to provide excellent grip, but in reality, there’s very little feedback and it will quite easily lose the back end coming fast out of corners. Add to this the lack of visibility thanks to the rear spoiler and overall design, and it’s hard to have faith in this car to truly push its limits, say, compared to a Porsche Boxster, which is in the same price range.

Interior and Equipment

In the UK, Nissan has previously promoted the 370Z with an advert that sees the coupe race against a chicken.

The interior of this car looks dated, looking overly familiar to Nissans of the past few years. It needs an upgrade, but if you have your heart set on this car, it probably won’t faze you. Standard kit on the 370Z is good, but then again, it needs to be for the price. Interior spec includes satnav, rear view camera, iPod connectivity, cruise control, heated seats and lots of Nismo-styled stuff like the logo, red stitching and a leather/alcantara steering wheel. That trend continues on the exterior, particularly the Nismo derivative, which adds a dark grey Nismo spoiler, 19-inch super-lightweight alloys, dual exhaust and rear Nismo logo. The 370Z Nismo certainly receives the look-at-me treatment, looking dramatically different to the standard model.

Cost

For the same kind of budget you need for a 370Z, the very good BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster are viable alternatives.

If you’re seriously considering this car, regardless of specification choice, you won’t give a flying proverbial about running costs. For the record, official combined economy is 26.6mpg while CO2 emissions are 248g/km. These figures apply to all specifications of the 370Z, when using the standard six-speed manual gearbox. The seven-speed automatic gearbox (not available for the Nismo) improves these numbers slightly to 26.9mpg and 245g/km. While we mentioned the potential price saving if you opt for the RCZ R, there are other rivals more similarly priced cars to the 370Z range which are worth mentioning. For the same kind of budget you need for a 370Z, the very good BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster are viable alternatives. The Z4 sDrive28i M Sport costs £37,390 and achieves 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds while a standard Porsche Boxster 2.7 is priced at £39,350. The Boxster offers 34.4mpg and 192g – a considerable tax saving – while the equivalent Z4 is even more impressive at 41.5mpg and 159g/km.

Our Verdict

Here’s a summary: it has big brakes and a big engine; if you go for the Nismo derivative you get a big wing and big bodykit and little else for an extra £10k over the standard model. The 370Z Nismo will likely feel most comfortable and entertaining when taken to a track day event. Away from a race track, however, and the driving experience turns a whole lot more uncomfortable in general. The standard and GT trim versions of the 370Z offer similar performance for less money and are easier to live with. However, even then this coupe is noticeably less refined and comfortable then its German rivals. Consider what else you can buy for the money, and only a true Japanese car enthusiast would seriously contemplate this motor.