2009 Nissan 370Z
by Jim Prueter -05/2009

The Z gets a makeover and a new name

Seems like the 350Z slipped into obscurity last year, with all the hype at Nissan focused on the super-fast super-everything Nissan GT-R that built a cult like following that started with video games. While everyone was looking at the GT-R, the designers and engineers at Nissan were completing a major overhaul of the Z car, the first since CEO Carlos Ghosn ordered its revival for 2003.

The new Z is shorter, wider, lower, has a stiffer suspension and is quicker than ever thanks to more horsepower from the V-6 engine borrowed from sibling Infiniti G37. Thus the name changes from 350Z (3.5-liter) to 370Z (3.7-liter).

The fourth-generation VQ series engine has been the workhorse for Nissan and its upscale Infiniti brand. It’s found in numerous products, from sedans to trucks to sporty coupes. With 332-horsepower, the rear-wheel drive Z cranks out a significantly noticeable 24, more than the previous generation 350Z.

Our Chicane yellow test Z came with a six-speed manual shifter with an optional sport package that includes Synchro-Rev Match transmission. This automotive first essentially eliminates heel-and-toe downshifting, where knowing drivers rev the engine with the pinky toe side of the right foot while keeping pressure on the brake pedal with the left side of the same foot, all while downshifting to a lower gear.

Ok, so you may have never heard of heel-and-toe shifting before. I did my best to learn the art from professional drivers at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix. (Sadly, after five days of trying, I only got it right about 10 percent of the time). When it worked, it worked beautifully. But I rank the art of heel-and-toe shifting right up there with learning to hit a golf ball 300 yards straight down the middle of the fairway.

But with the Synchro-Rev Match option, there isn’t anything to learn because sensors read what gear you are downshifting to and blip the throttle automatically to match the revs on the downshifts. Nice! The Z shifts and accelerates like a professional driver for perfectly butter-smooth, flawless rev-matching downshifts that transition into flat-out acceleration without making occupants’ heads slam back and forth like a bobble-head doll. You let Tiger hit your tee shot for you, so to speak.

For those who have perfected the art of heel-and-toe shifting, want to learn the technique on your own or just find the feature too annoying, you can switch the system off. Or, you can skip the manual shifter and opt for Nissan’s new seven-speed automatic that comes equipped with steering-wheel paddle shifters.

And while Nissan reworked the suspension and improved the ride over the previous generation Z, we still strongly recommend not trying to drink a cup of coffee without a lid while wearing a white shirt on your way to work. We still found the ride too firm and the seats too narrow to consider the car for a daily driver.

Along with the Synchro-Rev Match, the $3000 Sport Package includes huge Bridgestone Potenza P245/40R summer tires up front and even wider P275/35Rs on the rear, mounted on 19-inch RAYS forged wheels; limited slip differential; front and rear spoilers and larger front and rear brakes. Brembo brakes are no longer available. Handling, as one might expect, is incredible.

Outside, the new exterior is unmistakably Nissan Z and the untrained eye would be hard pressed to spot the differences over the previous generation. Noticeable changes include completely new boomerang-shaped head and taillamps, side glass that lead to the small quarter window that now angles upward rather than straight, more muscular rear fenders, a backlit “Z” emblem on the front fenders and a new front grille-valance that looks like the mouth of a catfish and is inspired by the nearly identical grille found on the GT-R.

The interior, which has always been a weak point for the Z, gets a complete makeover. The attractive dash gets soft-touch materials to replace the hard plastic, with the center controls, gearshift and moldings are covered in stitched leatherette, while brushed aluminum adorns instrument panel gauges, control knobs, around the center console shifter, door handles, cupholders, steering wheel controls, accelerator, brake, clutch and foot rest pedals. The steering wheel is thicker, and tilts but does not telescope.

The new 370Z is available as either a base with a starting price of $29,920, or the Touring model at $34,460. The Touring adds features like heated leather seats and BoseÔ audio system. This summer, a more powerful 350-horsepower NISMO edition and a 370Z roadster will be offered with a base price between $36,870 and $41,570, depending on which of three trim levels is chosen.

Standard safety equipment includes dual-stage front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags and roof-mounted curtain side-impact air bags. The 370Z has not been crash tested by either the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, as of this writing.

Overall, given its significant improvements and bargain price, we think the 370Z is perhaps the best bang-for-the-buck sports cars on the market today. But we just wouldn’t want to drive it on a daily basis.