Nissan 370Z review

We only drove the new 370Z on track, with a man sat next to us who wouldn’t let us switch off the ESP. And that was a bit irritating because the system isn’t very clever. It seems to cut power altogether – and at the merest hint of a slide – rather than meter it out. A Mustang’s traction control gives a load of slip before it reigns you back in, the 370’s gives none whatsoever, which makes driving it swiftly trickier and less satisfying than it ought to be. Unless you turn it off, plainly, something a car like this really demands. We’ll update this review when we’ve a) had a go without the TC and b) driven it on a real road. 

But that said, even though the 370 is not about outright speed the nat-asp engine is a strong and satisfying companion, if a little droney, and the manual gearbox gives a smooth and easy shift. Auto rev-matching is great on track, giving you time to concentrate on lines and braking points rather than what you’re doing with your feet. We’d love to tell you about the ride quality, but Silverstone is awfully smooth… Even on track it’s obvious the 370 isn’t especially firm, so it ought not to rattle and shake its way down a B-road like an old M3 with cut springs. Brakes are strong and pedal feel is good, and because the steering is still hydraulically-assisted you get a satisfying amount of heft. 

As for the Nismo, click here to read our review.