By: Bill Zervakos
The Nissan Z-car has a long and storied history of building exciting performance sports cars and the latest iteration is no exception. The test car was powered by the 332 horsepower V6 mated to a six-speed manual transmission which made for a lot of driving fun. The 2011 370Z design remains unchanged from the updated in 2009 and shares several mechanicals from the Infiniti G Coupe including the potent 332 horsepower CVTCS engine. My only squawk with the power plant was the fact that it is a pretty high revving engine ergo a bit noisy under heavy load. A minor problem to be sure, but for an old big torque dinosaur like me, noticeable.
The lines -of the new Z-car are very sleek and muscular with hefty haunches that add to the aggressive stance. Once inside you know you’re in a sports car as the seats are deep and pretty comfortable. Touring models look even more high-class thanks to their leather upholstery and upgraded faux suede door inserts. The ergonomics are easy to figure out, but I have to admit that the seat controls being squished between my right thigh and the console leaves a little to be desired.
Driving the 370Z is definitely a thrill. The ride while taut is not overly harsh and if you’re not a fan of a firm riding vehicle, you’re probably looking at the wrong car. The 332 horsepower engine is very responsive and the car handles well and when zipping into turns. If you have to stop in a hurry, no worries, the available 4-piston front calipers haul the Z-car to a swift and secure stop in just over 100 feet from 60 miles per hour. 
Bottom line, with the base price on the 370Z Touring starting at just over $36,000, the 370Z a great buy. It’s sexy looking relatively comfortable even for big boys. It performs very well, numbers range from 5.1 to 5.5 seconds getting from 0-60, and does so while getting an EPA rating of 19/26 with a combined average of 23 mpg with the standard transmission. If you haven’t driven a Z-car lately, maybe you should check out the 2011 370Z Touring Coupe. I think you’ll like it as much as I did.
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