2011 Nissan 370Z Sports Cars

The 2011 Nissan 370Z Sports Cars. Style, power and impressive handling make the Nissan 370Z a tough competitor in the affordable sports car class.
Available as a coupe or a roadster, reviewers agree that it is the Z is a lot of car for the money, although its price does approach that of luxury sports cars.

Consumers on the hunt for an affordable sports car should check out the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and the Ford Mustang. Opt for the GT trim, and the Mustang will match the Nissan 370Z straight line performance, while offering nimble handling by muscle car standards. The 2011 Nissan 370Z is available as a coupe or a roadster and in three available trims: base, Touring and Nismo.

As a rear-wheel-drive, two-seat sports car with a fixed roof, the Nissan 370Z coupe is in a very small class. Toyota watered down and then discontinued the Celica, leaving the likes of Hyundai's Genesis coupe and Ford's Mustang, which admittedly are larger cars. The 2010 Nissan 370Z stays true to the original Datsun Z-car's promise of sports-car performance, but in today's market, Nissan — and the potential Nissan 370Z buyer — needs to keep an eye on the price and the competition.

I've long been leery of cars that look like fish, and the Z-car was a founding member of the Angry Grouper Design Movement. For 2010, a 40th Anniversary Package adds an exclusive exterior color, special badging, a platinum-smoke wheel finish, red brake calipers and a custom car cover.
Our car's Sport Package replaces the standard 18-inch alloy wheels with 19-inchers shod with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer tires rated P245/40R19 in front and P275/35R19 in back. The ride quality of that sport-tuned car was punishing enough to earn it the unfortunate nickname "Punish Me Nismo." Our 2010 test car was much more comfortable, even when equipped with the Sport Package's 19-inch wheels.

Nissan's six-speed is one of the Cars.com editors' favorite transmissions. Included in the Sport Package, the Nissan-exclusive SynchroRev Match feature automatically blips the throttle when you downshift, matching the revs perfectly.

Historically, drivers of turbocharged engines had to accept turbo lag at low engine speeds and power peaks at high rpm. The Z's 3.7-liter isn't what I'd call peaky, but both torque and power increase gradually with engine speed. The 332-torque peak comes at 7,000 rpm — just shy of the 7,500 rpm redline — and the maximum 270 pounds-feet of torque arrives at 5,200 rpm. Frankly, I'd like more torque, but the car doesn't stumble upon launch, either.

Like most low-volume sports cars, it's unlikely to be tested in the future.Other standard safety features include antilock brakes with four-wheel discs and an electronic stability system with traction control. How about a 412-hp, V-8-powered Mustang GT? Z-car shoppers might not consider a Mustang, but they definitely should.

Though it has adopted more technology and features than past Z cars, the 2010 Nissan 370Z remains a straightforward sports car. Whether you choose the coupe or Roadster, you get two seats, a modest cargo area, and a 3.7-liter, 332-horsepower engine. Both coupe and Roadster are available with either a seven-speed automatic or six-speed manual with Synchro-Rev matching, and a choice of several trim levels.

Nissan 370Z The overall proportions are short, wide, and low--in short, sporty.
Standard airbags include front, side, and, on the coupe, roof-mounted side-curtain units. The Roadster's standard specification includes Bluetooth, XM Satellite Radio with real-time traffic, power leather seats with ventilation, and HID headlights.