Motortrend tests 2015 Nismo 370Z

Nargrakhan

Can personally confirm that the 15 Nismo Z makes heads turn on the highway and downtown. The Z is an already uncommon car compared to 'stangs and 'vettes in my area, and the redesigned bodykit brings more attention because it's new. Most plebs don't pay attention to Nissan outside of an Altima and maybe the Titan, so a few have even asked me if it's a new model.

Now for the pricing and performance? Yea... Nissan has gone off the deep end with charging so much for so little. You can get a more powerful car for less. That being said, call me an elitist prick, but I'm somewhat prideful because the car is overpriced, it lowers the likelihood of it becoming a common sports car. I get petty egotistical boost from not seeing a single Z -- let alone the 15 Nismo -- after driving a few hours on the road.

Somewhat disappointed to hear she's the slowest of her sisters, but seeing how I don't bother with racing or tracks, not something I'm gonna lose sleep over. Not a professional shifter, so TBH that tenth of a second difference is meaningless because if it came down that kind of lightning fast driving reflex, it would take me extra tenths longer.

osbornsm

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DLSTR

M3 performance without the price. I loved my Z and still enjoy seeing them. Was time for something new. The Z served well. The Randy Pobst review of the 235 sold me as well as my multi hour test drive.

Hopefully the next Z will be worth investigating and owning. The literal BMW forum butt pain over the M235i is hilarious! The broken and confused egos over the naming is pathetic lol. BMW named it and the world ended lol. I keep telling them to fly to Munich and fix it.

I would have bought it no matter. M means nothing to me. It's a name. I bought it because the drive was superb. I could care less what anyone thinks about my ride. In Germany the 235 gets plenty of attention. I'd own it if it didn't. What people look at or don't look at is their problem.
The Nismo review seemed honest. It's a known car but showing its age. Nice package but I paid less for my M235 44k as a demo model end of model year 2014 production. Sticker was 50k+

mishuko

well the 'M'235 is just the 135... although they offer x-drive on those thing and i can only imagine how retardedly fun it is (i have had the luxury of a 335xi). there are rumors about a M2 as a true 'm-series' which will be interesting to see how such a small car works.

as for the reviews... well... i would never compare this car to an entry luxury brand. if you want apples to apples compare it to 'reasonably priced' sports car... such as the camero/mustang/genesis area... again everything is subjective. i personally like lack of technology so i can focus on what the car is supposed to do... DRIVE!

DLSTR

You realise the 2 series is significant change from the 1 series. Go drive one. It will surprise you. M235i is a superb driving car.
The renderings of the M2 look very aggressive. Will be interesting to see it and the new Z in the near future.
Tech doesn't bother me. One does not have to employ it at all times. The Z is not that low tech to begin with.

m4a1mustang

I tested a M235i recently and enjoyed it. Very nice car, good balance, just the right size. A lot of fun.

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mishuko

It's essentially the rebranding and marketing that got you there. I'm not saying it's a crappy car by any means but it's just rebranded new generation of the 1 series to the new '2-series'. Well their entire line up actually being rebranded to accomodate for sedan vs coupe. I do think the 2 series > 4 series personally though in terms of looks. I haven;t driven either one so I cannot say how they perform... but very easy on the eyes!


The thing about tech for me is it's great to have but also a distraction from my driving experience. even the triple cluster on the Z (as useful as they are) threw me off a bit as I have never had those guages in any other car I've driven. It's all about preferences... I actually liked the 08 335xi as bland as the internals were because it gave you just enough information but not overwhelming enough to take away from the driving. I have driven a 13' 335xi with all the bells and whistles... again great car but I'm just not a fan of some of the new technology being implemented into cars. Call me old school

This is also one of the reasons why I was leaning toward the Z because of the rawness in the car. I like it raw!

BrandonT

It's not a simple rebranding any more than a 370Z is just a rebrand of a 350Z.

murphman

What makes you think a factory TT Z could touch a GTR in performance? People are not even putting up GTR numbers with a TT Z rated at 600 hp. I guess it is impossible for Nissan to make a TT Z in the 400-450 hp range because it will smoke a GTR...

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DavidZ370

edk370

The Z car is not Nissan's halo car like the GT-R. The Z32TT was, back when JDM cars like the Skyline GT-R weren't marketed in the U.S. But the Z32 TT's price reflected its "halo car" status, and Nissan and the other Japanese car manufacturers saw the waning market for twin turbo sports cars and had to pull out.

The Z was originally meant to be a cheaper alternative to the Vette and more in the same league as the Camaro or Mustang or any 2-seat affordable sports car. Nissan is returning to that mission. And I doubt Nissan will ever make the Z the halo, monster sports car it once was like the Z32 TT.

I still pine for the Z32 TT.

DavidZ370

I envy your 235 but the GTI is a wrap haha

mab864

I think it's a pretty honest write up too. There's really not that much different with the car... it's a refresh at best. And we all already know it's a lot of money for the performance. But I've heard of folks getting a few thousand off retail on even the '15 Nismo so that makes the $$$ a bit more palatable. I was hoping the lower final drive would help the performance a little more. I may be more disappointed about that than anything else. And I think we all get a lot more excited about the seats than anyone else. I do still love them even if they're a pain to adjust and completely manual. I'd like to have a set.

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RicerX

This writeup is ok, until it gets to the closing remarks - then it becomes a completely terrible writeup.

Author compares the car to a BRZ and a base Mustang in an effort to illustrate how he feels the car is overpriced. That is completely retarded. If you want to compare base to base, then let's talk about the base Z being $29k vs a $25k Mustang or $25k BRZ. Not a base Mustang or BRZ being compared to a NISMO Z. Completely stupid, mailed-in comparison.

A Mustang GT with Track pack is the only Mustang out there right now similarly equipped to a NISMO Z (LSD, Forged wheels, upgraded brakes and seats), and then you're talking nearly $40k if not more (I don't recall off the top of my head, but it's a hell of a lot closer comparison than the clown that wrote the article).

I don't have a problem with any of the other stuff he said in the article. What pisses me off is, like so many other people that bash the Zs pricing, this guy is right in line with terrible logic in comparing the Z to any other car - not understanding the market in which it sits, and furthermore, he is not educated enough on market segmentation, product portfolios, or product differentiation. A base Mustang with an open diff and Ford Fusion wheels and brakes should be priced $15k underneath this car. There will be enough evidence to support that if you were to test drive the two next to each other on their figure 8 track.

I cannot stand misinformation due to laziness, and this article is a prime example of why.

MC

I sort of agree with parts of the closing sentiment. Im really looking for a good solid daily driver next year I can autocross and really use like a normal car ( which is something I cant with my current car) not to mention I want to get back into a Z after 6 years off and not just any Z but it must be a NISMO.

I really like the looks ( although it needs the previous year wing) but mid 40's for the performance it offers really makes the part about fun but hard to justify buying ring true.

we are so close to the end of the Z34 life cycle and Nissan knows they have to really rethink the platform to stay competitive or honestly become competitive again. so I love the car would kill for one in black but its hard to pull a 45-46K trigger on mediocre performance from a car that is in the final lines of its swan song. If I could drive one everyday I would pick it over most cars under 60-70K but having to pay the price of admission for what it is..is a little tough to swallow. another problem is there is hardly any dealer margin in these cars. dealer cost to MSRP is like 4K. I can get one of these for straight dealer cost and it is still pushing over 40K at that.

If anything this makes me horribly regret getting rid of my 2007 NISMO 350z.

almost have to wait and see what a Z35 or Z35 NISMO offers at this point


and again that is hard to say as I really want one of these cars and my heart says yes but I step back and think about it and the logical side tells me to sit tight and wait

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