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First Impressions of my 370z


Twallis

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Hello. I'm sure there's been plenty of threads like this before but thought I'd share my thoughts of my 370z after a week of ownership. First of all, here's some pics after a wash and a layer of Dodo Juice wax.

 

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I've had the car a week now and I have to say that I am really pleased with it. To start with I have to comment on the looks; it looks fantastic. Pictures don't do the proportions justice. It's so squat and muscular and in my opinion has and will age better than the 350z. Although I do feel that well kept 350s may start to look a bit of a modern classic much like the original TT. It's quite an iconic shape. I love my satin black rims as well, they really set the car off and so far have been the main talking point with admirers.

 

Other plus points include the interior which has exceeded my expectations. Again, pictures don't do it justice as it is a nice place to be and professional write ups give the materials a bad wrap. The ergonmics are good though and almos on par with my outgoing Scirocco. The controls aren't too fussy and I managed to figure out the user interface reasonably quickly.

 

The GT version is so well kitted out. I love the Bose sound system which does sound premium over what I've had in the past and the interface isn't bad to use via the steering wheel.

The Satnav is great and I do like he detail it provides you with although already on a couple of occassions I'd question whether it provided the best route. My friend who owns a GTR also said he has often questioned the Satnav too but that said, you can edit the route. I like the various options you have for information to display on the touch screen (which is a decent touch screen) and the option for traffic info is really neat. My car has a reverse parking camera which is taking some getting used to as for years I've managed with the mirrors but it is a great feature and I'd recommend it to anyone. Sure, you can do without it but it's very useful, does away with the annoying beeps of 'div sensors' and it's also kind of cool! I haven't tried the full setting on the heated seats so I'll get back to you in October on that one. Likewise with the Xenons as I haven't driven the car in the dark. It's my first time with Xenons so I'm hoping they live up to my expectations. The headlights on my Scirocco were quite weak on dipped beam so I'm hoping to notice a real difference. The downside to the equipment is the trip computer, whilst it displays enough information I don't like the lack of a button on the stalks and for me the buttons on the instruments are hidden by the steering wheel. Not a major flaw though. Having electric seats is really nice too, the seats have great adjustability . It's taken me a little while to get the driving position right but I think I've nailed it now with the only downside seeming to be a little too much lumbar support for my liking. Initially I thought the lack of reach adjustment on the wheel would bother me but it seems absolutely fine, so far I've not felt like I've wanted this feature at all.

 

Now to the interesting part; driving the thing. First impressions when driving it away as my very own 370z were "christ, the steering is under assisted!". I still feel it's a little heavy and can be uncomfortable on the motorway as smaller adjustments just need slightly more input than my previous car. I'm getting used to the feel on twisty roads as it gives the impression of hustling the vehicle around bends. The car itself, to me anyway, doesn't feel too heavy on bends. I think the suspension is well sorted albeit for a some discomfort on particularly unkept roads. My Scirocco had Dynamic Chassis Control and I do miss the ability to swap suspension settings and the suppleness available from that car. My friends GTR is much smoother ride too although perhaps not as engaging and feels more of a GT. I think that's a key point actually, on second thoughts maybe the suspension on the Z make it feel more of a sports car than GT. I'm impressed with the engin so far which feels really strong, in fact the whole car feels solid and there's even a slightly agricultural feel to the gear shift, especially when up shifting. Downshifting is a dream though and my car stays in 'S-mode' which is such a clever system. I know for a fact too that the 370z has been used as a benchmark as far as rev matching systems are concerned because it works so well. I do like the mechanical noise of the clutch and flywheel, it's reminiscent of the 997 GT3 and is apparently a characteristic of a dual mass flywheel. The car nerd in me loves that even if I did find it a little unsettling at first (maybe for an hour or so... At most). Road noise on some surfaces is awful, I have to say but it's bareable and the stereo soon drowns this out. The engine and exhaust do sound OK although the latter lacks some sparkle on the overrun and is exactly why I'm going to for the Cybox short tails that are currently boxed up at home. Finally, boot space... it's ok... who cares!? It's a two seater with enough space for a couple of medium suitcases which is about all you need from this type of car (I hope).

Edited by Twallis
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Glad you're enjoying the car. Not sure if you will find short tails a bit too loud but I believe some members have fitted them and like the sound. Failing that, there's a great selection of after-market exhausts to choose from.

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Thanks guys. I wrote this fairly quickly on my phone earlier today.

 

I've got some reservations about the Cybox too but from what I've seen on YouTube I'm not sure which back box system I'd go for. Akrapovic is desirable because of the name but I'm not sure it's worth the premium... I'm not aiming to get a full system at the moment as this car might not be a long termer.

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Thanks guys. I wrote this fairly quickly on my phone earlier today.

 

I've got some reservations about the Cybox too but from what I've seen on YouTube I'm not sure which back box system I'd go for. Akrapovic is desirable because of the name but I'm not sure it's worth the premium... I'm not aiming to get a full system at the moment as this car might not be a long termer.

 

Can't question the quality of the Akro', but from what I've read the back box system isn't much louder than stock. You could consider a good value full system such as the Invidia Gemini. Then if you keep the stock system you can swap it back when you sell the car. There are usually plenty of buyers on here for an after-market system in good condition.

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Thanks guys. I wrote this fairly quickly on my phone earlier today.

 

I've got some reservations about the Cybox too but from what I've seen on YouTube I'm not sure which back box system I'd go for. Akrapovic is desirable because of the name but I'm not sure it's worth the premium... I'm not aiming to get a full system at the moment as this car might not be a long termer.

 

Can't question the quality of the Akro', but from what I've read the back box system isn't much louder than stock. You could consider a good value full system such as the Invidia Gemini. Then if you keep the stock system you can swap it back when you sell the car. There are usually plenty of buyers on here for an after-market system in good condition.

 

Re the Akro': I know the quality will be spot on and they look great (especially with the carbon tips) but I'm not sure it brings out the absolute best in the exhaust note. Having said that, I haven't heard one in action first hand yet, only from some YouTube surfing. I'll do some more research and then see what takes my fancy... watch this space...

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  • 2 months later...

As a new owner too I enjoyed your write up immensely, alas my GT Edition didn't come with SatNav or reverse camera but apart from that I can basically agree with you on every point you made. I had an XK Jag before this and a 2007 Shelby GT500 before that and you know what, I'm enjoying this ride so much more.

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As a new owner too I enjoyed your write up immensely, alas my GT Edition didn't come with SatNav or reverse camera but apart from that I can basically agree with you on every point you made. I had an XK Jag before this and a 2007 Shelby GT500 before that and you know what, I'm enjoying this ride so much more.

What was wrong with the Shelby, apart from horrific petrol consumption?

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post-26554-0-20727100-1440424731_thumb.jpg

As a new owner too I enjoyed your write up immensely, alas my GT Edition didn't come with SatNav or reverse camera but apart from that I can basically agree with you on every point you made. I had an XK Jag before this and a 2007 Shelby GT500 before that and you know what, I'm enjoying this ride so much more.

What was wrong with the Shelby, apart from horrific petrol consumption?

 

Quality issues, solid rear axel, straight line performance only, (back seat was a luxury ;)… I mean I shouldn't moan as at the time I loved the car but looking back I like my 370Z so much more. As for the 2007 XK Jag… the car isn't all that, that its made out to be and for a car that costs 100k new it was just not worth that much.

Edited by ukstang
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