Nissan 370Z Coupe Black Edition (Price, as tested, £33,645) (From Living Northeast)

Nissan 370Z Coupe Black Edition (Price, as tested, £33,645)

5:31pm Tuesday 10th August 2010 in

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THE 370Z rolled up looking like something that had been designed by specialists in stealth warfare.

Shrouded in black, as its name suggests, it cut a sinister silhouette. If cars can be good or evil this one was definitely on the side of the baddies.

Introduced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Nissans famous Z cars, the Black Edition has a limited run in Europe of, yes you guessed it, 370.

In addition to what you get on the standard two-seater, this model comes with dark grey 19ins aluminium forged RAYS wheels, red brake calipers and an anniversary emblem on the rear.

Inside theres red leather and suede seats and door trim, again featuring that logo, a leather wrapped steering wheel with red stitching, further stitching on the centre cluster, centre console and knee pads and a touchscreen satellite navigation and audio system.

Additionally, the Black Edition comes with a special body paint that is designed to heal itself in the event of the inevitable stone chips.

Like all 370Zs, this one is powered by a 3.7 litre V6 engine packing 322 brake horsepower and 268lb/ft of torque.

Thats an increase on its predecessor, the 350Z, and more than enough to trouble some of the best and far more expensive sports cars out there, with 0-62mph coming up in just 5.3 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph.

Power is nothing without control though, and the 370z is very refined despite these impressive figures.

That comes courtesy of a rear-wheel drive chassis that features fully independent suspension, upgraded brakes and speed-sensitive power steering.

In addition, Nissan has allied its six-speed gearbox to a remarkable piece of kit, dubbed Synchro Rev Control. This allows even the novice driver to perfect, or should it be give the impression of perfecting, heal and toe gear changes. The feature matches engine revs to road speed, blipping the throttle in the process.

If youre a braver man than me it is possible to disengage the function and do the hard work yourself.

While theres plenty of grip on offer, you are always aware of the potential for mishaps and, when giving it the beans, I was never quite able to shift the butterflies from my stomach.

In cruising mode, the 370Z wafts along the motorway almost effortlessly. The ride is firm, as you might expect, but not bone jarring, and given a decently maintained stretch of road, offers a decent amount of comfort.

As with its predecessor, one of the first things you notice when firing up the engine is the noise coming out of the twin exhausts. However, unlike the 350Z I didnt find it anywhere near as engaging. Whereas the latter sounded like you were unleashing hell, the 370Zs sound is significantly less violent. It is still possible to generate a fearsome amount of decibels, but presumably because of increased sound-proofing, you have to work the accelerator hard to hear it. If you do not the soundtrack becomes a background hum rather than something more anthemic.

On the inside, Nissan has responded to criticism of the standard of fit and finish in the 350Z and has upped its game.

The seats hold you in place well when driving becomes energised and there's plenty of room for those afforded the privilege of sitting within its cockpit.

Vision out of the pillbox rear screen is still restricted, but the wing mirrors are large enough to reduce the need to look out the back unless it becomes necessary.

Nissan has also managed to fix a problem associated with the 350Z which caused the rear view mirror to vibrate violently as you thundered along.

The rear strut brace has also been lowered and there's space behind the seats for carrying valuables.

The size of the boot is obviously a secondary issue, but theres still enough room for a weekend suitcase or a couple of bags of shopping.

Overall, Nissan has made significant steps forward with the 370Z and the Black Edition is certainly a showstopper visually, but in making the car more refined they seem to have stripped it of the previous models rawness, something that appealed to me and made it one of my all time favourites.