Nissan 370Z GT Edition - iDrive

The 370z has always been a bruiser of a sports car, with its V6 engine, rear-wheel drive handling and clunky controls resulting in a great, if uncivilised, driving experience. And the new GT Edition – a nod to 40 years of the “Z”– is no exception.

Essentially a revised 370z with tweaked suspension and better sound insulation – to combat the 370z’s perennial problems of booming road noise and a spine-crashing ride – it delivers a new purity of handling and sharp acceleration. Though its 0 to 60 time still isn’t great for a two-seater with 300- plus of horse power, and its exhaust lacks the guttural roar you’d hope for in a “weekend”sports car. Not that you’ll be able to manage a long Saturday drive, because despite improvements it still suffers from a punishing ride and ear-bashing road noise (in heavy rain it sounds like the boot is flooding).

Thankfully the GT Edition boasts a stack of new kit as standard, including sat-nav and a reversing camera. And you won’t miss it from the outside either. A pair of pronounced grey go-faster stripes run along the side sills and dark chrome alloys add a dose of danger. Though the stripes on my test model soon started to peel off after a lively A-Road run. Broken bling aside, the GT Edition is an attractive car in a more liveable driving package. Nissan racing fans will love it. But after 40 years of practise, you’d have hoped the Japanese boffins would have come up with something just a little more special.

THE COMPETITION

It’s £4,000 more expensive but the Porsche Cayman is better to drive and easier to live with. The Mazda MX5 offers all the fun without the hefty price tag

NISSAN 370Z GT EDITION

Price: £35,000

Engine capacity: 3.7l V6

Power output (PS @ rpm): 328 @ 7000

Max torque (Nm @ rpm): 363 @ 5200

Top speed (mph): 155 0-62 mph (seconds): 5.3

Fuel economy (mpg): 26.6

CO2 emissions (g/km): 248