Recently a new re-fresh of the Nissan 370Z Nismo Edition was released at “ZDAYZ” on the west coast to much fanfare. Most of the people at the event were strong aficionados of the car so it’s only right that the car receive such praise there. But what about the hardcore guys like us that are not so so easily impressed? Is this car a complete overhaul from head to toe or is it just a revised sled with all the same performance parts? Keep reading and pass the judgement yourself.
This is the new 2015 Nismo 370Z. It’s quite the looker right? It sports the same built rear hind quarters as the previous version and the same, well mostly the same, front headlights and overall “Z” shape.
Here is a picture of the previous Nismo 370z vehicle captured by Nissan on their stint on the east coast. They look similar but even the novice eye can detect the differences right away. Most of these changes can be found within the front bumper alone. The newer Nismo 370Z offers a much more open front fascia. The Nissan press release states that certain aerodynamic cues were taken from the Nissan GT-R in order to enhance both cooling and downforce on the new Nismo Z. Right away we spotted these design influences and noted that the front daylight running lights are extremely similar to those of the GT-R
The all important badging and color symbolism is also present. Why, how would you be able to tell if your car wasn’t simply a built regular Nissan 307Z if it didn’t have the cool little badge on the left side and the red highlight just above the lower front spoiler.
This red stripe is actually something that Nismo Japan has been using for the past year now and is also present in the new 2015 Nismo GT-R. Above event the concept debuted at the 2014 LA Autoshow rocked this performance marker. So far I think Nissan/Nismo have been doing a good job in branding their performance cars.
Moving on to the rear, we see front bumper complementing vents protruding from the hind quarters of the all new 370Z. Unlike the Nismo GT-R, these rear vents seem to flow a bit more organically with the body than the strictly geometric ones found on the Nismo Godzilla (GT-R). The rear wing has also gotten a reduction in size, which might be a detractor to those who love everything bigger.
Cushioning prospective owners will also be a pair of Recaro seats with Alcantara inserts in all the right places, allowing auto-crossers or track junkies to take the car out to its limits without being jostled around like a bunch of maracas. The center red line on the steering wheel is a nice touch specially for those looking to take the car sideways; the red stripe would ultimately allow the driver to quickly correct or straighten the wheels of the car should they need to. Nissan also plans to offer some beefed up electronics in these new 2015 Nismo Z cars including a built-in hardrive, a rear view camera, and self dimming mirrors to name just a few.
To the dismay of many hardcore guys the V6 shown above remains the same and no extra sheets of Alcantara or aerodynamic improvements will suffice haha. Upping the power from a normal 370Z by about 18 horses, which the old Nismo Z did too, is somewhat of a let down for those truly needing this car to be faster on paper. To me 350 horsepower sounds great, to the guy that lost to an aftermarket beefed up BRZ at an autocross event, only more power will do. At least the gear ratios have been tinkered with and now acceleration comes a bit quicker if indeed one is looking to take this puppy on an autocross course.
So there you have it. The New 370Z is an all new styling and aerodynamic re-design with the same horsepower and a lot of Alcantara on the inside. Some will love it some will deplore it. All we can gather from meticulously studying the images is that Nismo is on the right path with their vehicles.
Not sure what judgement you want to pass on the newest Z34 Nismo 370Z ? Make sure to check out the gallery below and gawk at more of the great images provided to the press by Nissan.
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