The 2018 Nissan 370Z feels poised to shuffle off this mortal coil spring in the not-too-distant future.
Riding on a platform that has seen only the most cosmetic of updates since it was first introduced in 2009, the
370Z‘s downward trajectory in terms of interest from both customers and
Nissancorporate reflects the generally poor reception for sports coupes in a market swamped by SUVs. Riding high is the new riding low in a world where conspicuous consumption is best displayed at twice the 370’s heft.
Still, there’s a lot of history wrapped up in the Z badge, dating back to the early ’70s when the original 240Z put
Nissan (then Datsun) on the map in North America as a purveyor of more than just affordable, economical commuters. With an emphasis on performance that couldn’t be found at Toyota or Honda, and featuring an alluring entry-level price, sports car fans weren’t able to resist its European-inspired long-hood, short-deck styling, making the S30-generation Z car a massive success.