Nissan chops $10,000 off 370Z’s base price

Every time we’ve reviewed Nissan’s 370Z, Porsche’s Cayman isn’t far from our minds. The Cayman is the better sports car, but the Nissan is a serious value, offering, say, 85 per cent of the Porsche’s all-round performance at two-thirds of the price.

With that comparison in mind, consider that Nissan has just slashed $10,000 off the 370Z’s price for 2016 to create a new base model called the “Enthusiast Edition” coupe. Aside from being a transparent ploy to drive sales of an aging model — the current 370Z was introduced in 2009 — it also spins the Boxster versus Z argument sharply in Nissan’s favour.

Nissan hasn’t given us full details of the Enthusiast Edition’s feature content, but it’s an easy assumption it will come with less standard kit than the next-up, carried-over Touring model, which retains its $40K pricetag. That said, the new base trim includes black-finish 18-inch wheels, bi-Xenon headlights, automatic climate control, Bluetooth and USB connectivity; one thing we know the new “stripper” model does without is leather seats, which get traded for cloth chairs, but still, it’s clear the point of this car is not to make you regret what you don’t get for that 10 large.

For 2016, the 370Z line also includes the aforementioned Touring trim, a Touring Sport model at $43,998, and a Touring Sport 7AT trim that will sell for $45,498. A NISMO 6MT model will go for $47,998, while convertible models will range in price from $49,498 to $54,998.

The 2016 Nissan 370Z will be in showrooms in late Spring.