The 350Z is one of our favourite sports coupés of the past decade and remains at the top of keen drivers' shortlists despite being on the market for five years now. At the LA Auto Show this week Nissan revealed in full its replacement, the new 370Z.

We've already published preliminary details on the 370Z, alongside with a few early photographs, but they don't do justice to just how new looking the 350Z's replacement is; it's a unique shape that could only have come from the Nissan school of sportscar design. In the detailing there are several nods to Z-cars of the past, while the steeply sloping roofline pays homage to the 370Z's big brother, the GT-R. There are too many lovely new bits to detail here, but our favourites are the new side indicator - which has been incorporated into the iconic Z badge - and the boomerang-shaped front and rear lights.

Style aside, the 370Z promises to be at least as good a car as its precursor. At its heart is a mostly new 3.7-litre V6 with trick variable valve timing and lift and a 7,000rpm redline. Although definite outputs have yet to be homologated, European buyers are likely to have about 330bhp and 270lb.ft at their disposal, naturally channelled to the rear wheels. Surprisingly, the 370Z is 100mm shorter in the wheelbase than the 350Z, though wider and apparently lighter too.

A new seven-speed automatic gearbox debuts on the 370Z, with paddle shifters mounted to the steering column, while the standard six-speed manual has undergone some modification, including what Nissan is referring to as the world's first "Synchro Rev Control", which seemingly alters the engine speed to suit the next gear, as the driver selects it. We hope this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of rev matching for yourself.

The pictures portray a much-improved two-seat cockpit - one of the few criticisms of the outgoing car. Larger instruments feature, though they still move with the steering column and feature stylised graphics, while there appears to be a soft-touch material applied to most of the cabin. Additionally, Nissan has improved practicality in the rear, by removing the visible strut brace and offering a load cover and other storage options.

We'll be keen to get our hands on the new Z-car in the New Year, with European buyers taking delivery from April 2009.

Shane O' Donoghue - 19 Nov 2008