YOU can’t help but fear for Nissan’s big, traditional and simple 370Z in today’s world of super-talented Porsche Caymans and muscular Audi TT RSs.

Having made its debut in 2009 - an age ago in the fast-moving motoring world - it’s not really kept up with the pace of its rivals and you’d think Nissan would have already changed its two-seat, rear-drive sports car’s recipe to keep it fresh.

It could perhaps be considered foolish that it hasn’t - the TT RS is now a proper driver’s car and the Cayman, in all its guises, remains pound-for-pound royalty, so where does the 370Z fit in?

In a very small, niche segment, is the answer. It has a manual gearbox and, whereas its rivals are turbocharged, the 370Z has stayed true to its naturally aspirated ethos and that mighty 3.7-litre V6 - although an engine that’s been around for decades - remains an integral part of its appeal.

Painted in the striking ‘Infra Red’ hue, which has a lovely gold fleck to it in the sun, it still looks the part in my eyes. There’s that classic two-seat, front-engined look so there’s a long, sweeping bonnet and the seats appear to be sitting an inch away from the rear wheels. It’s a familiar sight so there’s nothing new to report on, but what you do get is a great looking car which looks good from every angle.

Open the flimsy door and things go downhill somewhat - there’s a lot of cheap-feeling plastic and some of its switchgear appears to have been taken from a 1992 Nissan Sunny. Although the driving position is great, this interior will not sway a Porsche or an Audi owner away.

Luckily I’m a forgiving person when it comes to a car’s interior quality and if there’s character lurking beneath, it can easily claw back points - something which the 370Z immediately does as soon as you prod the starter button.

Its engine, although an elderly beast, has bags of personality and muscle. It fires up with a gorgeous V6 tone and settles into an unsteady idle - a characteristic of its lightened flywheel - but the noise it gives off is something the Cayman’s turbocharged four-cylinder units can only dream of.

Its steering feels heavy but somewhat aloof, its manual gearbox has a short-throw action to it which is a joy to use, but its clutch takes no prisoners. It’s a no-nonsense, miniature muscle car with a simple set up and all of its 330bhp is sent to its wide rear tyres.

That can be a problem in the wet. Even with every electronic aid on, the 370Z can be described as a ‘handful’ and bites at the slightest squeeze of the throttle. It’s not dangerous as you expect but given it’s a heavy car, people driving it for the first time could easily be caught out by its tendency to snap into oversteer under minimal acceleration in the rain.

Its 1,500kg weight is on the porky side, so don’t think it feels light and nimble on its feet through corners. It manages to feel quite taut and its damping is judged well for the UK’s roads, but there’s quite a lot of roll.

The big brakes are more than a match for the engine’s power, though, but the 370Z is not a car you want to grab and throw into corners as it’s quite a laidback cruiser and does not feel like an out-and-out sports car, despite Nissan’s claims.

But it’s the engine that dominates the whole experience and no matter how many flaws other aspects have, put your foot down in third gear and I dare anyone not to instantly forget about its foibles. It’s an infectious process, free from the snags of any laggy turbos, and it howls to 7,000rpm.

Its throttle feels quite spongy - a surprise for a naturally aspirated car - and it doesn’t do much before 3,500rpm but it soon picks up and is helped by a healthy dose of V6 torque. Its top speed matches the TT RS at 155mph, although the Nissan cannot hope to match the four-wheel-drive tractability of the Audi, despite the 370Z registering a respectable 0-60mph time of 5.1 seconds.

In many ways it reminds me of Subaru’s WRX STi. Its days might be numbered, but it offers something completely different and is a unique car in today’s market. It has a manual gearbox, it’s rear-wheel-drive, it’s naturally aspirated - all major plus points - but its traditional set up will only appeal to the minority.

I grew to forgive its problems. Cars like this won’t be around for much longer so now is the time to embrace them. The 370Z is one of the last of a dying breed and will be remembered fondly because of its magnificent engine.