I've been on record as hating the pics of the 370 but seeing it on Sunday has certainly proved to me that the photos don't do it justice. Its still a very fussy design, particularly compared to the 350, and from some angles its all bulges and awkward lines. However, some of the detailing is far cleverer than the photos would suggest (the complex curve at the trailing edge of the rear lights and shape of the roof, for example). The overall effect is still squat and a bit dumpy compared to a 350 though and details like the hoooooge wing mirrors and shapeless doorhandles don't help.
Sitting inside it definitely felt lower and sportier (I've always felt that you sit rather high in a 350 for a sports car) and the quality is a good few notches up in general. Saying that, there are some shockinging bad biits, like the incredibly flimsy switches on the steering which feel like they'd snap off after a week, and everything behind the rear seats seems to be done in the same grade plastic as the 350. The front glove compartment may be easier to get to but its much smaller than the one we've been used to behind the seats. That's gone and there are two open cubbies which should allow everything to slide around nicely.
The alcantara and leather seats (full leather is no longer available) were nice and, although apparently the same as the 350, seemed more supportive with an easy lumbar control. The colour is more orangey and less baby poo than the alezan ones and there's a swathe of alcantara on the door cards which is nice but is apparently easily marked if you use the bottle holders at the front of the door pockets. The centre console is nice but big and bulky and looks like it would be more suited to a large saloon or 4x4 than a sports car. I would say the boot is barely more usuable than ours with the strut brace - its shallower and the plastic over the suspension turrets encroaches so much that you'll still not get a suitcase in there. The roller cover to keep out prying eyes is handy though. (TBH when I had a sit in Jacko's TT-S afterwards it made the 370 look and feel crap...)
It was nice of them to let us start it up in the show room and the OEM exhaust sounds suitably fruity from outside. The engine itself didn't sound anything special but its not really a very representative test. The BOSE sounded OK and pretty powerful but as others have said its a bit disappointing to lose the spare wheel to get it.
Controversially, I didn't think the 18" wheels in themselves looked too bad - 19" will look better of course. The problem is once again the track/offset. The wheel arches are even more prominent than on a 350, yet the wheels still sit well in side them, and the pics on the 19's seem to be the same. Spacers and lowering anyone? I'm told the brakes are still Brembos but they were branded as Nissan on this P1 prototype and painted a dull black.
Obviously, this was a static viewing of a car which is about driving pleasure so most of the above matters little but I came away thinking "I wouldn't mind one" rather than the "I've got to have one" that consumed me after seeing a 350.
Middlehursts have said they will keep us updated and let us know when the demonstrators and literature are in.