THE ACFT WAS FOR SALE & THE PLT, WHO REPRESENTED HIMSELF AS BEING QUALIFIED TO FLY IT, WAS PERFORMING A PRE-PURCHASE FLT. HE REPORTED THAT HE INITIALLY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE FLYING THIS ACFT ALTHOUGH HE HAD PREVOUSLY OWNED A CESSNA 310. HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF SOME OF THE ACFT'S SWITCHES & MADE THE STATEMENT THAT IT WAS DARK INSIDE THE COCKPIT. DURING A STEEP TURN TO BASE, THE ENGS SPUTTERED. RWY 24 WAS NOTAMED CLOSED & THE RWY LITES WERE INOP. THE PLT STATED THAT WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGS SPUTTER, HE BECAME CONFUSED & ANXIOUS. HE STATED 'I GOT ANTSY PANTS, DID A 360 DEGREETURN, AND CRASHED.' THE ACFT IMPACTED HARD ON THE UNLIGHTED TAXIWAY PARLLELING RWY 24 IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE FULLY RETRACTED POSITION. THE STUDENT HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED TO SOLO IN A CESSNA 310. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE ON MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.