Nissan 350Z

Nissans muscular 350Z has developed into a modern classic. The latest models been pumping even more iron. Andy Enright reports

It probably happens far less often than youd imagine. When it comes to bringing a car to market, rarely do manufacturers manage to hit the nail squarely on the head first time. Often it takes a few revisions, the odd swing and miss, in order to get things right but Nissans 350Z was brilliant right from the get go. It made cars like the Audi TT, the Alfa Romeo GTV and Mazda RX-8 suddenly appear clumsy and overcomplicated.

The formula was simple; a beefy normally-aspirated V6 engine, drive going to the back wheels, a beautifully-balanced chassis and bodywork that was cleanly styled and which has worn its years supremely well.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value

Its difficult to believe the 350Z came to market way back in 2003 but such has been the sales success that not a lot has needed doing. The engine got a mild tweak for more power, the cabin received a few nips and tucks and there were microscopic exterior changes but aside from that, it was business as usual. The latest car features an engine that shares only 20 per cent of its parts with its predecessor and some extensive trim changes. Despite this, its still obviously a 350Z.

Nissans VQ35 engine was voted as one of the top ten engines in the world for twelve successive years from 1996 and the judges have had it spot on. Smooth, characterful and with plenty of torque, this engine has been overhauled for 2007 with extensive changes to pistons, conrods, cranks, valve gear and pretty much every other moving part at the business end of this unit. Now developing 309bhp, aided by a twin ram air intake system, the revised engine revs to 7,500rpm (up 500rpm on the old unit) yet will develop 90 per cent of its 385Nm torque figure at a mere 2,000rpm. Handling and ride remains similar with lateral grip marginally improved by the standard fitment of sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres.

Straight line performance remains strong with 60mph coming and going in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 155mph easily attainable. Opt for the slightly heavier Roadster variant and youll add 0.4s to the sprint to 60.

The steering, while not as weighty as early models, still has some heft at speed and theres still that reassuringly mechanical vibe that travels up the short throw gear lever. Want to dumbfound your friends? Let them know that the 20 per cent stiffer oil pump rotor material was what sealed the deal for you during the test drive.

"Rare is the person who drives a Nissan 350Z and comes away unimpressed"

The good news for dyed in the wool Zed Heads is that the exterior has been left largely as is. Theres a bonnet bulge to accommodate the slightly taller engine but Nissan even have a handy historical precedent to fall back on in the comely shape of the 240Z, which also sported a bonnet bulge. The 350Zs cabin is never going to win any style awards but its better built than before and the seats are fantastic. Visibility out of the car is good and detailing makes a valiant attempt at creating that special feel you want from a sports coupe.

The beefy rear cross brace that ruins carrying capacity in the coupe remains present as do the changes that were introduced at the last but one tinkering. These include more storage cubbies about the cockpit, including a map net in the passenger footwell and a more practical centre console compartment which incorporates a cup holder. Three additional exterior paint finishes are on offer. The popular Sunset colour scheme has been pensioned off, replaced by Temper Orange which contains a waspishly subtle green flip.

Gun Metal Grey and Azure Blue are also ditched, replaced by Twilight Grey and Night Blue. Solid Red, Universal Silver and Ebisu Black continue as before. The interior gets a pale grey finish called Frost which can also be ordered in Roadster form with a contrasting grey soft top. There are effectively four 350Z models; Coupe and Roadster in either entry-level or GT form.

Youll need £26,795 for a coupe and £28,295 on the road for a Roadster with GT versions adding another £2,500 to those prices. Standard trim includes active headrests, anti-lock brakes, switchable electronic stability control and front, side and curtain airbags. Should you plump for GT trim, youll add heated and powered leather seats, a monster 240W Bose CD autochanging stereo with seven speakers (including a 10" sub woofer and audio pilot noise compensation) and cruise control. Options include the lairy Alezan orange interior and Birdview satellite navigation. If youre interested in gadgets, go and buy a Lexus. The genius in the 350Z and the one piece of equipment fitted as standard to every model is a chassis so good youll feel utterly heroic.

Electronic gewgaws, plastics quality, practicality issues and running costs will instantly pale into complete irrelevance the moment that you catch and hold your first perfectly balanced drift in the 350Z. Then youll realise what all the fuss is about and youll reflect on money well spent. The 350Z is a car that lives to be driven hard and to do so will inevitably rack up some fairly hefty bills. Take fuel consumption as an example.

Nissan quote a combined figure of 24.1mpg for the Coupe and 23.5mpg for the Roadster but youll need to be some kind of feather-footed freak to match those figures. On one enthusiastically driven test route, we saw an average of 13.

2mpg come up on the calculator. Ouch. Likewise the 350Z, while mechanically rugged, has an appetite for rear tyres if youre the sort who likes to occasionally disable the electronic control systems. Youd expect insurance to be commensurate with a car that can reach 155mph and which will jet to 60mph in 5.

4 seconds, most insurers saddling the Coupe with a Group 18 rating. That isnt that bad when one pauses to consider that an Alfa GT 3.2 V6 is rated at Group 19, as is a Porsche Cayman 2.7, while a BMW M Coupe is Group 20.

Think of the Z as being a mere one group higher than a Ford Focus ST hatch and it doesnt seem too bad at all. Industry monitors reckon the 350Z will retain around 54 per cent of its value after three years a fair figure for a sports coupe although not in the Audi TT 3.2 V6 bracket. Rare is the person who drives a Nissan 350Z and comes away unimpressed.

Comments from recent drives have included observations that the car offers 90 per cent of the ability of a Porsche 911 for less than half the price and that it offers an ingredient that many sports car manufacturers seem to have overlooked in their quest for technical perfection namely, good old fashioned fun. The latest car looks to build on the fun quotient without altering the basic formula. With largely unchanged styling, many will not twig this is a revised 350Z. This bodes well for the residual values of existing cars while, at the same time, giving new owners a more muscular and responsive powerplant to play with.

Nissan has never built a bad 350Z. Now there are just varying shades of excellence.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Nissan 350Z range
PRICES: £26,795 - £30,795 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-19
CO2 EMISSIONS: 280-288g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Coupe] 0-60mph 5.3s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [Coupe] (combined) 24.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, ESP, active headrests
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [Coupe] Length/Width/Height 4310/1815/1315mm