Schumacher

You might not think it by looking at the pictures, but it’s not the looks that are the first thing to attract attention when driving this Nissan 350Z. It’s the noise. And what a noise. The 350Z is a tuneful car in regular guise, but the addition of a Nismo back box on the exhaust gives that 3.5-litre V6 a rawer, harder edged note, that’s got some exotica licked for aggressive appeal.



But sadly it, and the suspension kit and sports seats are not available in the UK, this 350Z simply demonstrating what might be should Nismo be introduced into the UK market. Currently the only parts you’ll get at your Nissan dealer in the UK are the body kit and the wheels. The body kit isn’t cheap at £2495 fitted, and if you’re thinking you might wait and get it fitted later you can’t, as it’s only currently available factory fitted on new cars. Those 19-inch wheels cost £2075 too, adding significantly to the £27,000 list price of the ‘must have’ GT pack specified 350Z.





However it’s not the visual enhancements that make this car, it’s those unattainable Nismo (NISsan MOtorsport) parts that are the most desirable. In Japan Nissan’s Nismo is a well-known and respected way of making your Nissan go faster. But it currently means little to UK buyers. That is unless you’re a committed gamer, where you’ll have come across the tuning kit in Grand Turismo when enhancing your quick Nissans. In the digital world you’ll easily find the suspension kit, those supportive sports seats and of course, that tuneful exhaust among a host of other performance enhancing parts. In the real world it’s not that simple.





And like in the games they really do make a difference. The aero package, while certainly striking perhaps isn’t to everyone’s taste, particularly as the standard 350Z is such a good looker. The 350Z is hardly common either, so unlike some rivals that might need personalised to stand out, the 350Z doesn’t really need any help in the looks department.





Those bigger wheels mated to the firmer, more aggressive spring and damper package should mean the 350Z is compromised on our poorly surfaced roads. But it isn’t; body control is good resisting roll and pitch, the ride remaining compliant enough for everyday driving. The result is that you get clearer messages through the precise and communicative steering and seat of your pants, enhancing the driving experience to a whole new level. Inevitably, there is a slight trade off as road noise is increased, but you can always drown it out with that rorty exhaust or the thumping stereo.





In the cabin changes are slight but effective, too. There’s a smaller titanium gearknob, which sharpens the meaty, precise shift of the six-speed transmission. Nismo seats hold you firmly with grippy, perforated suede in the central sections and their shapely bolstering. The instruments remain the same clear and neat ones on the standard 350Z, the chunky controls complimenting the muscular feel of the 350Z’s performance.

But it all comes down to that noise. Combined with the suspension changes the Nismo extras transform the 350Z. It sounds so much quicker and the sharper responses allow you to enjoy that tuneful engine even more. The 350Z in standard form is already a favourite, but I doubt any owner would be able to resist the temptation of some or all of the Nismo kit if they were able to experience them. You might have to do it via a games console for a while yet, but with Nissan increasing involvement in motor sport, the availability of Nismo equipment in Nissan dealers is set to increase. If the changes made to this car are anything to go by, then they really can’t come soon enough.












-Schuey

andrewdelvard

read that article here http://cars.msn.co.uk/Carreviewshome...n350ZNisDec04/
Did you write it or just copied and pasted it?

Patt@firstime

Stunning, not the best colour to show the kit off in but still very nice. Pricey with the kit/wheels etc but still would

Schumacher

Well, do you think I would type that up at 3am in the morning?

-Schuey

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Mmm Nice

That's what I call a bodykit, pity about the naffish spoiler though

andrewdelvard

Well I wouldn't have thought you spend so much time copy & pasting an article at 3am either

Davey P

iTrader: (1)

Looks good with the Nismo kit