By
EWAN KENNEDY
22 May 2006
Nissan's great 350Z sports roadster offers incredibly good value for
money. Spending just $62,990 buys you a car that’s tens of thousands,
sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars cheaper than prestigious
European sports machines. Yet the big Nissan comes close to them in many
areas of performance and chassis dynamics.
Where it does miss out is in the image
stakes. Sorry to say this, Mr Nissan, but the Z-car just isn’t up
there with the Porsches, Maseratis and Ferraris. At least not in the
minds of the masses, those who do know the Japanese performance-car
scene rate the 350Z very highly.
We do, too, having just spent a most
enjoyable week punting one around on road test. Nissan upgraded the 350Z
late in 2005. Most of the improvements are practical rather than visual
as the designers are well aware they got the shape pretty well right the
first time around. The 350Z coupe has been on sale in Australia since
February 2003, with the open-top roadster arriving just six eight months
later.
Z-car spotters will notice the 350Z 2006
model-year has a redesigned front bumper, xenon headlamps,
high-brightness light-emitting diode (LED) rear lamps, as well a fresh
design of 18-inch alloy wheels. The overall effect works well and even
after three years on the market the 350Z still attracts attention and
admiring comments.
Interior trim, instruments and switches
have been upgraded in look and the solid redesign adds to the air of
luxury in the cockpit without losing any of the hard-edged sporting
appearance we’ve always praised in this car.
The cockpit is a bit on the tight side,
all the more so when you realise this isn’t the smallest of cars and
the engine is in the front, not behind the driver. Try for size before
falling in love with the shape and performance.
The Track version of the roadster that we
tested has a newly upgraded 221 kW version of the engine, allied to a
six-speed manual transmission. That’s compared with the 206 kW
originally offered, and which is still the peak power in the non-Track
350Zs.
That 221 kW version of the 3.5-litre V6
engine was first seen in the 35th Anniversary Limited Edition model of
the 350Z released during 2005. It was the first of the 350Z lineup to
break away from the voluntary 206 kW engine-output limit set by the
Japanese manufacturers.
Nissan 350Z Track versions have big
brake-disc diameters of 324 mm at the front and 322 mm rear. There are
four-piston callipers from Brembo, a company highly regarded in motor
racing and performance sports car circles. The Brembo name can be seen
proudly displayed on the callipers as you view them through the new
alloy wheels.
These big brakes haul off speed with an
urgency that just about makes your eyes bulge.
Ride comfort has been enhanced on all
models, including the Track versions. The latter are now able to be
driven on a daily basis by ordinary people, not just those tolerant
enough to suffer the sometimes fierce feedback through the suspension.
Yet Nissan has improved the ride quality
without diminishing the car’s excellent handling characteristics. A
major part of this is the move to what it calls "dual flow
path" shock absorbers, which offer a greater range of damping
qualities to cover all variables in road and driving conditions.
Additionally, the variable
speed-responsive power steering, offers a firm, sporty feel at higher
speeds, but more boost at parking speeds for easy manoeuvrability.
Prices start at $62,990 for the Touring
coupe with six-speed manual gearbox and even these slightly tamer
variants on the 350Z theme still provide a good degree of driving
enjoyment.
