Nissan 350Z Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Nissan 350Z and Nissan 370Z as a used buy.

It might be the last letter in the alphabet, but ‘Z’ is the first that comes to mind when thinking of the great sports cars Nissan has made over the years. It came into being with the great Datsun 240Z sports coupe in the early 1970s and has continued to identify the company’s sports cars ever since.Today it’s used on the 350Z, Nissan’s current sports car that first hit our roads back in 2003. When launching the 350Z, Nissan’s then managing director, Leon Daphne, said it was the company’s “halo” car, designed to represent the “heart, soul and passion” of the company.MODEL WATCH The 350Z continued the rich history of Nissan sports cars dating back to the iconic 240Z. With two doors and seating for two the 350Z is not a car for the family. It’s the car owned by those without kids, or those who want a second fun car for the weekends.The 350Z range was made up of three models: two coupes and a roadster. The Touring Coupe was tailored more to those who wanted their sporting motoring with a slightly softer edge than its Track Coupe cousin. It came with leather trim, drilled alloy pedals, Bose sound system with six-stack CD player, and rolled on 17-inch alloy wheels for a suppler ride. The Track Coupe had all of that, but had a more defined sporty edge with 18-inch alloy wheels, bigger disc brakes and electronic stability control.The Roadster could be transformed from a comfy and secure coupe to an open top cruiser at the push of a button, when the power roof would fold down out of sight.The 350Z’s power came from a wonderful 3.5-litre double overhead camshaft V6. When asked it would willingly deliver to the tune of 206 kW at 6200 revs and 363 Nm at 4800 revs. Down low there was plenty of torque on tap, whether you just wanted to cruise along without changing gears, or if you wanted to slam your foot to the floor and race through the gears.The 350Z was superbly tractable at low speeds, but ask it for its best and it would pin your ears back like few others. If you wanted it would reach 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and race through the 400-metre dash in 14.5 seconds.But it wasn’t just a straight-line hero; it really came into its own on a winding country road where you got to experience its full performance repertoire. Buyers had the choice of a six-speed manual, which was criticized for its less than precise gearshift, or a five-speed auto with a paddle shift manual mode. Final drive was fittingly delivered through the rear wheels.The 350Z boasted an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution. It was marginally heavier on the front than it was on the rear, but the near perfect distribution was one of the reasons the 350Z had a wonderfully balanced chassis.Underneath it had independent all-alloy suspension front and rear, speed sensitive power steering and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. There was also a raft of electronics to keep a watchful eye over proceedings. All models had ABS antiskid brakes, brake force distribution, brake assist, and traction control. On top of that the sporty Track Coupe also had stability control and more powerful Brembo brakes.Inside, the 350Z was snug. There wasn’t a huge amount of space to stretch out, you felt surrounded, but there was a sense of security and plenty of support if you wanted to push things to the limit.IN THE SHOP Generally the 350Z is trouble free with few problems coming to the surface in the first few years it has been on sale. The earliest cars now have around 60,000 km on the odometer if they’ve been used daily, but there are a number that have been reserved for weekend use and haven’t got as many kays under their belts.The wonderful double overhead camshaft V6 is robust and doesn’t appear to give much trouble at all. It does, however, require PULP or better to be used. Likewise the transmissions and drive train seem robust and reliable. The chassis generally is standing up well, although there are some reports of high tyre wear.IN A CRASH The 350Z’s safety package was comprehensive, with all models having dual front and side airbags, and the Coupes also having curtain airbags. Add to that a responsive chassis and powerful brakes, with an extensive array of electronic driver aids, and the safety package is an impressive one.OWNERS SAY Greg Bird has owned his 350Z for the last four years, but has used it as a weekend car and it has only clocked up 35,000 km. He says it’s easy to drive, whether driven down to the local shops or hard around a racetrack. The steering is razor sharp, the handling great, while the engine has good torque and a good spread of power through the rev range. It’s also been economical, and utterly reliable. He’s not so rapt in the rear visibility, which he says is poor, the interior noise level, and the high level of front tyre wear, which he says was fixed under warranty.Derek bought his 2003 350Z Touring second hand when it had done 14,000 km and sold it when it had 35,000 km on the clock. He says it was the best car he’d ever driven. It had great performance, and loved corners and straight lines, and he loved the firm ride. The fuel consumption was 14.2 L/100 km around town and around 8.5 L/100 km on the open road. His only complaints were a squeak in the driver’s seat and the cheap look of the interior plastics.LOOK FOR • chunky styling• sizzling V6 engine• good road holding• responsive chassis• powerful brakes.THE BOTTOM LINE Good looking thrill-a-minute sports car with a great engine and agile chassis.RATING 80/100

Personally, I never saw the point of chopping the top off a perfectly good coupe. Equally, there's a vocal body (my wife, hairdressers, men ageing badly ...) who wonder why you'd have a roof you couldn't get rid of at the press of a button. I'd say that a chop top adds weight and sacrifices rigidity, for all of which you're charged more.Surely Sydney's summer sun is too savage to go topless, the traffic too congested and the air too on the nose.Others — including, yes, those who brandish hairdryers in a professional capacity — might suggest this is of no consequence. A roofless attitude liberates a car from the functional and mundane. Lower the lid — it ceases to be an appliance and becomes a lifestyle-enhancing accoutrement.It's also about 50 times safer. Sitting down low with the roof up, the want of rear quarter vision makes one long for a Lotus. Although the car presented here is the automatic Touring iteration as opposed to the hardcore manual Track coupe, the recently enhanced mechanicals mean the softer device won't disappoint when the open road beckons.Introduced last year, the new VQ35HR engine comes late in the Zed's model life (a replacement with folding hardtop is due within 12 months), but it's one that should ensure its worth well after it is superseded. Some 80 per cent new, this 230kW/358Nm V6 not only bulges the bonnet suggestively, but transforms the way in which oomph is delivered to the rear wheels of what was an already muscular and responsive roadster.Lidless versions now share the hardtop's fully-fledged powerplant with its palpable lift in low-end torque and higher redline, enabling the Roadster to transform from boulevardier to B-road brute with a good prod of the loud pedal. With five cogs as opposed to the manual's six, the auto suffices beautifully in most circumstances, the tiptronic mode imparting a degree of DIY.Indeed, save for the want of curtain airbags, this is the only place in which the Roadster falls short of the Coupe.It gets five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, ABS, traction control, leather trim, electrically-adjustable and heated front seats, single-zone climate control, six-CD Bose audio with steering wheel controls, Xenon headlights and cruise control.While the Touring version misses out on the Track's Brembo brakes and — more importantly — Vehicle Dynamic Control (Nissan's electronic stability program), it receives four-wheel ABS with brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control system and limited-slip rear differential.The Zed is newly shod in Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, with a 225/45R18 91W fitted at the front and a wider 245/45R18 96W at the rear.There's a temporary use spare, which leaves overnight luggage space.Even the lurid burned orange hue won't disguise the ageing and rather arid plastic nature of the interior, but it's functional, by no means oppressive and — in sports car terms — exceptionally decently priced.Assertive character that the Zed was, it's more so now. Within minutes of driving away, the throaty resonance of the 3.5-litre bent six is evident, but it needs to gargle with 98 RON to stay on song. Though redline is only 500rpm north of the previous 7000, it reaches this height in a tuneful tenor, fairly hurtling from top torque at 4800rpm and maximum power at 6000.Driven back-to-back with the more rigid and lighter Coupe, the Roadster's deficits in these respects would no doubt be evident. But it's not going to be deployed in those circumstances, leaving the lankier drivers of the latter to have their scalps seared as the Zed delivers an experience that makes you wonder where the money is in an SLK.Accessing all of what the Zed has so readily (especially in the absence of the full outfit of electronic minders) could see the neophyte, or even those unused to powerful rear-drive cars, get bitten fairly hard.With far more benign open-top cars to be had, those who find themselves seduced by the Zed's striking visual 'tude should be aware that roofless can translate rapidly to ruthless.It's a measure of its dynamic competence that the Roadster feels almost as composed at speed as it does day to day.Certainly, it's almost equally at home in both situations — as an intuitive, grin-inducing handler in the former, and eminently civilised in the latter. The most expensive Zed car at $73,990, the Roadster Touring is by far also the cheapest car of its type.But in no sense at all should it be seen as a bargain Japanese option in a field of Germans.However, at almost $80K less than the very best roadster — Porsche's Boxter S — the Nissan really is wonderful value for money.Even though it's not the variant I'd want, it stands up in its own right, an accomplished and reinvigorated ride that will continue to reward as the years roll by.The bottom lineEnduringly excellent. SnapshotNissan 350Z RoadsterPrice: $73,990Engine: 3.5L/V6 230kW/358NmEconomy: 12.1L/100km0-100KM/H: 6.1 seconds The rivalsAudi TT Roadster V6Price: $92,900Engine: 3.2L/V6 184kW/320NmEconomy: 9.6L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.9 seconds BMW Z4 3.0siPrice: $94,000 (auto)Engine: 3L/6-cylinder 195kW/315NmEconomy: 9L/100km0-100KM/H: 6 seconds Mercedes-Benz SLK 350Price: $115,900 (auto)Engine: 3.5L/V6 200kW/350NmEconomy: 10.7L/100km0-100KM/H: 5.5 seconds 

Nissan's 350Z roadster is the Porsche for those who can't afford a Porsche.The Japanese two-seater may not match a Boxster at the top end of driving dynamics.Any Porsche has a certain amount of breeding, a continuous sports car heritage hard to ignore. A Porsche, belted hard, retains an amazing amount of mechanical finesse from engine response to road balance.And, as with most German road machines, a Porsche has a certain amount of polished fit and finish. The Nissan Roadster, a little more raw in essence, is a very decent and desirable substitute for quite a few dollars less.At $73,990 for the six-speed manual, this is a sports machine of some substance and value.From the start, Nissan's 350Z Roadster looks the part, a rare soft-top machine that manages to look mean, menacing even, with roof in place. Both 21st century coupe and roadster Zeds have grace and muscle to body style, the soft-top's lower roofline adds further character to the low-slung stance.Yet snug down in a decent driver's seat this low roof and narrow rear window do not hamper good visibility in most directions. (Anyway, with the agility and performance of this Nissan Roadster there is little need to keep too much of a weather eye on rear view mirrors.)The cabin is comfortable, just enough room for two adults with electric adjustments on both seats, a couple of cubby holes and the usual array of comfort and convenience features.These include the push-to-drop button for the roof, decent stereo system that pounds the bass notes into your back and a neat set of three binnacle dials for oil, battery and digital read-out for road speed. This last is of some use for the 350Z's tachometer dominates the instruments ahead of the driver, there's a smaller speedometer off to the right, a little hard to read quickly. Speeds do need to be monitored around here.From the get-go the 350Z does not feel super, super fast, there is the hint of muscle but 1.5 tonne of car to get away. Maximum torque doesn't arrive until 4800rpm and maximum power until 6800rpm, which may help explain the Roadster's road speed becoming more linear as it rises.But as road speeds rise, as the driver flicks up though those six manual ratios and that V6 spins into its stride, things began to pass by at a fair clip. It is a grand machine to hustle along.The 350Z Roadster may not run through its paces with quite the finesse of the aforementioned Boxster, there is a little gruffness to the mechanicals at the high end of the revs, but it does the job with joy and accomplishment. (The coupe is a shade lighter which may help start-line jumps.)These 2007 model Zeds score a reworked V6 with almost 80 per cent new bits, from dual intake system to a wider range for the variable valve timing, bigger crank journals plus a little more compression.The VQ35HR weighs in the same as before but the centre of gravity is down a bit and the Nissan's bonnets now have a power bulge to better fit the powerplant. Power is up from 221kW to 230kW, torque lifts from 353Nm to 358Nm and maximum engine speed has increased by 500rpm to 7500rpm.So there is plenty to work with here as the Roadster crouches, sprints and bellows down the bitumen.The car feels rock solid, rides better than the first generation of this latest line of Zeds, turns in with feeling and hunkers down.Here and there on this Track version the stability control system (yes, it's switchable) kicked in to correct some over exuberance but (on a dry road at least) it takes a bit for the Roadster to lose its manners.Track versions also score four-piston calliper Brembo brakes for extra confidence.It is a car for belting down the bitumen, top up or down, with sweet responses to steering wheel and throttle inputs. It remains eager and involves a driver, rewards driver input with excellent point-to-point times across the back country.Conversely, this Roadster can be an easy shopping trolley (although two cartons of XXXX will fill the boot) and, apart from scraping low over some obnoxious speed humps, is easy to potter and park.And, whether out for a tour or out for a shop, the Nissan 350Z Roadster always looks right; those 18-inch wheels filling those flared guards, that simple crouch and that uncomplicated rear style. It always looks right, it always looks like it's ready to do the business.But a week with this car is long enough. It began to cost too many Lotto tickets, looking for those extra elusive dollars to add a 350Z to the garage. Snapshot Nissan 350Z Roadster Track Price: $73,990Body: Two-seat convertibleEngine: 3 litre V6Power: 230KW @ 6800rpmTorque: 358NM @ 4800rpmTransmission: Six-speed manualDimensions (MM): 4315 (l), 1815 (w) 1323 (h) 

But what are hats and sunscreen for?Besides most of today's roadsters can get their fabric or folding metal lids up at the push of a button within half a minute. These are Carsguide's favourites: Affordable fun Mazda MX-5 Price: from $42,870Engine: 2L/4-cylinder; 118kW/188NmEconomy: 8.5L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or autoIf there was an annual award in this category it would reside perpetually in Mazda's trophy cabinet. The original MX-5 reinvented the classic Brit roadster adding such novel notions as performance and reliability.The third generation retains the 1989 model's exhilarating dynamics and sheer fluidity. If you don't find pleasure in the way an MX-5 drives you've probably ceased breathing.Purists might decry such modern innovations as air-con, power steering, ESP, a folding composite roof and (egad!) an auto transmission, but it hasn't been 1957 for some time now. Still others would rather it went quicker, but they're missing the point.The MX-5 is the affordable roadster. Track marqueLotus Elise SPrice: $69,990Engine: 1.8L/4-cylinder; 100kW/172NmEconomy: 8.3L/100kmTransmission: 5-speed manualThe salient figure here is 860 that's the number of kgs the entry-level Lotus weighs, or about 500 less than a Toyota Corolla whose engine this spartan roadster uses to get from standing to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.While it's absolutely one for the enthusiast - or the fanatic - even if you've not the least wish to drive something so uncompromised (though a good deal more civilised than the Exige) you should at least be driven in a Lotus once. It'll open your eyes. Wide.At its best at track speeds, where the Lotus's wonderfully unassisted steering comes into its own and where it doesn't matter that it takes ages to assemble to roof, you can smilingly drive one every day. But beware barging SUVs. Zed's not dead Nissan 350Z RoadsterPrice: $73,990Engine: 3.5L/V6; 230kW/358NmEconomy: 12L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 5-speed autoThe Roadster version of the still outstanding 350Z gives very little away to the coupe model and while the same-priced auto is a cog short of the manual's six, it's easy to live with in city traffic.Though we've yet to try the Roadster with the substantially new the faster V6 that causes the bonnet to bulge so priapically, our recent week in the revised Coupe suggests that it too will be more of an already good thing.It's almost impossible to believe that same company is responsible for the Tiida ... Gay tidingsAudi TT Roadster V6 quattroPrice: $92,900Engine: 3.2L/v6; 184kW/320NmEconomy: 9.6L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed DSGLike the coupe, the lighter front-wheel-drive with the GTI's turbo four pot is a better bet most of the time than the heftier all-wheel-drive, though it's not really a sports car there'll be moments when you'll love yourself for the latter's extra go and grip.Dispensing with the coupe's comedy back seat, there's ample room behind when with the fabric roof's folded. Some find the ride a bit terse; I don't but would still take the optional magnetic suspension.With performance and handling that are both entertaining and accessible while wrapped in such an aesthetically bell-ringing package, the TT is fairly loveable. If only ...Porsche Boxster SPrice: from $135,100Engine: 3.4L/6-cylinder; 217kW/340NmEconomy: 10.4 or 11L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 5-speed autoIn our rare idle moments hereabouts, certain of us scan the classifieds trying rather pathetically to convince ourselves that a used Boxster is almost within our reach. Almost. Well, maybe one day ...That's the problem with spending any amount of time in a Boxster, particularly, the top whack S. There's nothing wrong with it, you see. Well, maybe the ride on bigger tyres is just a bit savage, but so what when all else is perfect. It even sounds wonderful.At it's worst, the Boxster will make you hate yourself for not being a better driver. So sublimely intuitive is the handling, so poised and balanced does it feel even in extremis, it almost always feels capable of more. Even if you're not. Two plus twosAffordability aside, floating the open top proposition can founder on the fatal shores of practicality. Society frowns upon selling one's children, though surely financing a Boxster should be cause for sympathy.Still, Volkswagen's Eos (from $49,990) cabriolet/coupe comes is a practical, stylish and - with the drivetrain of the Golf GTI - tolerably rapid 2+2. It retains adequate bootage with the sophisticated folding metal lid, which can be configured five different way, folded down. Uniquely there's also a diesel option (from $48K), so you needn't use much juice.And there are further options afoot.With BMW's glorious twin-turbo 3-litre petrol six, the 135i cabriolet (due in June) will be by far the sharpest 2+2. Audi's A3 cabrio, likely to feature the 1.8-litre TFSI, follows in July.And if fortune smiles upon you to the tune of $1.19 there's the sensuous land yacht that is Rolls-Royce's Drophead coupe. Plenty of room in the back for the kids in this baby. 

Selfish, aggressive and true to its heritage. That's the updated 350Z, the latest in a long line of sports cars from Nissan.Nostalgia is re-written in the same confined cabin, stretched footwells, low amidship seats and the same "where does it finish” bonnet.And the engine sounds a little like the original gravelly straight six, even though it's the latest V6.The Z earns full marks for engine punch and flexibility, traction and grip, pin-sharp steering, rapid and precise gear shift.But, it's not so inviting when it comes to road noise and poor visibility.There are two versions; the Touring, at $62,990 (auto $64,990) and the Track, at $67,990 (auto $69,990).The soft-top roadster is $73,990 (auto $75,990.Equipment in the Touring includes front, side and curtain airbags, traction control, leather trim, climate control, Bose sound system, heated seats and cruise control but no stability control.The extra $5000 for the Track versions buys Brembo brakes, a body kit, stability control and wider and lower profile tyres, 225/45 (front) and 245/45 (rear) on 18-inch alloys.The same wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tyres are now fitted to the more compliant Touring, which used to have 17-inch wheels.Styling is largely unchanged, apart from a bulge in the bonnet.Most of the changes are in the upgraded 3.5-litre engine, which produces 230kW (up 9kW) and 358Nm of torque (up 5Nm).Improved low to mid-range torque comes from a combination of a dual air intake, a wider operating band for the variable valve timing and lower exhaust back-pressure.At the same time, the engine revs to a 500rpm higher peak of 7500rpm.And although it weighs a hefty 1460kg, acceleration is strong and effortless, reaching 100km/h in 6.5 seconds.Gearing in the six-speed manual is well spaced and decisive in the five-speed automatic, which comes with a sporty downshift mode.The chassis is heavily braced front and rear and stiffly sprung.Handling is balanced, with accurate turn-in and excellent grip, front and rear.Storage is provided in bins between and behind the seats but luggage space is restricted by the rear body brace and the high floor, which covers a space-saver spare. Snapshot Make: NissanModel: 350ZCOST: from $62,990 

Marketing and public relations general manager Ross Booth said the next model would not be bigger or heavier. It will stay true to the sports car genreThe new Z car is at least 18 months away, so Nissan has beefed up the power on its current 350Z to stir up flagging sales.Out of the 95 countries that get the Japanese-built Z car, Australia is the fifth-largest market behind the US, Japan, Germany and the UK.More than 4000 have been sold here since its 2003 release, but sales have slipped from 1600 in the first year to only 533 last year.Now the most powerful sports car in the under $80,000 segment, it gets a 9kW power boost for the manual and 24kW for the auto, bringing it to 230kW with a bonnet hump or power bulge to cater for the taller V6 engine.It now looks more like the original 1969 240Z.Nissan claims the Z car now has 44 per cent more power than a Chrysler Crossfire, 30 per cent more than a Mazda RX8, 28 per cent over a Porsche Boxster or Cayman, 25 per cent on an Audi TT and 18 per cent on a BMW Z4 3.0si.And at a starting price of $62,990 for the Coupe Touring manual, the 350Z is also cheaper than all but the RX8 at $54,565.All prices are unchanged with the Touring auto $64,990, Coupe Track manual $67,990, and the Roadster's $73,990 for the Track manual and Touring auto.Some 80 per cent of the engine, which has been 13 years in the world's top 10, has been modified with ram air, reprogrammed variable valve timing, larger exhaust manifold and a higher compression ratio.As well as boosting horsepower, torque has also benefited from the engine mods, up 5Nm to 358Nm.There is no change to either the combined fuel consumption figure or the CO2 emissions.The engine also has been lowered 15mm to improve stability from the lower centre of gravity.A new plant has been built in Japan just to build this engine.Other changes to the 350Z are a 500rpm higher limit to 7500rpm, active head restraints in the cabin, new Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres as used on the new Commodore SS and three new colours, including a $500 pearlescent orange that glistens with a background of green in bright sunshine.The new 45-profile tyres feature a new tread pattern which lowers road noise and softens the ride which was also improved last year in a suspension update.The improvement is immediately evident in the Z car; the Roadster being one of the quietest soft tops on the scene.While handling is still sharp, steering precise and body roll almost non-existent, the harshness of the ride has been diluted.Nissan Motor Company Australia passenger car product manager Adrian Givoye said a hard top convertible was a maybe for the future.He said 40 per cent of customers opted for the Track variant which features Brembo brake calipers, vehicle dynamic control, an optional burnt orange seats, front and rear spoilers, and a rear diffuser.While the Touring has traction control, vehicle dynamic control is advisable on a rear-wheel-drive car with this much power.Givoye said demand for automatic in the Track was so small it has been deleted from the range.Inside, an illuminated ignition switch is the only change.The Z car even retains the anachronistic cassette tape player and still does not have MP3 capability in the six-CD Bose sound system.However, Givoye said they had been trying to get MP3 capability for some time.“But for some reason they cannot supply it, even though it is offered in the US,” he said.Nissan is also unable to supply a satellite navigation system, because of our network, yet there is a storage bin above the sound system where an aftermarket system could be installed.“This is a performance vehicle. A raw sportscar.“We haven't tried to soften it and add more luxury features,” he said.Givoye said this was the last facelift for the 350Z which would be replaced in 2009.“But we're working on a number of things to keep the Z alive, such as special editions.”Marketing and public relations general manager Ross Booth said the next model would not be bigger or heavier.It will stay true to the sports car genre.Nissan 350Z Roadster, Coupe$62,990-$73,990POWER: 233kW @ 6800rpmTORQUE: 358Nm @ 4800 rpmREV LIMIT: 7500rpm (up from 7000)ECONOMY: 11.7l/100km (combined manual Coupe) to 12.1 (combined manual Touring Roadster)PRICES: Coupe Touring manual ($62,990)Coupe Touring auto ($64,990)Coupe Track manual ($67,990)Roadster Track manual and Touring auto ($73,990)350Z HISTORY1969 The original 240Z makes its debut1974 Capacity increased from 2.4 litres to 2.6 litres and name changed to 260Z1975 280Z introduced1979 280ZX gets a targa roof1990 300ZX launched1999 Z concept unveiled in Detroit2003 350Z goes on sale in Australia2005 35th anniversary limited edition model2006 minor upgrade to interior,exterior and suspension2009 new Z car planned to arrive

The Japanese carmaker could have played with the styling or the mechanicals, but thankfully, the Z-team has seen fit to let the chiselled two-door coupe and convertible remain, aesthetically at least, largely unchanged.It already had plenty of power, a strong chassis package and an uncompromising attitude to issues such as luggage and long-legged drivers. We recently took the first of the refreshed 350Z models, destined for Nissan showrooms in the early stages of next year, for a drive in Tasmania.Topping the list of changes is the increase in power from 206kW to 221kW for manual models - the same as the 35th anniversary model released this year - but with a decrease in torque to 353Nm at 4800rpm.Improvements to the intake side of the engine, including larger air ducts and revamped valve-timing have increased the power. The auto models are all powered by the 206kW/363Nm version of the engine, which previously propelled the entire range.Some of the most noticeable changes have been made on the multi-link front and rear suspension, while the power-steering assistance has also been modified.Nissan product marketing manager Michael Hayes says the changes have been in response to worldwide customer feedback."There's been quite a number of enhancements. A lot these are customer-driven," he says. "The idea of the 06 car is to make it a more driveable and liveable car on a daily basis."The new speed-responsive steering-assistance system has been inherited from Nissan's Infiniti range. Ride quality is up but not at the expense of the handling - if anything, the slight reduction in firmness gives the Z a less nervous demeanour, which was noticeable on Tasmania's wet roads.Where once the Track was a little uneasy on less than perfect roads, as well as being prone to skatey behaviour in the wet, the re-tuned suspension's extra compliance has calmed the ride and honed the handling.The growl of the drivetrain has been retained - as has the considerable pace - but it feels less harsh than its predecessor. The Roadster lets some flex through the steering column but feels strong, although it misses some of the Coupe's zip thanks to extra kilos used in reinforcing for the absent roof.Nissan says the 18-inch alloys (now standard range-wide) and front bumper have been redesigned, although at first glance you'll miss that, with the addition of xenon headlights and light-emitting diode (LED) rear tail-lights. The cabin has been given the once-over, with the interior designers adding more aluminium trim accents, soft-feel materials and putting audio controls on the steering wheel. Standard features across the range include heated, power-adjustable, leather sports seats, climate control, a seven-speaker Bose sound system, power windows, door locks and mirrors, dual front and side airbags, curtain airbags in the Coupe only, cruise control and drilled aluminium pedals.The Track variants get Brembo brakes, vehicle dynamic control (VDC) on both Coupe and Roadster variants. On Coupe Track cars, there is also a front spoiler, under body diffusers and a rear spoiler.Nissan has also increased the size of the brakes on Touring models, with 320mm front discs and 308mm rear discs. While storage space was never a big selling point of the Z, Nissan claims additional storage including a card-holder, cargo net at the bottom of the front passenger's seat, bottle holders in both doors and larger door pockets.The 350Z line-up will have five models. The Touring Coupe is available with the six-speed manual for $62,990 - up by $3000 - or the five-speed auto for $64,990.The manual-only Track Coupe will rise in price by $2000 to $67,990, while the Roadster will be available in manual Track or auto Touring spec for $73,990, a rise of $3000. Carried-over features include a traction or stability (on the Track) control system, limited-slip rear differential and dual exhausts.The Z sports coupe has been sold in more than 95 countries and has sold about 1.6 million units worldwide since it was launched in 1969. The current fifth-generation Z has sold a total of 160,000 units globally since July 2002. Australia is fifth largest for sales behind the US, Japan, Germany and the UK. Nissan has refined the 350Z just enough to give it nicer day-to-day manners without losing its abilities.

The 350Z brought the Zed car back to its sports-coupe roots, shedding the soft edges and extra kilos put on during a 1980s weight gain.The arrival of the lean, lithe and powerful 350Z in 2003 was music to performance car fans ears, offering rear-wheel drive and plenty of punch from the 3.5-litre V6 engine.The tune turned mournful when the 200SX's demise was announced, but we live in hope of the Skyline GT-R's imminent twin-turboed return. For now, the 350Z will have to do. That sounds a little ungrateful, as the standard 350Z is more than ample for anyone looking for a self-indulgent weekender machine that is an uncompromising as it is rapid. Nissan has put that little bit of extra effort in, with new-look 18in alloy wheels, upgraded seats and more power. Not that it needed it, but we'll take it just the same.The 35th Anniversary 350Z is now propelled by 221kW of power at 6400rpm (up by 15kW) and 353Nm of torque (a slight drop from 363Nm at 4800rpm), delivered by the fitment of revised pistons, camshafts and smarter exhaust valve timing.As you'd expect from a hard-core unit like the Zed, it's available only with a six-speed manual transmission. This takes a little time to get used to, with an abrupt clutch and slick shift that requires a certain amount of rhythm.Once in tune with the Zed, it's no problem to whip through the gears. The Zed has growled since it was first resurrected. Some hate it, others don't mind it but it's all part of the package. While it's not the ideal commuter, adulation is quickly brought about slicing along a twisting back road.There's no turbo rush, just a sweet V6 tune that begs for revs. Stabbing at the brakes reduces the blurring of scenery and the sharp steering and suspension put the snout exactly where it's required.The seat is too close to the pedals for my 190cm frame but the steering (with its connected instrument binnacle) can be adjusted to cope.The stability control will ruin some of the enthusiast's fun, but it can be switched off.The 350Z has an independent multi-link suspension front and rear with a front strut tower brace and an integrated rear strut tower brace, as well as front and rear stabiliser bars. The 18in alloy wheels are wrapped in performance tyres.There are even instructions on the inside of the boot lid about how best to load golf clubs, but if I owned it I would cancel the golf club membership and take out a competition car club membership.For a performance V6, the Zed car returned a decent 12.2 litres/100km, with a 47km/h average speed.The price tag is a little higher than the everyday Zed cars. Where the manual Touring and Track models remain at $59,990 and $65,990 (add $2800 for the auto), the Anniversary model slides in at $67,990, below the drop-top Roadster at $70,990.1966: Nissan Motor Co identified a market for an agile, compact GT whose performance could outrun its price. Nissan began working on a prototype which would become the 240Z.1969: Production lines started producing left-hand-drive Z Cars at the Shatai factory in Tokyo. Datsun 240Z went on sale in the U.S. as a 1970 model.1970: Production of right-hand-drive 240Zs started in January and later that year the 240Z went on sale in Australia for $4570.1973: At the end of the 240Z production run, all-time sales reached 116,712 units, with nearly 2500 sold in Australia. The 260Z replaced the 240Z, and went on sale in Australia in 1974. The 2+2 version was introduced that year, too.1979: The 260Z was phased out and replaced by the 280Z and then ZX, with a new 2.8-litre fuel-injected engine. The suspension, body and interior were more about luxury than sports-coupe.1986: The Z car lived on with a 300ZX three-litre turbocharged V6 replaced by a new-shape car also called 300ZX in the 1990s, until early 1997.

Perhaps that's the case, but compare the yellow Nissan 350Z Anniversary with a canary and you'd have one very jealous bird.This is not only because the yellow chosen for the Anniversary model of the 350Z is actually a pearl-pigment paint of exceptional lustre to outshine even a canary, but also because the metal version is one very fast car.Yet the 350Z — the new 240Z — is a remarkably simple package.The Anniversary version gets a bit more power, different wheels, a stability program called VDC, black leather interior and Brembo brakes — and the option of yellow.The 3.5-litre V6 sits at the front, with a six-speed manual gearbox behind it followed by a shaft to the independent rear end.There's seating for two (only) and very limited luggage space, all wrapped in a sexy body of curves and tapers — in yellow.Though simple, the 350Z takes to the task of being a thoroughbred sports coupe with aplomb.On the track, you soon feel its balance and confident manners.The 350Z has close to neutral handling, though it can be provoked to hang its tail out — but only when the stability program is turned off.Turn the VDC back on and the electronics restrain the car from sliding, but they're so intrusive as to ruin the fun.As mentioned, the Anniversary model gets 15kW more than the standard engine, yet loses 10Nm of torque. The result is performance that feels exactly like the standard model, so begs the question: "Why bother?"Not that I'm complaining. The V6 runs hard to the 7000rpm redline — where the maximum 221kW peaks.The torque feels flat, very controllable and seamless. It allows entering a turn in a higher gear than you'd expect, with a strong slingshot on the way out.Making all this even more delightful is the slick six-speed manual transmission (the Anniversary doesn't get the auto option) that snicks through the close-ratio cogs so smoothly that you never get tired of running up and down the box.Nissan has matched the drivetrain with big Brembo disc brakes and a sports-oriented suspension that ties the car down nicely. It's topped by 18-inch alloys ringed by a thin excuse for rubber.The icing is a steering feel that is positive, even though the near-vertical steering wheel placement can take a bit of getting used to.All this benefits only one person — the driver.For the passenger, the interior is a bit flat, but it's all nice and neat, with leather upholstery and electric seat adjustment, CD player and electric windows, air bags and climatic airconditioning.The 350Z is quite a comfortable tourer, and even rates highly as a commuter with plenty of oomph for the traffic lights and even more street cred.Even when it looks like a $67,990 canary.