Nissan 350Z
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The Nissan 350Z is a coupé and roadster built by Nissan Motor Company. It was introduced in August 2002 and is the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line, carrying the chassis designation Z33.
The 350Z was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for 2003 and was also on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list that year.
Models
The project mere started when importation of the Z32 for the US market ended in 1996, leaving Nissan without a sports model. Nissan then proceeded to keep the Z name going by contracting a restoration company in California to restore 240Zs at a loss and selling them at dealers which continued until its financial problem became known in 1998. On July that year, a group of designers from the US studio who felt the Z32 was going too off the mark from its 240Z origin designed a Z proposal as a side project which was given the green light by the company.The first concept model was produced for the Detroit Motor Show for the following January then later at the Los Angeles Auto Expo. Nissan was however unhappy with the first design as they felt the car was considered too "retro" or too "backward" resembling a futuristic 240Z thus a redesign was underway. The redesigned model, now known as the Z Concept, which was similar in bodyshape but with a redesigned front end was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show two years after the first. The car then undergone a minor redesign and was assigned the VG35DE engine, hence the car became known as the 350Z.
Released on 20 August 2002, the 2003 350Z was available in the US in 5 trim packages, including the Base, Enthusiast, Performance, Touring, and Track Editions. Pricing started in the US$26k range for a Base, and went beyond US$34k for the Track model. Nissan's performance and motorsport division, Nismo, began producing performance and aesthetic upgrades for the 350Z shortly after its release.
In the UK two versions of the 350Z were available from October 2003, namely the Base and GT packs. The GT pack had leather seats, uprated Bose Stereo system and cruise control over the Base model. Pricing in the UK was set at GB£24k for the Base model and GB£26.5k for the GT pack.
In 2004, Nissan introduced the 350Z Roadster version. The roadster came in 2 trim packages, the Enthusiast and Touring editions.
In 2005, Nissan added the 35th Anniversary edition. The 2005 35th Anniversary edition (6-speed manual only; the automatic was limited to 287 hp) and 2005 Track trims both produce 300 hp (224 kW) - exactly twice the output of the original 1969 Datsun 240Z. In addition, the 35th Anniversary edition came with special options such as metallic yellow/orange paint and 5-spoke wheels. The 35th Anniversary 350Z also included revised pistons and camshaft profiles, and a new type of control to the variable valve timing. These changes lead to an increase in the engine's power 6400 rpm instead of 6200rpm. Although there were increases in horsepower, the changes lead to a decrease in overall torque in the vehicle.
Nissan also added the Grand Touring trim to the Roadster trim packages for 2005. Since the anniversary edition, all 6-speed models are now the 300 hp/260 ft·lbf. output version.
Type-E
A limited run (only 5 units) variant, called the Type-E, was produced in Japan. This version featured a longer nose and rear overhang as well as a few extra aerodynamic aids. The reason for this was that the Super GT 500 class race car variant of the Z needed radically revised aerodynamics for it to be competitive; the Type-E then was produced so that the race car could meet homologation regulations. This practice of building homologation specials is not uncommon among manufacturers, the Type-E's contemporary being the Honda NSX-R GT, which also featured revised body work to allow the race car to meet homologation rules.S-Tune GT
Nismo have released a special version of the Z called the S-Tune GT, to celebrate Nismo and the Z's success in motorsports (particularly in the Super GT series). The S-Tune GT features revised long nose bodywork first seen in the Type-E homologation special. Nismo then added a modified version of the VQ35DE engine called the S1 with more power (300 ps) and higher rev-limit (7200 rpm) as well as a sportier Nismo suspension.
450Z
There have been rumours [link] that Nissan is planning to release a 450Z coupe to rival the Porsche 911. The car will feature a 4.5 L V8 engine (most likely a version of the VK45DE currently used in the Infiniti M45 and tuned to over 400 hp) and all-wheel drive. The body will remain the same as that of the 350Z.Alpine car
Another rumour is that the French brand Alpine (a manufacturer of Renault-powered sports cars) would be resurrected to offer a new car based on the platform of the 350Z, developed with the support of Porsche [link].Motorsport
The car became synonymous with the import racing and drifting scene, where in the latter, some drivers have started to use them in the D1 Grand Prix series, with relatively limited results.In the Super GT series, the car is used by the three works supported teams (Hasemi Sport, Team Impul, and Nismo) in the GT500 category equipped with the race tuned VG30DETT engine and two teams (Endless Sports and Mola) in the GT300 category. The 2004 GT500 title was won by Nismo and the 2003 GT300 title by Hasemi Sports. The British GT Championship also field a privateer 350Z with an intention to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006.
References in popular culture
In the export version of the arcade driving game Wangan Midnight Tatsuya Shima used a specially tuned Z33 called "Black Bird" (which is a Porsche 911 instead in the Japanese version), and is one of the three fastest cars in the game. The 350Z is also the feature car for the driving simulator game Gran Turismo 4, for which a "GT4 Edition" was especially developed (the body kit was penned by the creators of the game and is available in Japan). The 350Z also features in variety of import racing games, such as the Need for Speed series, Street Racing Syndicate, and Juiced, as well as racing games imported from Japan such as Battle Gear 3 Tuned, Battle Gear 4, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series and D1 Grand Prix 2005.
The Nissan 350Z is also featured in the 2006 action movie [[The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]].
The 350z is also a famous car among import tuner street racers. This cars has infact spawned many 'fan clubs' including [my350z.com] and [nissanclub.com]
Criticism
While the 350Z has received much praise in certain quarters, it has received a fair amount of criticism as well. Among the complaints are that the car is extremely heavy, muting the sporty feeling during acceleration. The weight also means that, in order to handle like a sports car, the suspension must be extremely stiff, resulting in a very uncomfortable ride for many people. The lack of engine refinement and noise is also a major criticism. Another problem is the poor quality of materials used on the interior, and a lack of attention to ergonomic design.Technical specifications
- Engine: 3.5 L VQ35DE V6 engine
- Output:
- * 300 hp (223 kW) / 260 ft·lbf (352 N·m) 35th Anniversary 6-speed manual, 2005 Track Edition and all 2006 models with 6-speed manual transmission
- * 287 hp (214 kW) / 274 ft·lbf (371 N·m) 35th anniversary automatic, all 2006 models with automatic transmission and all other models from 2003 to 2005
- Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph: 5.3 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.6 seconds @ 100mph (as tested by Motor Trend)
- Top speed: 156 mph (251 km/h) electronically limited
References
- [350Z Forum] Nissan forums covering the 350z.
- [350Z Wiki] The largest 350z technical resource.
- [350Z at Nissan UK]
- [350Z at Nissan US]
- [AutoGuideWiki 350Z page]
- [About Z] The wikibooks about Zs and Fairladies
- [350zUKownersclub.com] The UK's online community and Owners Club
- [350z-uk] Free UK online 350Z community and forum
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