Purchase advice Nissan 350 Z
The Everyman Porsche
Nissan 350 Z
© press-inform – the press office
Anyone who thinks that Nissan wanted to attack the overpowering Porsche 911 with the Skyline GT-R is only partially right, because the high-powered Nippon athlete only had the 911 Turbo in his sights from 2007 onwards. It looked completely different a few years earlier with the Nissan 350 Z. The joker from Japan is still a cool number with a guarantee of driving fun.
The new edition of the traditional Z family was presented on its home market in the summer of 2002, but the Nissan 350 Z only made it to Europe almost a year and a half later. The sportiest of all Z generations to date should finally attack the Porsche 911 seriously – at least in its basic Carrera version, because there was no all-wheel drive or more powerful variants to drive the planned Nissan Skyline GT-R into the parade. So it had to set up an engine variant and the pleasing design at the start. The naturally aspirated 3.5 liter V6 engine – a real all-rounder on Nissan and Infiniti – initially delivered 206 kW / 280 hp and was positioned well behind the front axle for balance, which ensured an even weight ratio. In addition to the sturdy, bony six-speed manual transmission, there was a five-speed automatic, which, like its technical counterpart from Zuffenhausen, hardly fitted the character of a sports car.
The sonorous sound of the four-valve naturally aspirated engine was just as convincing as the maximum torque of 363 Nm available at just under 5,000 rpm. In terms of driving performance, however, the Japanese was surprisingly far behind its role model from Stuttgart, because it accelerated from a standing start to 100 km/h in just under six seconds and barely reached a speed of more than 250 km/h due to a barrier. The basic version of the Porsche 911 Carrera with 320 hp was already faster than 280 km/h. Depending on the variant, there were also turbochargers, all-wheel drive and later adaptive dampers, dual-clutch transmissions or direct injection in Swabia. Even if the Porsche 911 mostly showed its rear lights to the 1.6-ton Nissan 350 Z, the Japanese was able to win a very important category: it was significantly cheaper than the 911 and, with its puristic approach, offered hardly any less driving pleasure. In the main US market, the 350 Z started at under $45,000 – little more than half the price of the Porsche 911. The situation was very similar in Europe.
Like its successor, the 370 Z, the Nissan 350 Z has a narrow interior. But the seats are comfortable, the lateral support is excellent and at least if you opt for the premium package, most of the components feel reasonable. However, the Z has never been able to shed its plastic charm over the years and the rear strut brace that cuts through the cargo area is a real bad design because it makes the cargo area largely unusable. The better-equipped versions have DVD navigation, LED taillights, xenon lights and 18-inch alloy wheels with a sports brake system and Bose sound system. The handling of the Nissan 350 Z is simply great. The suspension and damping are firm, the steering incredibly precise and the rear is so dynamic that you can easily drift.
Like its role model, the Porsche 911 Carrera, the Nissan 350 Z, produced in Tochigi, Japan, was not only available as a coupé, but also as a sporty roadster with an electric fabric roof. But in terms of driving dynamics, the coupé and the slightly overweight roadster are worlds apart. The open Z is too heavy and too sluggish – the model upgrades and the performance increase to initially 221 kW / 301 PS / 353 Nm and later to 230 kW / 313 PS / 358 Nm do not hide this. While the first facelift in 2005 brought more equipment to the sports car in addition to the slight increase in performance, there were more innovations in 2007, because the 3.5-liter V6 unit was extensively revised. A flatter torque curve, better response and improved driving performance should make the 350 fit for the fight against the Porsche 911, which had improved significantly with the 997 generation. As a roadster, the Nissan 350 Z not only had over 100 kilograms more on its ribs, but also a cargo space of just 130 liters, which was also difficult to load and unload from above via the boot lid.
At the end of 2008, the Nissan 350 Z was replaced by the technically closely related 370 Z. The open version of the 370 Z followed in autumn 2009. Prices for a Nissan 350 Z Coupé with 206 kW / 280 hp start at just under 12,000 euros. The roadsters are significantly less popular than the much stiffer coupe versions. Good models from 2006/2007 with less than 100,000 kilometers cost less than 18,000 euros. We recommend the late models with the revised 313 hp engine and Premium Pack, which is significantly more valuable than versions with partial leather seats and plastic applications. Beware of tuned or heavily customized models, because these are difficult to sell and even the production version of the 350 Z is very tightly tuned. A subsequently installed sports suspension protects neither the body nor the quality of the vehicle.
Since the performance of the 3.5-litre six-cylinder could be significantly increased with little effort and the corresponding turbochargers, there are an unusually large number of these models – mostly with Japanese tuning technology – on the European market. They deliver up to 600 hp and reach more than 300 km/h. These models are extensively customized based on the first Fast and Furious films. The late Nismo editions with spoiler garb and exclusive equipment details are particularly popular. While the used car prices of the Z are comparatively cheap, the situation is very different with many spare parts. Electrical and electronic components in particular – although both are not very vulnerable – have a major impact when they have to be replaced.