6 Reasons You Need A Nissan 350Z In Your Life
6 Reasons You Need A Nissan 350Z In Your Life
The 350Z often struggled to persuade the buying public in the face of the high-revving Honda S2000 and the balanced, sharp-handling Porsche Boxster, but it was a excellent car and makes a fantastic used buy
The Nissan 350Z was caught in a trap of Nissan’s own making. It looked excellent, like a sports car should, and it had a classic front-engined, rear-drive chassis and a characterful Three.5-litre V6. But, as pleasant as it was, it never treated like a Boxster and it didn’t have a Porsche badge, so people turned their noses up at the Japanese contender.
In truth the 350Z never did fairly capture the sharp-handling, feelsome ethic as the Porsche Boxster or suggest 9000rpm like the Honda S2000, but that doesn’t make it redundant. Alex’s movie last week delved into why the 350Z makes a fine affordable alternative to a GT-R.
For anyone who gelled with its slow-in, fast-out junior muscle car manners it was an absolute gem. Here are some reasons why you indeed should want one in your life.
Awesome noise
The standard harass doesn’t indeed make the most of the Three.5-litre V6’s guttural roar, but the purr is there. An aftermarket harass system can bring out the brute within, however, turning what was sometimes criticised as being too gentlemanly a sound into a world-bending howl at high revs.
Speaking of revs, the 350Z spins to 7000pm in the original and 7500rpm for the update. It wasn’t as free-revving as its key rivals out of the box, but it does still sound brilliant when maxed out to the limiter. Earlier cars, like this one, tailed off slightly in spectacle past 6000rpm, but 313bhp models from two thousand seven onwards just kept pulling.
Timeless coupe style
Evidently there are two types of people in the world: those who think the 350Z is a poised, neatly shaped and muscular coupe blessed with timeless lines and a certain classless quality, and those who are wrong. It looks fantastic for its age, with or without subtle modifications, and especially later ones.
If you do want to step into the modifications scene then the 350Z is an effortless car to flatter your sense of taste. A broad multiplicity of rims look the business under its arches, and most colour choices look totally at ease on the swooping figure. It’s proof that, whether it’s truly your thing or not, the old Nissan is a fine-looking machine.
V6 torque
While the Honda S2000 made do with a responsive but gutless four-cylinder and the Boxster was fitted with a high-revving (and glorious) flat-six, the 350Z got a V6 with altogether thicker biceps. A meaty 277bhp, then 296bhp, rising to 313bhp from two thousand seven thanks to a strongly modified engine, was teamed with up to 264lb ft for creamy pulling power in any gear.
That in-gear acceleration, where S2000 owners have to drop down two gears, is part of the Zed’s appeal, as is the way it shoves itself out of corners with such relentless torque. It was, and is, a defining feature of the car.
Becoming uncommon
We’re observing fewer and fewer of these around. There are only one hundred sixty five for sale on Auto Trader in the UK at the time of writing, which, compared to seven hundred fifty Boxsters, is an interesting barometer. Unless you live close to a dedicated holder you very likely don’t often see them either, which should give the 350Z an extra appeal to some would-be buyers.
Colours like blue and orange are always very sought-after, but silver and black look good too.
Fountains of tuning and customisation options
The world is your oyster if you want to modify this car. Everything from wheels, bod kits, bonnets, light clusters, spoilers, brakes, roll cages and even wide-arch figure conversions are available. If you have a vision, the 350Z is one of those cars best suited to letting you achieve it. The fact that it’s so damn beautiful will usually make whatever mods you put on it look excellent.
As for tuning, there are supercharger kits, single- and twin-turbo options if you want compelled induction, but as Alex mentioned in last week’s movie, simply installing a lightened flywheel can be all the car needs to feel a million dollars and release some extra ponies.
Affordable spectacle
If you’re willing to take an early one with just over 100,000 miles, or an 80,000-mile Japanese import, there are a number of options for sale right now at less than £4000. That’s at least 277bhp of V6 mini-muscle car with bags of charm.
Spend a little more and you can bring the age down by a few years with a similar mileage and better condition. Around £5500 can buy an already modified one in good condition with around 80,000 miles covered. At the £6000 mark you commence to find top-drawer examples with high miles but impeccable bodywork and service history. The newer 313bhp cars and convertibles are also an option by this point. Gravely tempting stuff.
Where do you stand? Are you a fan or do you hate the 350Z? If you own one, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
6 Reasons You Need A Nissan 350Z In Your Life
6 Reasons You Need A Nissan 350Z In Your Life
The 350Z often struggled to coax the buying public in the face of the high-revving Honda S2000 and the balanced, sharp-handling Porsche Boxster, but it was a fine car and makes a fantastic used buy
The Nissan 350Z was caught in a trap of Nissan’s own making. It looked good, like a sports car should, and it had a classic front-engined, rear-drive chassis and a characterful Trio.5-litre V6. But, as pleasurable as it was, it never treated like a Boxster and it didn’t have a Porsche badge, so people turned their noses up at the Japanese contender.
In truth the 350Z never did fairly capture the sharp-handling, feelsome ethic as the Porsche Boxster or suggest 9000rpm like the Honda S2000, but that doesn’t make it redundant. Alex’s movie last week delved into why the 350Z makes a fine affordable alternative to a GT-R.
For anyone who gelled with its slow-in, fast-out junior muscle car manners it was an absolute gem. Here are some reasons why you truly should want one in your life.
Awesome noise
The standard harass doesn’t indeed make the most of the Three.5-litre V6’s guttural roar, but the purr is there. An aftermarket harass system can bring out the animal within, however, turning what was sometimes criticised as being too gentlemanly a sound into a world-bending howl at high revs.
Speaking of revs, the 350Z spins to 7000pm in the original and 7500rpm for the update. It wasn’t as free-revving as its key rivals out of the box, but it does still sound brilliant when maxed out to the limiter. Earlier cars, like this one, tailed off slightly in spectacle past 6000rpm, but 313bhp models from two thousand seven onwards just kept pulling.
Timeless coupe style
Evidently there are two types of people in the world: those who think the 350Z is a poised, neatly shaped and muscular coupe blessed with timeless lines and a certain classless quality, and those who are wrong. It looks fantastic for its age, with or without subtle modifications, and especially later ones.
If you do want to step into the modifications scene then the 350Z is an effortless car to flatter your sense of taste. A broad diversity of rims look the business under its arches, and most colour choices look totally at ease on the swooping bod. It’s proof that, whether it’s indeed your thing or not, the old Nissan is a fine-looking machine.
V6 torque
While the Honda S2000 made do with a responsive but gutless four-cylinder and the Boxster was fitted with a high-revving (and glorious) flat-six, the 350Z got a V6 with altogether fatter biceps. A meaty 277bhp, then 296bhp, rising to 313bhp from two thousand seven thanks to a strongly modified engine, was teamed with up to 264lb ft for creamy pulling power in any gear.
That in-gear acceleration, where S2000 owners have to drop down two gears, is part of the Zed’s appeal, as is the way it thrusts itself out of corners with such relentless torque. It was, and is, a defining feature of the car.
Becoming uncommon
We’re watching fewer and fewer of these around. There are only one hundred sixty five for sale on Auto Trader in the UK at the time of writing, which, compared to seven hundred fifty Boxsters, is an interesting barometer. Unless you live close to a dedicated possessor you very likely don’t often see them either, which should give the 350Z an extra appeal to some would-be buyers.
Colours like blue and orange are always very sought-after, but silver and black look excellent too.
Explosions of tuning and customisation options
The world is your oyster if you want to modify this car. Everything from wheels, bod kits, bonnets, light clusters, spoilers, brakes, roll cages and even wide-arch assets conversions are available. If you have a vision, the 350Z is one of those cars best suited to letting you achieve it. The fact that it’s so damn luxurious will usually make whatever mods you put on it look excellent.
As for tuning, there are supercharger kits, single- and twin-turbo options if you want coerced induction, but as Alex mentioned in last week’s movie, simply installing a lightened flywheel can be all the car needs to feel a million dollars and release some extra ponies.
Affordable spectacle
If you’re willing to take an early one with just over 100,000 miles, or an 80,000-mile Japanese import, there are a number of options for sale right now at less than £4000. That’s at least 277bhp of V6 mini-muscle car with bags of charm.
Spend a little more and you can bring the age down by a few years with a similar mileage and better condition. Around £5500 can buy an already modified one in good condition with around 80,000 miles covered. At the £6000 mark you embark to find top-drawer examples with high miles but impeccable bodywork and service history. The newer 313bhp cars and convertibles are also an option by this point. Earnestly tempting stuff.
Where do you stand? Are you a fan or do you hate the 350Z? If you own one, let us know your thoughts in the comments.