Nissan 350Z

Baby brother for revised Z-car

Designers at Nissan have been catching plenty of Zs... but they certainly haven't been sleeping on the job

Auto Express Car Reviews

Bulging bonnet marks out Nissan’s revised 350Z

By Chris Thorp

23rd January 2007

While the Japanese company has released these first official pictures and details of the facelifted 350Z, Auto Express can also exclusively reveal plans to produce a smaller version.

Nissan product strategy and planning boss, Pierre Loing, explained: "We all agree there is room below the 350Z for something. We are working on such a model at the moment."

While the project has yet to be given the official green light and details are top-secret, Loing added: "It wouldn't be a Lotus Elise-style model. The idea is to create something around half or two-thirds the cost of a 350Z." That would pitch the new rear-wheel-drive machine between £13,500 and £20,500.

The news came as Nissan revealed its revised 350Z. Styling changes are minor, with the only significant modification being a bulging bonnet.

More noteworthy is the Coupé and Roadster's V6 engine, which has had nearly 80 per cent of its major parts redesigned. With power up to 309bhp from the existing model's 296bhp and torque increasing by 5Nm to 358Nm, the 350Z will be faster than ever.

Buyers can expect a slight price rise for the revised model when it goes on sale in the UK early in the summer.

Meanwhile, Loing also gave us an insight into the ongoing debate over whether his firm's new GT-R supercar will be sold in the UK. It seems the sums are adding up for British fans, as the Nissan chief told Auto Express: "There's a 95 per cent chance it will come."