Skip advert
Advertisement

Nissan 350Z

Nissan's 350Z GT has a heavily reworked engine which gives more power without sacrificing fuel economy

Overall Auto Express rating

5.0

How we review cars
Find your Nissan 350Z
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

It's difficult to think of many ways that the 350Z could have been improved, but Nissan has managed it. The heavily reworked engine offers even more urge and personality, without any sacrifice at the pumps. And to top it off, the firm's engineers have left the best bits alone. The 350Z remains a handsome, well built and entertaining sports car that boasts bags of character as standard. What's more, despite the price rise, it still represents excellent value for money.

Advertisement - Article continues below

With power, pace and polished handling, there wasn't much wrong with the original 350Z. Launched in 2003, the muscular Nissan two-seater was as good to look at as it was to drive, A minor update early last year only served to highlight the fact that relatively little needed improving.

But the Japanese firm has been at it again, and is offering another facelift for both the roadster and coupé. Take a walk past the newcomer and you'll be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the previous car.

While the bright orange finish is a new colour, the shape and details are otherwise identical. But move a little closer and you'll see a power bulge in the bonnet that designers claim is inspired by the classic 240Z.

This subtle change offers a clue to some major heart surgery within. The 3.5-litre V6 has been tweaked by Nissan's engineers to the point that it's 80 per cent new.

Peak power has risen by only 9bhp, but the motor now revs to 7,500rpm, while 90 per cent of the 358Nm of torque has been made available from 2,000rpm, with neither economy or emissions suffering as a result.

Finally, the whole unit has been lowered by 15cm to drop the car's centre of gravity. Although the bare figures show that the 0-60mph time has been shaved by only 0.1 seconds, the benefits feel much more potent.

The more tractable engine pulls harder from lower revs and emits a deep growl which turns into a spine-tingling yowl the harder it's pushed. Some further modifications to the powertrain have also resulted in an even sweeter gearshift and less vibration while at idle and under load.

Other tweaks are less substantial. The suspension has been left as it was, but not at the expense of the driving experience. The steering is still well weighted and accurate, the chassis balance remains superb, thanks to the rear-wheel-drive set-up, and the Brembo brakes bring everything to a stop with strong bite and the minimum of fade. In this GT spec, the Nissan now weighs in at nearly £30,000 - around £1,000 more than the old model. But even at its new price, the 350Z is still hard to beat for driving thrills.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,137 off RRP*Used from £15,337
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,385Avg. savings £2,911 off RRP*Used from £31,499
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,721 off RRP*Used from £8,800
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,915Avg. savings £1,882 off RRP*Used from £18,900
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering
Opinion - Shanghai Auto Show

Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering

This new brand of cars might have battery tech on their side, but European buyers want much more than that
Opinion
25 Apr 2025
Leapmotor B05 family hatch on route to the UK with sub-£30k price and 400-mile range
Leapmotor badge

Leapmotor B05 family hatch on route to the UK with sub-£30k price and 400-mile range

The Stellantis-backed brand will launch a Volkswagen ID.3-rivalling small car with almost 20 per cent more range
News
23 Apr 2025
New Subaru Outback is “simply unsellable in Europe” for one very simple reason…
Subaru Outback front 2025

New Subaru Outback is “simply unsellable in Europe” for one very simple reason…

Subaru has confirmed that the new seventh-generation Outback will not be coming to the UK, or anywhere in Europe for that matter
News
23 Apr 2025