Nissan 350Z Review: My Fair Lady

It corners, and accelerates like a hooligan – big, brash and quick enough to put a 3.2-litre Audi TT Quattro to shame, but not enough to put an end to the S2000 or a Lotus Elise. Forgiving is the word of the day. Shoving the car’s weight around mid-corner proves to be ridiculously easy. You actually correct understeer through a bend simply by stepping progressively, but firmly on the brakes. Should you overdo it and have the tail come out of line, traction control will solve that. Too quick an entry or exit speed? Traction control!

It is that easy to drive this car, fast.

The only gripe I have really, is the speed-sensitive power steering. This kills some of the feedback, and Nissan could have done away with it. My take, is that the enthusiast wouldn’t care too much, especially with the manual transmission variant, about a heavier wheel while parking.

Cruising serenely around 80-90 km/h means a quiet, composed and comfortable ride. A blind test on someone unfamiliar with this car will prove my point.

The new VQ’s internals yield a smoother engine, but there is a little bit of coarseness. You might take a shining to the throbbing, thunderous engine note inside the cabin, especially at high revs, or not...

All of us loved the Z’s bucket seats, which were supportive enough without causing our tailbones to poke through. The upgraded plastics and padded armrests are a nice touch, but the general appearance of a $150K car still leaves a little more to be desired.

Above all, these minor distractions should not prove anything as the 350Z still is that venerable, focused driving machine. Now more than ever, it has the prowess to hunt down European V8s, brake tenaciously and consistently track your intended line even over the worst of road surfaces.

So as an upgrade over it's “predecessor”, the 350Z still is a worthy consideration. Remember – the only thing faster in its size and class would be a BMW Z4M Coupe that will set you back nearly a hundred grand more!

Credits: Text and Photos by Amery Reuben