Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 18:51, 3 October 2006

Nissan 350Z
Overview
Manufacturer	Nissan
Production	2003–
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupe
Platform	FR FM
Related	Infiniti FX Infiniti G35 Infiniti M Nissan Gloria Nissan Cedric Nissan Skyline
Powertrain
Engine	3.5L 287 hp V6 3.5L 300 hp V6
Transmission	5-Speed Automatic Overdrive 6-Speed Manual Overdrive
Dimensions
Wheelbase	104.30 in.
Length	169.80 in.
Width	71.50 in.
Height	52.50 in.
Chronology
Predecessor	Nissan 300ZX

The Nissan 350Z is a coupe and roadster built by Nissan. It was introduced in August 2002 and is the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line, carrying the chassis designation Z33.

The first concept model was produced for the Detroit Motor Show for the following January then later at the Los Angeles Auto Expo. Nissan was however unhappy with the first design as they felt the car was considered too "retro" or too "backward" resembling a futuristic 240Z thus a redesign was underway. The redesigned model, now known as the Z Concept, which was similar in bodyshape but with a redesigned front end was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show two years after the first. The car then undergone a minor redesign and was assigned the VQ35DE engine, hence the car became known as the 350Z.

Released on August 20, 2002, the 2003 350Z was available in the US in 5 trim packages, including the Base, Enthusiast, Performance, Touring, and Track Editions. Pricing started in the US$26k range for a Base, and went beyond US$34k for the Track model. Nissan's performance and motorsport division, Nismo, began producing performance and aesthetic upgrades for the 350Z shortly after its release.

In the UK & Europe two versions of the 350Z were available from October 2003, namely the Base and GT packs. The GT pack had leather seats, uprated Bose Stereo system and cruise control over the Base model. Pricing in the UK was set at GB£24k for the Base model and GB£26.5k for the GT pack. After about a year of the 350z being released in the UK, the NISMO kit became an optional extra for new cars only. Another limitation of the UK & Euro releases was the choice of colours being limited to the renamed Gunmetal, Kuro, Chilli, Blade & Sunset.

In 2004, Nissan introduced the 350Z Roadster version. The roadster came in 2 trim packages, the Enthusiast and Touring editions. Again, in the UK & Europe, this was limited to a Base and GT pack choice, with the addition of the Aero Seats.

In 2005, Nissan added the 35th Anniversary edition. The 2005 35th Anniversary edition (6-speed manual only; the automatic was limited to 287 hp / 214 kW) and 2005 Track trims both produce 300 hp (224 kW) - exactly twice the output of the original 1969 Datsun 240Z. In addition, the 35th Anniversary edition came with special options such as special side "Z" emblems and 5-spoke wheels. The 35th Anniversary and Track 350Z also included revised pistons and camshaft profiles, and a new type of control to the variable valve timing. Although there were increases in power, the changes lead to a decrease in peak torque in the vehicle.

Nissan also added the Grand Touring trim to the Roadster trim packages for 2005. Since the anniversary edition, all 6-speed models are now the 300 hp/260 ft·lbf. (224 kW / 353 N·m) output version.

Type-E

A limited run (only 5 units) variant, called the Type-E, was produced in Japan. This version featured a longer nose and rear overhang as well as a few extra aerodynamic aids. The reason for this was that the Super GT 500 class race car variant of the Z needed radically revised aerodynamics for it to be competitive; the Type-E then was produced so that the race car could meet homologation regulations. This practice of building homologation specials is not uncommon among manufacturers, the Type-E's contemporary being the Acura/Honda NSX-R GT, which also featured revised body work to allow the race car to meet homologation rules.

S-Tune GT

Nismo has released a special version of the Z called the S-Tune GT, to celebrate Nismo and the Z's success in motorsports (particularly in the Super GT series). The S-Tune GT features revised long nose bodywork first seen in the Type-E homologation special. Nismo then added a modified version of the VQ35DE engine called the S1 with more power (300 ps / 221 kW) and higher rev-limit (7200 rpm) as well as a sportier Nismo suspension. This car is available on the Microsoft Xbox 360 console game "Test Drive Unlimited".

GTS

During the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Nissan Technical Centre Europe unveiled the 350 Z GTS concept. The GTS features a Novidem supercharger that raises peak engine power to 382.6 bhp and torque to 424.8Nm. Power and torque are increased by 20 to 25% from 2000 to 7000 rpm. The radial flow supercharger is unique in that it can be turned on and off by a switch on the dash. power increase is achieved without internal engine modification. The car also features a new, functional body kit for more cooling and downforce, and wider 245 and 265/40x18-inch tires. The suspension has been re developed to give sportier handling, and significantly improved ride quality by detailed tuning of the monotube Bilstein shockabsorbers, with Bilstein Engineers. Cabin Noise levels have also been significantly reduced by development of noise reduction pack, while sporty exhaust sound has been improved by use of an engine controled bypass type exhaust system. So far, no plans for production have been revealed, however NTCE have reportedly developed the car with cost effectiveness in mind and there is a possibility that the upgrades will be offered as an aftermarket packs if not included outright in a production version of the GT-S.

450Z

There have been rumours that Nissan is planning to release a 450Z coupe to rival the Porsche 911. The car will feature a 4.5 L V8 engine (most likely a version of the VK45DE currently used in the Infiniti M45 and tuned to over 400 hp / 300 kW) and all-wheel drive. The body will remain the same as that of the 350Z.

Alpine car

Another rumour is that the French brand Alpine (a manufacturer of Renault-powered sports cars) would be resurrected to offer a new car based on the platform of the 350Z, developed with the support of Porsche .

Motorsport

The car became synonymous with the import racing and drifting scene, where in the latter, some drivers have started to use them in the D1 Grand Prix series, with relatively limited results. However, at the 2006 D1GP exhibition event in LVMS, Las Vegas, Tanner Foust became the first of all the drivers who used the Z33 to score the perfect 100.0 points in his 350Z, as it was an exhibition event, he was ineligible for an extra 1 point which would had been awarded in a point scoring event on top of the other 1 point he was awarded when he was knocked out of the Last 16 by the R33 Skyline of Kazuhiro Tanaka. In the non-Japanese domestic D1GP spinoff series, D1 Great Britain (D1GB), there are two Z33s that competes in the series.

In the Super GT series, the car is used by the three works supported teams (Hasemi Sport, Team Impul, and Nismo) in the GT500 category equipped with the race tuned VQ30DETT engine and two teams (Endless Sports and Mola) in the GT300 category. The 2004 GT500 title was won by Nismo and the 2003 GT300 title by Hasemi Sports. The British GT Championship also field a privateer 350Z with an intention to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006.

References in popular culture

In the export version of the arcade driving game Wangan Midnight Tatsuya Shima used a specially tuned Z33 called "Black Bird" (which is a Porsche 911 instead in the Japanese version - this substitution was made as EA Games owned an exclusive license covering Porsche's vehicles in North America), and is one of the three fastest cars in the game. The 350Z is also featured in the driving simulator video game Gran Turismo 4, for which a "GT4 Edition" was especially developed (the body kit was designed by the creators of the game and is available in Japan). The 350Z also makes an appearance in a variety of other racing games; such as the Need for Speed series, Forza Motosport, Street Racing Syndicate, and Juiced, as well as racing games imported from Japan such as Battle Gear 3 Tuned, Battle Gear 4, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition/Remix the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series and D1 Grand Prix 2005.

The Nissan 350Z is also featured in the 2006 action movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. It is also seen in 2 Fast 2 Furious. It was in the sketches done by Suki, the driver of the pink Honda S2000.

The 350z is also a famous car among import tuner street racers. This cars has in fact spawned many 'fan clubs' including my350z.com and nissanclub.com

Criticism

While the 350Z has received much praise in certain quarters, it has received a fair amount of criticism as well. Among the complaints are that the car is extremely heavy, muting the sporty feeling during acceleration. The weight also means that, in order to handle like a sports car, the suspension must be extremely stiff, resulting in a very uncomfortable ride for many people. The lack of engine refinement and noise is also a major criticism. Other problems include:

• Poor quality of materials used on the interior
• Lack of attention to ergonomic design,
• Glare given off the backstrut bar that reflects in the rear view mirror
• Problems with the paintwork have been reported on a number of vehicles, with paint coming off in a manner that suggests stone chips. Closer inspection of the paintwork reveals that these defects are not caused by impacts on the paintwork but rather from the paint cracking off in small patches. Nissan does not acknowledge this problem.

Technical specifications

• Engine: 3.5 L VQ35DE V6 engine
• Output:
  • 300 hp (223 kW) / 260 ft·lbf (352 N·m) 35th Anniversary 6-speed manual, 2005 Track Edition and all 2006 models with 6-speed manual transmission
  • 287 hp (214 kW) / 274 ft·lbf (371 N·m) 35th anniversary automatic, all 2006 models with automatic transmission and all other models from 2003 to 2005
• Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 km/h): 5.3 seconds and the quarter mile (400 m) in 13.6 seconds @ 100 mph / 160 km/h (as tested by Motor Trend)
• Top speed: 156 mph (251 km/h) electronically limited

References

• 350Z Forum Nissan forums covering the 350z.
• 350ZMotoring Community site for 350Z owners and enthusiasts.
• 350Z Wiki The largest 350z technical resource.
• 350Z at Nissan UK
• 350Z at Nissan US
• AutoGuideWiki 350Z page
• About Z The wikibooks about Zs and Fairladies
• 350zUKownersclub.com The UK's online community and Owners Club, with free forum
• 350z-uk Free UK online 350Z community and forums.
• Boompa.com - 350Z Picture Gallery of 350Zs.
• Nissan 350z 1/4 mile times and dyno results

• Nissan vehicles
• Sports cars
• Roadsters
• Rear wheel drive vehicles