The best thing about the Nissan 350Z is that it filled the six-year hole left in enthusiasts' hearts when the 300ZX left production after 1996. But all the second-best things about the Nissan 350Z were awesome, too.
After the 240Z, 260Z, 260Z 2+2, 280Z, 280Z 2+2, 280ZX, 280ZX 2+2, 280ZX Turbo, 300ZX, 300ZX 2+2, 300ZX Turbo and 300ZX Twin-Turbo, there was plenty of goodwill around for the launch of the 2003 Nissan 350Z. As with the original Z, the 350Z was initially available only as a two-seater with a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine in its nose. In the case of the 350Z, that engine was the 287-horsepower, 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve VQ35DE V6.
Backed by either six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions, the VQ35DE was nearly as powerful as the old 300ZX Twin-Turbo's incredibly complex power plant but without all the headaches forced induction can bring. And the Nissan 350Z's power plant was wonderfully flexible, with a power band so entertaining it should have been playing eight shows a week at Caesars Palace.
The basic platform for the Nissan 350Z was Nissan's FM chassis that placed the engine behind the front axle centerline to produce a "front midengine" weight balance. Both the front and rear suspension used multilink systems to keep the tires' contact patches square with the road. There wasn't much storage space in the Nissan 350Z's cockpit, but at least the car could handle.
Upon launch, the Nissan 350Z was available in five different trim levels, ranging from a mild-mannered base car to the stiffly sprung, big-brake-wearing "Track" model. By no stretch of the imagination were any of the 350Zs luxurious. But none of the Nissan 350Z models was so brutal as to be unlivable.
In 2004 a Nissan 350Z roadster convertible joined the coupe and it, too, proved to be an engaging character. As the Nissan 350Z neared the end of its production run, a Nismo-tuned version was also offered.
All good things, even the Nissan 350Z, do come to an end. The Nissan 350Z was superseded by the 370Z for 2009.
