15/01/09

• Price29,800
• We like...Looks, performance, price
• We don't...No glove box

Full-on performance two-seater delivers Porsche-beating performance at a modest price. Start saving now...

You’ll want one of these...desperately. Or else you’ll be puzzled by all the fuss others make. After all, why would anyone want to spend £30,000 on a Nissan that has only two seats?

Allow us to explain. The 350Z is pretty special. The numbers that belong to it give easy clues as to why: 3.5-litre V6, 309bhp, 0-62mph in 5.7secs.

Still need convincing? The drive shafts are fashioned from carbon fibre for lightness and strength. The engine is set back in the body and drives the rear wheels, meaning that the balance of weight between the front wheels and the rears is close the 50:50 that’s reckoned to be ideal.

No other car in Nissan’s current line-up is performance slanted. The others are workaday small cars, off-roaders-cum-people carriers or full-on 4x4s. But petrol heads everywhere will confirm that this Nissan harks back to the 240Z of the 1970s. Back then, Datsun (as Nissan used to be called) produced a quick sports coupe that was handsome and drove beautifully. And, if that wasn’t enough, it proved reliable in an era when sports cars just weren’t.

True to its ancestor, the ‘Z’ symbol is dotted across the car – on the body, on the door treads and even in the mesh connecting the ventilation system to the door vents. To our eyes, it’s no classic beauty but it is well proportioned and interesting. And, in an age where cars grow ever bigger, Nissan has wisely resisted the trend, leaving it a modest 4.3 metres long.

Inside it feels snug, the pair of bolstered chairs giving on to a plain, no-nonsense dash. Three minor gauges are set in the centre and angled towards the driver, along with a large screen for the (optional) sat-nav. Dials showing the speed and revs move with the wheel as you adjust it up and down to get comfy. Oddly, there’s no glove box provided in the dash, although a bin behind the passenger’s seat ds duty instead. Its tailgate opens on to a long, shallow load bay, interrupted by a broad brace bar across the rear wheels. Curiously, there’s a label on the inside of the ‘gate explaining how to fit two golf bags into the available space.

It’s a built-to-purpose car, so there’s no fancy keyless ignition or auto-on lights. You push the plain-looking key into the lock and twist – to be rewarded by a heady six-cylinder gurgle. It sounds great before you’ve even dirtied a tyre. Move off and the controls feel weighty. Not heavy, though. They require deliberate effort and feel muscular, sporty. And that’s the story for the car, all through.

Step-off from standstill is tremendous. The 350Z powers ahead without fuss or scrabble, yet you can rein it to a light throttle through town. Find a country road and it comes alive, its meaty steering and outstanding grip suggesting abilities that lie beyond your courage. Or ours, anyway.

It’s always civilised, though, its suspension riding firmly but catching the worst of the bumps. The engine sounds great when roused but proves a noisy companion for a long motorway haul.

We hesitate to use the word ‘value’ when describing a £30,000 car. But, for the power, ability and engineering wrapped up in this package, it is the right word here. Fuel, insurance, CO2 output and other factors means you’ll need riches to run one.
But if you have them, the ‘Z’ is a heady and enticing car.

To view new and used 350Zs, go to motors.co.uk
 

• Engines3.5 V6
• Power309bhp
• 0-60 mph5.5sec
• Economy24.1mpg
• CO2g/km280
• Insurance groups19
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats2

Motors.co.uk value verdict: