The Nissan 350Z hit the street in August 2002 with everything it needed to be an heir to the thirty-year Z-Car legacy:?a stout, rear-wheel-drive chassis with well-weighted steering and beefy brakes; a powerful, torquey V-6 engine; sleek good looks mixing restrained retro styling themes into a modern sports-car profile; and an affordable price. From our first drive, we were smitten with the new 350Z, and further time behind the wheel confirmed that it combined performance, style, desirability, and accessibility in a manner that paid homage to the original Z-car, the 240Z. The 350Z has helped reinvigorate not only Nissan's image but the whole world of affordable sports cars, an achievement we recognized with our 2003 Automobile of the Year award. A Four Seasons test was clearly in order, especially given Nissan's recent penchant for cutting corners in material and build quality. Would the 350Z still be the sports car of our dreams after 30,000 miles, or would mechanical gremlins and rattling bits overshadow our year??From September 2002 through September 2003, we'd surely find out.
Even though all five 350Z trim levels got the same suspension tuning and 287-horsepower, 3.5-liter DOHC?V-6 engine, we opted for a top-of-the-line Track model for its Brembo brakes and lighter aluminum wheels. Our only option was a $69 set of floor mats, for a total sticker price of $34,688. Not cheap, but a cool ten grand less than a 300ZX Twin Turbo cost back in 1996-its last year on the market. There's a similar price spread between the $26,300 base 350Z and the $37,500 base 1996 300ZX, and this time around, nobody gets saddled with a less powerful engine.... Read full article