Short Take Road Test
For all the smokin’ special effects that glorify the tricked-out rides in filmic fantasies such as The Fast and the Furious, the most common element of the Asian-hot-rod phenomenon is a lot of cosmetic add-ons that look menacing but have no other function. We cite this here because the Nissan NISMO package (for Nissan Motorsports International), offered as a specific 350Z model, does not fall into the plastic-tiger category. The aero pieces were sculpted in a wind tunnel, and there are hardware upgrades to augment them: front-shock-tower bracing and radiator supports, extra body-shell welds at the A- and B-pillars, a heftier brace spanning the rear shock towers, higher spring rates, firmer dampers, and a bigger rear anti-roll bar.
The NISMO Z rolls on Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires—245/40R-18 front, 265/35R-19 rear—mated to NISMO aluminum wheels, and the brakes are the same big Brembos that come with the Grand Touring version of the Z.
Although the stiffening hones the Z’s responses to an even sharper edge, the aero elements were the prime focus of the NISMO engineering effort. The front fascia, with a deeper chin spoiler shaped to vector underbody airflow, was developed to provide high-speed downforce, as opposed to the slight lift in other Zs. Similarly, the large rear wing and the underbody diffusers help keep the stern firmly planted. According to Nissan, the base 350Z produces almost 18 pounds of rear lift at 75 mph, whereas the NISMO’s aero tweaks generate more than 33 pounds of downforce.
At $38,695, the NISMO Z costs about $2000 more than a Grand Touring model. Considering all the elements in this package, that seems like a reasonable premium. However much we appreciated the NISMO’s no-nonsense reflexes, though, we were unable to quantify the benefits of the package in our standard testing. At 5.2 seconds to 60 mph, the NISMO Z was no quicker than the last Z car we tested [“Four of a Kind,” June 2007], and its quarter-mile run—13.8 seconds at 103 mph—was a hair slower, probably owing to increased aero drag. Braking was good—159 feet from 70 mph versus 169 feet—but the June car, a base Z, pulled a better skidpad number, 0.93 versus 0.92. The bottom line: This is a sincere and thorough effort by NISMO, but its virtues will be tangible only on a road or track with very fast turns.
