2007 Nismo 350Z

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:33 am

2007 Nissan Nismo 350 Z @ 2007 NY Auto Show

(part 1)

2007 Nissan NISMO 350Z Continues Tradition of Performance With Super GT Race-Inspired Styling and Features

Taking Performance One Step Further With the 2007 NISMO 350Z

For the first time ever in the Nissan Z’s 37-year history, a high-performance NISMO 350Z is part of the extensive Z lineup. The new 2007 Nissan NISMO 350Z, which makes its North American debut at the 2007 New York International Auto Show, features an extensively developed list of unique equipment – including a special body package and improved handling equipment. This new model, the fifth in the 2007 350Z Coupe lineup, is available with a 6-speed manual transmission only. It goes on sale at Nissan dealers nationwide in July 2007.

NISMO, the premier supplier of high-performance aftermarket parts and accessories for Nissan vehicles in the United States since 2003, previously participated in the development of the NISMO Frontier off-road pickup truck, introduced in 2005. The NISMO 350Z is the second Nissan model to be branded with the legendary marque. Like the Frontier model, which is specially equipped for off-road excursions, the 2007 NISMO 350Z is optimized for enthusiast drivers.

"With the combination of the new VQ35HR engine found on all 2007 350Zs and NISMO performance and design enhancements, the NISMO 350Z represents the pinnacle of Nissan performance machines," said Bill Bosley, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA).

"The NISMO 350Z is the ideal package for true enthusiasts – adding a high level of aesthetic and performance enhancing equipment which is not available in the aftermarket – while retaining the reliability, durability, and comprehensive warranty found standard on every 2007 Nissan 350Z," he continued.

The most striking visual feature of this special vehicle is the NISMO aerodynamics package, which strongly resembles the Super GT championship winning Zs. Featuring an aggressive front fascia with chin spoiler, side skirts, an extended rear fascia with underbody diffuser and a rear wing, the NISMO 350Z produces additional aerodynamic downforce to provide enhanced cornering and handling performance.

Special consideration is given during assembly of the NISMO 350Z – structural rigidity is enhanced by additional body welds to the already rigid 350Z body and additional supports have been added front and rear. The NISMO 350Z also utilizes special body dampers mounted in the front radiator core support and in the rear cargo area, which assist in controlling body vibrations.

Additional performance features include a special NISMO-tuned independent multi-link suspension, Brembo brakes with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers (with 12.8-inch front and 12.7-inch rear rotors) and special NISMO-branded gunmetal gray RAYS super lightweight forged-alloy wheels (18x9-inch front and 19x10-inch rear with 245/40WR18 front, 265/35WR19 rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires). A special NISMO-branded tuned exhaust adds an even more authoritative tone to the Z’s 306-horsepower V6 engine.

"The combination of aerodynamic enhancements and performance tuning adds up to a Z with enhanced cornering, steering precision and handling," said Bosley. "Every exterior and mechanical improvement made to the NISMO 350Z isn’t just for show, it’s also for performance."

Four exterior colors are available, including Redline Red, Magnetic Black, Silver Alloy and Pikes Peak White.

Inside, NISMO 350Z drivers receive special treatment with unique black cloth seats with red inserts, red stitching throughout the interior and special NISMO white-faced tachometer. All NISMO 350Zs receive a serialized NISMO-etched aluminum plaque mounted on the center console, designating its limited edition status.

The NISMO 350Z includes a full complement of 350Z standard features, including the new VQ35HR 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 306 horsepower @ 6,800 RPM and 268 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 RPM – with more than 90% of torque available between 2,000 and 7,000 RPM. Engine features include variable exhaust cam timing (eCVTCS), a 7,500 rpm rev limit and a symmetric twin ram air intake system.

The standard 6-speed manual transmission features close-ratio gearing from 1st through 5th gears for high-performance driving and an overdrive 6th speed for highway fuel economy. For performance handling, standard on the NISMO 350Z is a Traction Control System (TCS) and Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD).

Also standard is electronically-controlled vehicle speed-sensitive dual-orifice rack-and-pinion power steering system, front and rear strut tower bracing, 4-wheel disc Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, cruise control, aluminum pedals, illuminated steering wheel audio controls and auto dimming rearview mirror, power windows, 3-bay gauge cluster, High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-xenon (high and low beam) headlights, LED taillights, Advanced Air Bag System, side and curtain side-impact supplemental air bags and Active Head Restraints.

"The NISMO 350Z is geared towards enthusiasts who want the ultimate 350Z straight from the factory performance experts,” said Bosley. “They also want a Z that makes a statement and is a testament to their love of driving."

In addition to the new NISMO 350Z, the 2007 350Z Coupe is offered in Base, Enthusiast, Touring and Grand Touring models. The 2007 350Z Roadster is offered in three models – Enthusiast, Touring and Grand Touring.

About NISMO

NISMO originated in Japan in 1984 and has established itself as the premier supplier of high-performance aftermarket parts and accessories for Nissan vehicles in Japan and, since 2003, in the United States. NISMO components in the U.S. cover three areas - NISMO "S-tune" (which are backed by Nissan’s Parts and Accessory Limited Warranty, see warranty and dealer for details), "R-tune" suited for closed-track and off-road use and NISMO apparel and lifestyle items. Also available are Legacy components for older Nissan and Datsun vehicles. R-tune and Legacy components are designated for off-highway use and are not warranted. NISMO parts are available only through participating Nissan dealers.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:38 am

Part 2

At a Glance: 2007 Nissan NISMO 350Z

For the first time ever in the Nissan Z’s 37-year history, a high-performance NISMO 350Z is part of the extensive Z lineup. The new 2007 Nissan NISMO 350Z features an extensively developed list of unique equipment – including a special body package and improved handling equipment. This new model, the fifth in the 2007 350Z Coupe lineup, is available with a 6-speed manual transmission only.

The most striking visual feature of this special vehicle is the NISMO aerodynamics package, which strongly resembles the Super GT championship winning Zs. Featuring an aggressive front fascia with chin spoiler, side skirts, an extended rear fascia with underbody diffuser and a rear wing, the NISMO 350Z produces additional aerodynamic downforce to provide enhanced cornering and handling performance.

Special consideration is given during assembly of the NISMO 350Z – structural rigidity is enhanced by the use of additional body welds to the already rigid 350Z body and additional supports have been added front and rear. The NISMO 350Z also utilizes special body dampers mounted in the front radiator core support and the rear cargo area, which assist in controlling body vibrations.

Additional performance features include a specially tuned independent multi-link suspension, Brembo brakes with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers (with 12.8-inch front and 12.7-inch rear rotors) and special NISMO-branded gunmetal gray RAYS super lightweight forged-alloy wheels (18x9-inch front and 19x10-inch rear with 245/40WR18 front, 265/35WR19 rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires). A special NISMO-branded tuned exhaust adds an even more authoritative tone to the Z’s 306-horsepower V6 engine.

The 2007 NISMO 350Z is scheduled to go on sale in July 2007.

Highlights of the 2007 Nissan NISMO 350Z include:

Body:

NISMO aerodynamics package, including front fascia with chin spoiler, side skirts, rear fascia with diffuser and rear wing
Additional body structure measures, including additional body welds and front and rear reinforcements
Special body dampers mounted in the front radiator core support and rear cargo area
High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-xenon (high and low beam) headlights and LED brake lights
Long wheelbase (104.3 inches), short overhangs and wide stance; raised rear deck for enhanced aerodynamics
TBD coefficient of drag
Strong, spine-like beltline anchored with large, distinctive taillights
Aluminum hood, distinctive vertical door handles, heated outside mirrors
Four available exterior colors – Redline Red, Magnetic Black, Silver Alloy, Pikes Peak White
Engine and Driveline
Next-generation 3.5-liter, 24-valve DOHC V6 (VQ35HR), 306 horsepower @ 6800 RPM, 268 lb-ft of torque @ 4800 RPM
Ram air dual intake, equal length exhaust manifold and dual exhaust system with laser-welded rear mufflers
High compression ratio (10.6:1), 7500 rpm redline, eCVTCS (electromagnetic variable exhaust cam timing), twin knock sensors, improved cooling and stiffer engine block structure, small pitch silent cam chain
NISMO-branded tuned dual exhaust with chrome exhaust tips
6-speed close-ratio manual transmission
Front engine/rear-wheel drive
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) driveshaft
Suspension, Steering and Braking
NISMO-tuned 4-wheel independent multi-link suspension with use of lightweight aluminum components
Brembo power-assisted vented 4-wheel disc brakes with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers (with 12.8-inch front and 12.7-inch rear rotors), 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)
NISMO-branded gunmetal gray RAYS super lightweight forged-alloy wheels, 18x9-inch front and 19x10-inch rear
Large diameter front and rear stabilizer bars
Vehicle speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion steering
Traction Control System (TCS)
Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD)
Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
Interior Features
Unique black cloth seats with red inserts
Red stitching throughout the interior
Special NISMO white-faced tachometer
Serialized NISMO-etched aluminum plaque mounted on the center console
Driver-oriented two-passenger interior environment with a combination of classic and cutting-edge sports car interior design
3-bay gauge pods – similar to the original 240Z design
Specially shaped driver’s seat (different from passenger design) to hold the body firmly
8-way manual driver’s seat/4-way manual passenger’s seat
Standard automatic temperature control
Lockable rear luggage box behind passenger seat
Center console with aluminum trim
Power windows with auto one-touch up and down, power door locks
Aluminum pedals
HomeLink® Universal Transceiver
Safety and Security
Nissan Advanced Air Bag System
3-point ALR/ELR seatbelts (driver’s seatbelt ELR only)
Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters
Zone Body construction with front and rear crushable zones
Energy-absorbing steering column
Active Head Restraints
Standard Vehicle Security System and Immobilizer
Models and Manufacturing
One well-equipped NISMO 350Z model
Assembled in Tochigi, Japan

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Subaru called. They said that they have patented fugly and Nissan should cease and desist with that front end.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:25 am

First Impressions:
The styling is suspect but the Nismo Z makes amends with its superior handling and high-revving motor.

7,500 redline
Yamaha mass dampers
18-inch forged wheels
Unique aero kit

Learning lessons from the racetrack

As we buried our right boot exiting the last hairpin in 2nd gear, the tach needle of the 2007 Nissan 350Z Nismo raced northeast across the dial. It didn't waver and we rode a tsunami of forward thrust toward 7,000 rpm.

We'd heard that Nissan would be testing the 2007 Nismo Z at Tsukuba Circuit, the most popular racetrack in Japan, so we dropped by to see what all the fuss was about.

That's how we found ourselves at 125 mph on the back straight of this 1.3-mile circuit with the 2007 Nismo Z asking for more.

Z, the next generation
From the moment the Nissan 350Z launched in 2002, it's been a hot prospect on the road. There were plenty of people (including many at Nissan) who believed the Z-car would never make a comeback from the brink of irrelevance, yet 200,000 350Zs have been parked in garages around the world since then, including 27,278 in the U.S. last year.

The centerpiece of the 2007 350Z is a new, high-revving 306-horsepower version of Nissan's well-known, 3.5-liter VQ-Series V6. Motohiro Matsumura, the engineer who directed the design of the original VQ, tells us that Nissan originally asked him to control noise and vibration in the company's first all-aluminum engine, and his use of lightweight yet rigid parts led him to excellent performance at the same time.

Some 80 percent of the VQ35HR engine is new. Twin throttle bodies, a higher compression ratio and straighter intake ports help squeeze out more power, while variable valve timing for the intake and exhaust cams broadens the power band. To help the engine withstand the higher 7,500-rpm redline, the crankshaft's pins and journals are larger in diameter and the crankshaft's main bearing carrier is supported by a ladder-type frame. Meanwhile, the connecting rods are 8.4mm longer to help reduce vibration, a measure that required a revised engine block with a taller deck height.

When the new high-revving, 3.5-liter VQ35HR V6 is hooked up to the Nismo Z's six-speed manual transmission, it delivers 306 horsepower at 6,800 rpm. The torque output is 268 pound-feet at 4,800 rpm, but, more important, 90 percent of peak torque is available between 2,000 rpm and 7,000 rpm.

Chassis tricks from Japan
The chassis of the Nismo Z has been developed by Autech, a Japanese company that produces specialty models for Nissan and also prepares Nissan's entries in the Japanese Super GT racing series.

Autech welds up some of the seams in the Z-car's body to increase structural rigidity and also installs the usual strut-tower braces. The Nismo Z also features special Yamaha-built mass dampers between the left- and right-side frame members beneath the unit-body chassis to control vibration in this new, stiffer body. This is technology adapted from the mass dampers Yamaha formerly supplied to the Honda Formula 1 team.

There are plenty of signature Nismo pieces within the interior, but the car is more noteworthy for special exterior bodywork developed by Nissan for racing, including a front aero splitter, a front bumper cover, rocker-sill extensions and a dramatic rear treatment with a wing.

The Nismo Z rides on lightweight forged wheels and carries 245/40R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tires in front and 275/35R19s in the rear. Specially tuned springs and dampers are part of the package.

The racing connection
It took just two corners of Tsukuba to realize just how freely the new V6 spins toward its 7,500-rpm redline. The outgoing VQ engine had loads of punch through the midrange, but the new HR (high-revving) engine has real staying power at peak rpm. It has a dry, crisp and yet authoritative exhaust note that becomes an addictive roar above 5,000 rpm.

As we charged toward Tsukuba's second hairpin at 80 mph in 3rd gear, we jumped on the brake pedal and engaged the big four-pot Brembos, plucked 2nd gear with the short-throw shift linkage and then clipped the tight apex at around 45 mph. Letting the tach needle plummet to an indicated 2 grand, we floored the throttle and unleashed a torrent of power that continued right to the redline at 7,500 rpm.

The newly found high-end power tempts you to keep the engine on the boil above 5,000 rpm, yet if you find yourself lower in the rpm range, there's plenty of torque to climb the ladder to peak power again.

Just like a classic Nissan engine, the new VQ's throttle response is crisp and the engine pulls strongly across the full sweep of the tachometer. There's no difference between the engine of the Nismo Z and that of the 2007 Nissan 350Z, yet the engine feels so rewarding, there might not need to be any difference.

The Nismo Z's real mark of distinction lies in its track-ready chassis. At Tsukuba, the Nismo Z recorded a lap time of 1:05.9, some 1.3 seconds quicker than the most aggressive model of the standard 350Z. The Nismo Z turns in sharper, corners quicker with less body roll, and both squats less under acceleration and dives less under braking.

Push the Nismo Z as we did through the track's long right-hand sweeper, and it will understeer at first. Once you feather the throttle for a moment, though, the car assumes a neutral attitude and you can use the VQ 6's wide power band to steer the car with the throttle in a way that's more progressive and controllable than ever before.

Of course the V6's meatier top-end power means that the rear end will break traction sooner, but the slide is easier to catch once the sideways stuff starts.

A track car, not a street car
The downside of the Nismo Z is quickly apparent on the street.

All the newfound chassis rigidity combined with the stiff-legged, track-ready suspension calibration and aggressive, low-profile Bridgestone RE-01R tires combines to deliver a harsh ride that'll shake your fillings loose even on Japan's magically smooth roads.

It'll be interesting to see if Americans are willing to pay a premium for a track-ready Z-car that doesn't feature a special measure of added engine power, but the new VQ V6 is so impressive that they might not notice.

With the 2007 Nismo Z, Nissan has taken one of the world's best sports cars, given it a look that's both unique and functional and built up a razor-sharp chassis that's capable of extreme performance. You'll want to keep the engine on the boil at nearly 7,000 rpm just like we did.

We'll see what's next for Nismo, as we hear it's preparing a 400-hp 380RS edition of the Z-car that will be powered by a detuned version of the 3.8-liter V6 used by the Autech-prepared Z-car driven by Michael Krumm that won the 2006 Japanese Super GT racing series.

Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.

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