Nismo 350Z & Skyline

Nismo is the official purveyor of fast Nissans in Japan. These two examples are corkers


ometimes life deals you a pleasant surprise. On a recent trip to Japan, my host, Nissan, promised a driving day in a 350Z and a Skyline coupe. Great. These two rear-drivers are very much in the evo mould. But when I got to the test venue there was better to come - tasteless graphics instantly marked the two coupes as fully optioned Nismo-modified models.

The cars are closely related, both being based on Nissan's FM platform - Front Midship - despite the obvious size differences. It's a layout very similar to what's under the BMW 3-series: the engine is mounted well back in the bay, driving the rear wheels. Which is where you want to begin for a pure driver's car. Both of them also enjoy good front/rear weight distribution - 53/47 in the case of the 350Z and 51/49 for the Skyline. As a base for some thoughtful Nismo modification, this pair is perfect.

Nismo - an amalgamation of Nissan and Motorsport - in case you're wondering, is Nissan's official tuning arm. The Nismo mods undertaken on these two cars are relatively subtle. The Z has what's called the S-Tune pack, including an aero styling kit, and new springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. It also gets a power steering cooler, new brake hoses and pads, an uprated clutch assembly, switchable LSD, new wheels and a sports exhaust and catalyst. Inside, there are Nismo-branded instruments, serious sports seats and a tiny titanium gearknob. Nissan claims only 'minor' changes to the engine tuning, but the output is around 300bhp.

S-Tune, incidentally, is the mildest of three Nismo stages of tuning, for drivers who are almost exclusively road-bound. Next up, R-Tune has a track bias, though on the basis of these two examples, S-Tune is as far as you'd want to go on a roadcar, especially on badly-surfaced blacktop.

It's tight inside the Z and the seats are even tighter, but snick into the first of the six gears and it takes just a few revolutions of the wheels to realise that this is a very hardcore car. Hard and vital. The exhaust is massively noisy (and stands no chance of being legal in the UK) but the rest of the car is very temptingly possible.


The clutch has a very sharp take-up but it reveals an engine that's extremely responsive. The 'minor' changes made to the engine (Nismo cams, mainly) have breathed a surprising amount of extra vigour into the V6. The standard 350Z motor is strong, but not overwhelming. In S-Tune it's much more urgent, crisper and feels far punchier than a bare extra 24bhp would suggest. This car is now seriously quick. Another big benefit is the V6's 'blipability' - perhaps the engine's emission controls have been junked - which is icing on the Z's new-found hardcore character.

The ride is unyielding, but the Z feels stable and confidence-building. Much of the credit for this tautness must go to the inherent stiffness of the Z's shell. Nissan's marketing men might have demanded a twist-prone hatchback, but the engineers compensated with a huge rear strut-brace.
As a road car, albeit a modified one, it would easily be one of the rawest on our roads. It takes things to an extreme that's just bearable. It's hard to unpick the Z's handling by category as it steers, corners and accelerates with so little hesitation or slack that the limiting factor is the driver's abilities. Everything about it is Right Now. It's ultra- responsive to steering inputs and the superb body control gives it electrifying cornering ability. Compared with, say, a Type-R Integra, the Nismo Z is much rawer and lacks the Honda's calm beneath the hardcore mechanicals. But I liked it enormously.

The Japanese-market V6 Skyline Coupe - it's sold as an Infiniti in the States, but unavailable in the UK or Europe - is a very different car, but equally impressive. It's bigger, wider and has a much more airy (and better quality) cabin. And it fits its role as a focused GT car perfectly. You could drive it hard all day, but then can kick back in an instant and just cruise.

Nismo has managed to keep it surprisingly comfortable, well balanced and relaxed. There's plenty of poke - 271bhp gives it some real venom - but it's never too stiff or too aggressive. The steering, though, could do with a quicker rack: it's too slow to respond to inputs and its dopey demeanour is out of step with the rest of car. I can't think of anything comparable on the UK market, but imagine a Jaguar S-type R Coupe and you'd be getting close.

Although the Skyline isn't coming to Britain, Nissan UK will supply you with the kit to turn your 350Z into a Nismo like you see here, though I'd sanction against the exhuast. The Nismo'd Z is a gritty, no-compromise coupe that might frighten a Porsche GT3 for less than half the price; it's that appealing.

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I wish they hadnt changed the styling of the skyline. Bring back the r34!

Yeah I hear ya dood!