Nissan To Offer Nismo 350Z for 2008 Model Year

The global auto market is filled with fast cars which are aimed at performance enthusiasts and speed junkies. These cars are designed to be driven fast and this is the quality that some car buyers look for in a car. One of these cars famous for its speed is the Nissan 350Z.

The 350Z is a sports car produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor Company. The current 350Z model is the fifth generation of the Z car which was first introduced by Nissan in 1970. During that year, Nissan still went by the name Datsun in the market. After years and years of improvement on the Z car, Nissan announced that they will be offering the Nissan Nismo 350Z for the 2008 model year.

The 350Z comes from the Datsun 240Z which during its time is unlike anything that Nissan has produced. Today, the Nismo 350Z is set to once again capture the attention of performance enthusiasts all over the world. In 2003, the Nissan 350Z made its debut and from then on has become one of the most sought after sports cars in the market. One advantage that the Nissan has over its European and American counterpart is its reasonable price. It is a known fact that Asian car brands are known for the lower price of their models compared to American and European car brands. In fact, the Zs performance earns it the mythical distinction of being the bona fide muscle car of the Japanese. Its performance focused engineering makes it a strong contender to European brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.

For the 2008 model year, the Nismo-badged 350Z will be a front-engined sports car with a rear wheel drive configuration remaining true to its lineage. Its exterior styling captures the attention of almost anyone. Its front end is characterized by an aggressive looking headlight configuration. The Nissan badge on the cars nose emphasizes the bold styling cues used by Nissan on the 350Zs front grille. The bumper with its couple of fins sticking out gives the car a look of a race-prepped automobile. The five spoke wheels enhance the cars aesthetic value while the rear spoiler gives it that sports car look that tuned cars often displays.

What the Nismo 350Z hides under its hood is the standard Z car engine that is the 3.5-liter direct overhead cam, 24-valve V6 engine. This powerplant is capable of producing 306 horsepower and 268 lb-ft of torque. That power can be enhanced by aftermarket parts such as Nissan cold air intake systems which allow cooler air to enter the intake manifold. The power produced by the engine is the transferred to the rear wheels via a six speed manual transmission. The precision engineered gear box allows the power produced by the engine to be smoothly transferred to the wheels with as little waste as possible.

The power produced by the engine and transmitted to the drive wheels, of course, should be checked by high quality brakes and Nissan provided the Nismo 350Z with four disc brakes for every wheel. It also features an anti-lock braking system and the electronic brake force distribution system. Both of these features allow the driver to engage the brakes at high speed without the risk of loosing control of the vehicle.

The Nissan Nismo 350Z is up against formidable foes in its segment. Among its direct competition are the Audi TT, BMW Z4, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda S2000, Mazda RX-8, Mercedes-Benz SLK 350, Pontiac Solstice GXP, Porsche Cayman S, and the Saturn Sky Red Line.