It's a free-revving, rip-roaring, seat of the pants monster with a turbocharged 3.5litre V6 engine and an exhaust note to put Krakatoa to shame.
Prices start at a relatively tiny (no really, but more of that later) £26,345 for the coupe; and £27,845 for the Roadster version with a folding roof.
WHAT'S NEW? The aptly-entitled Goodwood Festival Of Speed saw Nissan unveil a supercharged GT-S version of the 350Z.
The concept racer shaved 2.5seconds off the time it takes the standard car to do the 0 to 100mph sprint. It also benefited from uprated suspension set-up and a revised exhaust system. Nissan are currently trying to establish whether there is sufficient money to be made out there from marketing the GT-S.
It's more likely that Nissan will offer the souped-up GT-S refinements to 350Z customers in kit form.
If the promise of more power doesn't float your boat, then you'll be delighted to know that the 2006 version of the standard 350Z features a new front bumper, revised lower grille and a smoother profile ahead of the front wheels. At the rear, the tail lights now feature 42 LED lamps.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Until the GT-S options come on line, you can choose between the standard Coupe or Roadster or opt to pay a bit more (around £3,000) for the GT version.
The GT pack adds cruise control, heated and electric leather seats and a premium Bose audio system. You can also opt for the GT-only bright Alezan Orange leather upholstery.
WHAT'S IT FOR? Scaring birds out of the trees with a rumbling blast of rugged exhaust note.
Once you've got used to that, you'll no doubt enjoy the surge of turbo-enhanced power available throughout the range of six manual gears.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? Waheyyy!
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW? Far more refined sports cars and coupes are available to car buyers, mainly from companies that have their headquarters in Germany.
But if it's the raw appeal of a Midnight Racer that you are looking for, then the 350Z is a whole lot of fun.
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU BUY ONE? If I had both the money to buy it AND the time to enjoy it, there'd be one on my driveway quicker than you could say "Whatever happened to all those Japanese rust buckets?"
MARKS OUT OF 10? Nine out of 10, but only because we'll need to reserve the 10 out of 10 for the GT-S version.
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