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CARS & BIKES ARCHIVE: 499: Environmental charge The futuristic electric-and-gasoline hybrid Toyota Alphard aims to take the financial strain out of owning a large van, while reducing emissions to boot. Justin Gardiner takes one for a cruise. 497: Thrills and spills The next two weekends feature Japan's two biggest Grand Prix races, the Pacific Moto GP, and the final round of the Formula 1 Championship. Justin Gardiner gets pole position. 495: Time warp It was christened the Japanese Ferrari when it was launched way back in 1991. Justin Gardiner reckons the intended compliment still doesn't do justice to Honda's NSX. 493: Point to point Just how much faster is a 1,000cc superbike than a 50cc scooter in our sprawling megalopolis? Justin Gardiner borrowed a few Aprilia bikes to find out. 491: Future classic The Audi TT Roadster has become the archetypal convertible of the decade, with good looks matched by great handling. Justin Gardiner gets behind the wheel. 489: Name value Toyota's Lexus is one of the most respected brands in the West, but almost unheard of in its home country. Justin Gardiner wonders why. 487: Revolutionary ride Mazda proudly proclaims that its RX-8 is peerless, and for once the claim is more than marketing hype. Justin Gardiner revs it up. 485: Thinking big What’s behind the astonishing popularity of oversized scooters on Tokyo’s roads? Justin Gardiner and three veteran motorcyclists aim to find out. 483: Off the beaten path Honda’s Element harks back to the days when a 4x4’s interior could be washed down with a hose. Justin Gardiner goes for a spin. 481: Track days Tokyo offers amateur racers the chance to prove that they’re the next Michael Schumacher. Justin Gardiner hits the speedways. 479: My Fairlady The Datsun 240Z changed the fortunes of Nissan Motors back in 1969. This year, the new 350Z heads up their international line-up for the 21st century. Justin Gardiner reports. 477: Small is better Justin Gardiner gets the scoop on scooters to fit every taste and budget. 475: Two for the price of one Justin Gardiner drives two cars that can fit into a single parking space, the Smart K and the Suzuki Twin. 473: Multiple personality In a world of nigh-on-identical minivans, Fiat’s Multipla dares to be different. Justin Gardiner drives the distinctive import. 471: Days at the races Honda, the traditional Japanese champions of motorsports in Japan, are facing a tough challenge on their home turf. Justin Gardiner looks forward to what promises to be a bumper year for racing enthusiasts. 469: The ride stuff Just in time for spring, Don Morton tells you how and where to choose the perfect bike. 467: Most impressive Justin Gardiner tools around in Subaru's Impreza, the automotive equivalent of a mild-mannered bloke who turns unruly after a few pints. 465: Outside the box Justin Gardiner mourns the passing of the Toyota HiACE, a campsite favorite and the best of a dying breed. 463: Cyber Cypha Justin Gardiner finds that Toyota's latest super-mini not only takes you out to dinner, but helps you decide where to go. 461: Award magnet Mazda's new mid-size Atenza is attracting accolades the world over. Paul Thompson zoom-zoomed along to find out why. 459: Down the road After a year of cute cars, 2003 promises more power, pace and raw sex appeal. Justin Gardiner peers into his crystal ball. 453: Fleet of foot Japan's convoy of quirky emergency vehicles includes everything from mopeds to the country's fastest cars 451: Truck and treat Paul Thompson tracked down the latest automotive trends from the 36th Tokyo Motor Show ISSUES 500+ ISSUES 499- ISSUES 449- ISSUES 399- ISSUES 349- ISSUES 299-

My Fairlady

The Datsun 240Z changed the fortunes of Nissan Motors back in 1969. This year, the new 350Z heads up their international line-up for the 21st century. Justin Gardiner reports.

Nissan is aiming for the more mature customer with its new sports coupe

With tears in their eyes, American sports car enthusiasts bade farewell to the venerable Z car in 1996, when the all-conquering road and track racer was banned from US shores for failing to meet new exhaust emission requirements. Four years later, the final 300Z left a Nissan dealership here in Japan, as domestic demad couldn't overcome the loss of the lucrative US market. But during the past 12 months, the company has revived the brand, and joyful devotees are welcoming the latest incarnation, a street racer that proudly upholds the Z's muscle-car heritage while updating it with state-of-the-art flourishes.

The original Z, or Fairlady Z as it's called here, became a '70s cultural icon Stateside, and heralded a total change in corporate Japan's attitude to the US market. It was far from the first Japanese car to be exported to America, but it was the first to be designed from the ground up specifically for the world's largest automotive market. As such, it led the charge of imports that was to become the scourge of Detroit in the '80s, and it beat the Americans at their own high-horsepower game.

Out with the old
Indeed, previous incarnations of the Z were classic muscle cars, proportionally not unlike the Trans Ams and Firebirds they battled both on and off the race track. The new car, though, is closer to the Audi TT than anything else on the road today, and Nissan claims it has the ideal weight distribution of 53 percent on the front wheels and 47 percent on the rear. Whether this results in perfect driving balance is open to debate, but one thing's for sure: this classic front engine/rear-wheel-drive powerhouse is certainly not tail-happy. No amount of lunacy into 90-degree turns will induce the Z's rear end to slide; the car's natural poise and ever-efficient traction control allow just a little squeal from the tires before it follows its nose up the chosen street. But punch the little button hidden in the footwell to cancel the traction control system, and donut-burning wheelspin is available aplenty. In the Version T model, which we test-drove, another switch, located between the front seats and simply marked "Snow-Neutral-Power," can calm the powertrain down when driving in slippery conditions or punch it up to allow for more excitement on demand.

Ergonomic and stylish all in one

With a 3.5-liter V6 lump wedged under the hood, the temptation is to select the latter option, and leave it there. Squeeze the accelerator from a standing start and the 280 ponies harnessed up front rumble the Z past 100km/h in under six seconds. Keep your foot steady, and the limiter will cut your progress at the 180km/h mark, which arrives remarkably soon after. There's no doubt that the car would sail through this electronically enforced cut-off should an owner elect to get rid of that limiter, and that it would be stable at Autobahn speeds.

The Z boasts a state-of-the-art navigation system

However, the 350Z is not strictly a boy racer's machine. The large, torque-y engine and refined cabin make this car feel more BMW than MR2. The cockpit is as ergonomically satisfying as it is comfortable, with classic dials joining forces with a state-of-the-art car navigation system to keep drivers informed of what's going on around them. Visibility is pretty horrid, however, particularly out the rear, and the side mirrors are not large or angled enough to cover any of the multiple blind spots. The only other niggle is the passenger's seat belt: if no one's using it, it clatters against the door pillar infuriatingly. Strapping it across the empty seat is the only cure.

The trunk perfectly accommodates a weekend's worth of luggage for two

Externally bigger than a Tokyo taxi, the Z nevertheless places its two seats pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the chassis, leaving a space in back too short for rear seats and too long to be accessed with ease from the rear hatch. The ultra-cool strut brace between the two rear suspension mounts certainly improves the car's rigidity, and thus handling, but it doesn't do much for the usability of the trunk: the cavern is perfect for hauling paintings or tabletops, but not much else.

To be fair, a weekend's worth of luggage for two can fit in the trunk, but having spent some time with the car, we suspect that those doing the stuffing will be retirees, not yuppies. The whole design concept is a departure from previous iterations-particularly conspicuous in its absence is the long nose of the classic Zs-and, at ¥3,000,000 to ¥3,600,000 new, few people in their 20s will be able to afford such a toy. No matter: Japan's younger crowd appears to be more interested in boxy cars like the Cube than sports coupes, and with the knowledge of the way this country's, and soon even America's, demographics are changing, a more mature customer base for their flagship won't be a bad thing for Nissan. In other words, those most lustily greeting the marque's revival may well be the Z's original fans.

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Photos by Justin Gardiner