Following the debut of the first-generation model in 1969, the 350z became the world's best-selling sports car, recording sales of 220,000 units in Japan and 1.22 million units in overseas markets.

The newly released fifth-generation 350z has been revived after a two-year hiatus, following termination of production of the previous model in August 2000. A concept version of the car was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2001, and sports car fans the world over have ardently desired the revival of this illustrious brand.

The new 350z has been created around the concept of "lust then love," which implies that customers will be enamored of the car at first sight and will continue to love it forever. Powering the car is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that can be paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic gearbox. The more buyers drive their 350z, the more satisfied they will be with its awesome dynamic capabilities, leading them to cherish and use the car for many years to come.

The major salient features of the new 350z include:

· High performance

The car provides a new dimension of sporty performance, enabling anyone around the globe to enjoy the pleasure of sporty driving.

· Design

The innovative design boldly blends unique Z-ness in a fresh, new styling.

· High value

Customers will enjoy performance, design and perceived quality far beyond what one would imagine from the price.

A racing version of the new 350z is now being developed for use by private teams in GT races both at home and abroad, beginning tentatively from the next racing season. This will include participation in GT300 class events of the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC).

The 350z embodies a "flat ride and sporty driving" concept that aims to deliver a new dimension of sporty performance, enabling anyone the world over to enjoy a sporty driving experience.

A "flat ride" refers to the creation of a driving environment that allows precise driving maneuvers as a result of controlling body motions to maintain a flat vehicle attitude without any vertical movement of the driver's sight line. "Sporty driving" means providing all-around dynamic capabilities that enable drivers to enjoy an exceptional driving experience faithful to their every wish in all sorts of situations. Nissan's "New FR (Front Engine, Rear Drive) Sports Package" has been adopted to deliver both elements of this concept.

This New FR Sports Package comprises superior packaging performance, reflecting the car's intrinsic character, and the high-performance sporty hardware adopted for the 350z.

Superior packaging performance has been achieved by adding to Nissan's front midship FM Package all the essential elements of a sports car such as: wide-tread sport tires with different front and rear diameters that rank among the largest in this class; an optimum front-rear weight distribution of 53:47; a low center of gravity; top-class aerodynamic performance (with standard models achieving a Cd figure of 0.30 along with zero front lift and models equipped with front and rear spoilers attaining a Cd figure of 0.29 together with zero front and rear lift); and a sporty driving position that places the occupants near the center between the front and rear tires and affords outstanding visibility.

Included among the high-performance sporty hardware units are: the newly developed NEO VQ35DE 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine that generates high torque from the low rpm range; a new 6-speed manual transmission and a 5-speed automatic transmission incorporating a manual mode with completely fixed gear ratios, both of these gearboxes provide dynamic performance and handling properties befitting a sports car; a multi-link suspension system with forged aluminum parts; a powerful braking system (Version S and Version ST models feature Brembo brakes); and a new, highly rigid body construction. With these outstanding hardware features, the 350z pursues the ideal image of a 21st-century sports car.

Executed around the three concepts of newness, Z-ness and high quality, the cutting-edge design of the 350z shows one future direction of Nissan car design.

On the outside, the exterior styling expresses newness by projecting a fresh, crisp sports car look, rendered in the minimum necessary mass as a result of eliminating unneeded body volume. The interior design resembles a speedboat in that it provides the maximum cabin width in the front seat area so as to enable people of all statures and sizes to enjoy the fun of sporty driving. The cabin thus combines ample spaciousness for the occupants with a compact, snug feeling befitting a sports car.

Z-ness refers to the unique Z styling cues that identify the car at a glance as being the 350z. Moreover, high quality has been expressed by paying meticulous attention to the smallest details, such as by using genuine aluminum and leather materials for the interior trim and by giving even small parts an exclusive design, among other measures. As a result, the overall design expresses both a high degree of perfection and superb performance.

The 350z has been thoroughly designed and engineered in pursuit of premium quality in a sports car intended for a global audience. Customers will enjoy levels of performance, design and perceived quality unimaginable from the car's price.

As a result of adopting the FM Package together with an array of cutting-edge technologies, the 350z provides world-class safety performance in collisions from all directions, including full overlap and offset frontal impacts, side impacts and rear-end impacts.

The 350z is certified as an ultra-low emission vehicle (U-LEV)* under the low-emission vehicle certification system of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This certification means that the car reduces exhaust emissions by an additional 75% from the levels required by Japan's 2000 exhaust emission regulations.