In 2002, when Nissan finally brought to market an all-new Z-car worthy of its name and heritage, it quickly made our 10Best list. We loved the new Z’s great design, performance, and outstanding value. Last year, Nissan made us more happy with a brilliant new 350Z roadster. For 2005, there’s a 35th-anniversary edition to mark the debut of the original 240Z in 1970. Otherwise, there are only some refinements that make this good car better, such as downshift rev matching for the five-speed automatic transmission that makes better use of the spirited 287-hp, 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 engine. To maximize performance, go with the close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox-and no more trembling left legs, as clutch-pedal effort has been reduced. Other upgrades include a quicker nav system, heated outside mirrors, and a standard tire-pressure monitoring system.

I could feel my heart pounding faster. Just two more cars to go before it was my turn—a Ford GT and an Aston Martin DB9. Here at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, 50,000 fans brave huge traffic jams and torrential downpours to watch the now-famous runs up “the Hill.” Winding its way through the majestic Goodwood estate, a simple 1.16-mile-long road course has become a mecca for everything that’s fast on two wheels or four. The Earl of March, estate owner and event patron, is the epitome of English nobility. Overseer of some 12,000 acres of land in Sussex, England, the earl was inspired to conceive this blue-ribbon event by the benevolence of his grandfather, the ninth Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948. In a land where nobility and racing go together like Paris Hilton and shopping sprees, the earl seems to know everyone who’s anyone. Just ask him. Names like Moss, Surtees, Brabham, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Ickx, Unser, Hill, Doohan, Brock, Alonso, Button, Coulthard, and Sato—he knows them all. And by opening up his estate to welcome the world’s hottest cars and biggest stars, he has created the Ascot of motorsports. Passing 120 mph, I reach the second footbridge and remember something a veteran Goodwood racer told me in the paddock just before my run.

Nick Mason, owner of countless supercars and drummer of the legendary band Pink Floyd, strongly suggested me to “use the second footbridge as a braking marker for the tight left-hander, which comes up very quickly if you’re not careful.” Safely through the trickiest blind corner of the course, I accelerate in third, negotiating the narrow winding section that approaches the finish line. Taking care not to use too much throttle and risk nudging a 1000-pound hay bail, I cross the line and breathe a sigh of relief.

Although many of the car classes at Goodwood are timed, strangely, the supercar class we’re running in is not. But by my watch, we got through in just under a minute. Respectable enough, especially as I’ve brought this one-off Z home safely and ready for a Brit driver to try his luck tomorrow.

Download pdf Nissan 350Z Touring (Manual) Complete Report