The Nissan 350Z: A Heritage and Saviour.

Today most cars are purpose-built. They have doors that open wide, deep boots, small engines that save on petrol, and a slew of fancy gadgetry more sophisticated than the F-35 Fighter Jet.

In their quest to win Car of the Year awards and sell hundreds of thousands worldwide, most cars end up losing passion. They are unbearable to drive and dreadful in corners. They will never set off your heart rate monitor warning, your palm will never sweat, and pupils never dilate.

Enter the Nissan 350Z. In the century where Japanese cars are obsessed with bomb-proof Hiluxes, this is a refreshing reminisce of the more interesting days.

To properly appreciate the 350Z, one has to reel back to its origin. In the 1960s, Nissan was a small automaker internationally and needed an iconic car to mark its place. It had to be a sports car that was fast, fun to drive, beautiful and most importantly more affordable than competitors.

In 1969 the 240Z was born, marking the beginning of 6 generations of Nissan’s heritage. Over the years, the Z line was celebrated across the world by enthusiasts for their looks, reliability, performance and affordability. It wasn’t until the cars started winning races all across America and Japan that earned the Z a spot as a racing pedigree.

But the 350Z played an even more vital role to Nissan than the others. In the late 1990s, Nissan was hit with a massive financial turmoil that forced it to look for an acquisition partner. Renault came and took up 44% of the stake, and a few years later the new CEO, Carlos Gohsn, wanted to build a new Z.

In 2002 the first 350Z was revealed to wide acclaim. It was heralded as the revival of a Nissan long-lost to an endless line of unenthusiastic cars. And while the previous few models were futuristic, the 350Z design paid tribute to the original curves of the 240Z.

By looking at where the Z badge originated and the importance of the 350Z to Nissan’s Renaissance, one cannot help but start to appreciate this car a little more.

So loom over the numbers if you must. The automatic 6-speed box thrusting a 3.5 litre V6 power plant that coughs up 300 ponies. The sleek body design that seats only 2 snugly in buckets. The proportional balance of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration. The surprisingly low 28,000km on the ticker.

The truth is, this car is a whole lot more than just facts and figures. Within it flows the blood of motor racing champions. It was the saving grace for a giant automaker at the brink. It was also a reminder that Nissan still knows how to make proper cars.

While it doesn’t try to be the best at anything, the 350Z became, quite possibly, the most important car in the entire Z history. And this thoroughbred can be yours for as low as $86 a week. If this doesn’t make you want a 350Z, may I suggest the Corolla in boring silver?