For all the smokin’ special effects that glorify the tricked-out rides in filmic fantasies such as The Fast and the Furious, the most common element of the Asian-hot-rod phenomenon is a lot of cosmetic add-ons that look menacing but have no other function. We cite this here because the Nissan NISMO package (for Nissan Motorsports International), offered as a specific 350Z model, does not fall into the plastic-tiger category. The aero pieces were sculpted in a wind tunnel, and there are hardware upgrades to augment them: front-shock-tower bracing and radiator supports, extra body-shell welds at the A- and B-pillars, a heftier brace spanning the rear shock towers, higher spring rates, firmer dampers, and a bigger rear anti-roll bar.
The NISMO Z rolls on Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires—245/40R-18 front, 265/35R-19 rear—mated to NISMO aluminum wheels, and the brakes are the same big Brembos that come with the Grand Touring version of the Z.
