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Jarvis' Nismo 350Z
Sometimes, we consumers get lucky and sports car manufacturers release race-ready versions of their sports cars to the public. Take the Ferrari 360 for example. Already a phenomenal sports car from the factory, made even more track ready with the race version, the 360 Challenge Stradale. Or take the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The 911 has been an iconic sports car for decades, yet Porsche unveiled an even more stripped down, all business variant of 911 with the GT3 RS. These factory race cars are made purely for the most hardcore of driving enthusiasts. Those consumers who don’t care about comfort or flashy accessories, just the purest driving experience you can find without actually sitting in a real race car. That is exactly the type of car Nissan would reveal to the world in 2007 with the latest version of their Nismo tuned 350Z.
This car is about as extreme as it gets from the factory. And it’s definitely not for everyone. At first glance, it bears an uncanny resemblance to its race track brethren. The front end of the 2007 Nismo 350Z acts a fully functional bumper and diffuser that helps aid the Z in slicing through the air with ease; an attribute directly derived from that of the Super GT car. The flat underbody, large rear wing, even the bulging rear bumper, all are fully functional in eliminating as much lift as possible and keeping the Z squarely glued to the track as it carves through the corners. Even down to the chassis itself is different than the regular Z33, developed specifically by Autech for the Nismo 350Z. The chassis is finely tuned and welded at the seams making for a very rigid body. There are even dampers developed by Yamaha’s Formula 1 design to mitigate any further flex and vibration in the body. Clearly, Nismo meant business when they developed this extreme version of the 350Z. The 2007 Nismo 350Z utilizes the same VQ35HR as the normal 2007 350Z. With the HR engine, with its dual throttle bodies and revised head design, the Nismo 350Z produces an impressive 306 horsepower at about 6,800rpm. Peak torque is around 270 and is mostly found at a very accessible range in between 2,000 and 5,000rpm.
So just like consumers get lucky and are allowed to purchase cars like this directly from their local Nissan dealers, sometimes at a performance facility we get fortunate enough to get a Nismo 350Z for not only service, but also for research and development for producing performance products for both the 2007 Nismo 350Z and the standard 350Z models. That’s exactly how the story went here at Altered Atmosphere. Jarvis S. of Prince George’s County, Maryland purchased his Nismo Z and took no time in modifying his Z. He did some research, and decided to entrust his collectors item in the hands of local area 350Z specialists at Altered Atmosphere Motorsports. Initially when Jarvis brought his car in, he only wanted to have a performance replacement for the restrictive factory catalytic converters. This was mutual for both parties as our fabricators at Altered Atmosphere needed a 2007 350Z to design and engineer a high flowing true dual exhaust, dual intakes, test pipes, and high flow cats for the new Z. Jarvis left his car at Altered Atmosphere’s facility for a few days, and AAM’s fabricator and engineers combed over the car for hours on end. In the end, they were able to develop high flowing test pipes, made from the highest quality of 16 gauge 304 stainless steel. The AAM Competition Test pipes helped the Z save 11 lbs, and gained about 10 whp! But AAM’s technicians didn’t stop there. They went on to design and develop AAM Comp High Flow Cats, AAM Comp 3 inch True Dual Exhaust and 2.5 inch True Dual Exhaust, AAM Comp Dual Intakes for the VQHR, and our latest product, the AAM Front Support Brace. Needless to say, Jarvis was pretty excited with all new products he was able to test out on his car. The staff at Altered Atmosphere was equally as excited to have such a rare beauty from Nissan in the shop to work with.
Having a car that’s in very limited production from the factory is one thing. Altering that car to make it even more unique is something that not a lot of people are willing to do. Jarvis S. wanted to make absolute sure that he would never see another 350Z roaming the streets of Maryland that looks just like his. With his unique AAM performance upgrades, combined with a car that looks like it just came of a racetrack, Jarvis can rest assured that his Z is truly one of a kind.
