Muscular 350Z gets more grunt

Teenage whizz-kid George Hotz achieved celebrity status in the US last week by hacking into one of Apple's revolutionary new iPhones and adapting it for use with other mobile networks.

This was a serious blow to Apple as it potentially jeopardises the exclusive deals it has negotiated with telecoms firms around the world for the distribution of what has been billed as the most eagerly-awaited new mobile phone ever.

The 17-year-old posted details on the internet of how he had bypassed the phone's security and then auctioned it off on eBay. He ended up swopping it for a Nissan 350Z sports car.

The youngster, who intends to study neuroscience at college, is clearly a smart cookie - and has pretty good taste in cars too.

The Nissan two-seater coupe may not possess the most prestigious badge in the world but it offers a rattling good drive for the enthusiast and is excellent value for money too (for those of us who do not possess George's expert phone hacking skills).

The 350Z is now four years old - but looks as fresh as ever and has been subtly updated over the years by Nissan. The three and a half litre power plant is 80 per cent new compared with the original engine and now develops more than 300bhp - that's enough grunt to take you to 60mph in just over five and a half seconds.

The Z is an old-fashioned rear wheel drive sports car with near perfect 53:47 (front/rear) weight distribution, a low centre of gravity, quick steering, and grippy Bridgestone tyres.

I got to drive one for a couple of days, though was not able to push it as hard as I would have liked owing to the vagaries of this year's dreadful summer. You don't really want to be disengaging the ESP when it's tipping it down with rain.

The controls are on the heavy side - particularly the clutch, which is the antithesis of the feather-light pedals found in Nissan Micras. The Brembo brakes do a decent stopping job but you have to stomp on them.

Although it offers a fairly hardcore drive the Nissan is very well-equipped, with standard kit including climate control air conditioning, trip computer, a 160w stereo, CD auto changer, bi-xenon headlights and 18-inch alloys.

Yet this is not a car for those who want to be cossetted: you can generally hear the engine note above the stereo. The ride is very firm indeed - though the trade off is the lack of roll through bends.

The cabin may lacks the premium quality of rivals like the Audi TT but is still an agreeable environment in which to drive, thanks to the high specification offered by Nissan.

The seats are supportive but I would have preferred more adjustment for reach in the steering wheel in order to get properly comfortable.

The Z is not the most practical of sports cars: it appears to possess a reasonably sized boot but loading capacity is compromised by the bracing that has been installed for extra chassis rigidity. Look at a Mazda RX-8 if you need to carry more than one passenger.

Insurance is a hefty group 18 and you'lll be lucky to get 25mpg. But for under £27,000 it's difficult to top the Nissan's blend of exciting performance and looks. Our young hacker, I suspect, is going to enjoy himself at college...

Fact File

Model: Coupe with GT pack

Price: Base model from £26,795 on the road (With GT pack, metallic paint and 'Birdview' satellite navigation: £30, 945)

Engine: 3,498cc, six cylinder, petrol Power: 308bhp

Transmission: Six speed manual, rear wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds

Top speed: 155mphEconomy: 24.1mpg on combined cycle

CO2 emissions: 280g/km

Length: 4,315mm Weight: 1,542kg

Insurance group: 18

Servicing: 9,000 miles Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles.

By Peter Carroll