If the Nissan GT-R R35 is what one might call “Godzilla”, its little sibling, the 350Z, would definitely have to be “Godzooky”.
For those who didn’t grow up watching those silly cartoons, Godzooky was Godzilla’s “cowardly little cousin” in the Godzilla animated series that originally aired in the late 1970s.
Now, while there’s nothing “cowardly” about the 350Z, according to Car Throttle, you can still call it a GT-R cousin and end up with an “awesome and affordable” car that has rear-wheel drive and produces 313 PS thanks to a 3.5-liter V6 engine.
With the help of a 6-speed manual transmission, the old 350Z could hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds, which at the time was properly quick, way quicker than any regular hot hatch and about as quick as something like an E92 BMW 335i.
The 350Z might not be the most fuel efficient sports car you can buy, and the interior plastics can be quite tacky, but if value for money is what you’re after, you’ll get plenty of performance and solid handling characteristics at a price where the GT-R would never factor in.
Overall, the Nissan 350Z can be a solid consolation prize if you can’t go anywhere near a GT-R, budget-wise.