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Road Test: 2003 GReddy Nissan 350Z
Transforming a merely great car into a fabulous one

By John Kiewicz
Photography by the author
Motor Trend
From up top, the engine looks fairly stock, but hiding below are twin turbochargers breathing into a big, front-mounted intercooler. GReddy is also considering a Stage II package that'll add ported heads and more aggressive camshafts to the combo.

While Nissan's 350Z is a legitimate and well-executed sports car, GReddy Performance Products has a suggestion: Why not have the "350" in its name represent a 350-horsepower claim?

GReddy, the American arm of Japan-based tuner-parts company Trust, now offers a cache of smog-legal speed components designed to really up the Z's game. Our tester was fitted with GReddy's twin 18G Mitsubishi turbocharger system ($6000), putting 5.6 psi of boost through a three-row front-mounted aluminum intercooler. Larger fuel injectors, SUS header-type turbo manifolds, twin external wastegates, twin Airinx air filters, and a dual-pipe cat-back exhaust system are also part of the mix. GReddy's e-Manage ECU and Profec e-01 boost controller team to manage the boost and ignition required to crank out what seems to be a conservatively rated 350 horses.
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GReddy Nissan 350Z

WHAT'S HOT
· Aggressive, yet predictable handling
· 100 lb-ft torque gain, but remains docile during cruising
· 18G turbo kit will be soon available for Infiniti G35

WHAT'S NOT
· Hard launches produce big tire smoke
· Street-racer-like sticker package
· (Optional) cockpit-mounted electronic gizmos prove overly busy

At the test track, the rev-happy twin-blown V-6 proved smooth and linear, as it scooted the Z through the quarter mile in an impressive 12.79 seconds (that's no typo). Power increases are cool, but other systems need to follow. GReddy adds GREX/Alcon six-piston front calipers clamping two-piece, 14-inch slotted rotors. The combo not only shaved four feet off 60-0-mph stopping distances, but offered fabulous feel and modulation.

With horse and braking power should come increased grip. GReddy offers a well-sorted suspension kit that includes driver-adjustable, electronically controlled coil-over shocks. The EDFC has a cockpit-mounted controller that allows selection of front and rear shock settings while on the fly. Matched with a set of Volk Racing GT-C 19x8.5- and 19x9.5-inch five-spoke alloys wrapped in grippy Nitto NT555 275/30ZR19 tires, the 350Z delivered an outstanding 3.3-mph increase in cornering grip on our 600-foot slalom test. Not only did the objective number improve, but so did handling predictability. We didn't play with the EDFC settings as much as we should have, but further stiffening the shocks produced positive results.

All said, GReddy's Trust-fortified 350Z package is well sorted, potent, and streetable.

'03 350Z '03 GReddy
0-60 mph 5.72 4.61
1/4 mile 14.02/101.89 12.79/106.53
Braking, 60-0 ft 121 117
Slalom, mph 66.4 69.7
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http://www.motortrend.com/features/p...50z/index.html

What do you think? If it's 6000 dollars for the whole package, I don't think that's all that bad. That 5.6 psi number seems low, I'm sure it's for emissions or something. Numbers would probably be a lot better closer to 10 psi. Drop the stickers and it sounds like a nice car.

 

I don't think so either for 12's with just that kit...not bad...for a beautiful looking car. If i had the money I would be riding around with that.

 

if i had that car, you can sure as hell bet that kit would be on it.

 

Bad ass car...

But, I think I'll stick with my Civic

 

not to damn bad but wait intill some more people start making some serious power out of custom kits.

 

Just think of turboing the G35 that would be nasty as well heeehee.....noone escpects that

 

$6000 for 12.7 @ 106 + the $35k purchase price of the car? I don't know about how smart a choice of that purchase was. :8

 

Someone needs to swap a SR20DET into one and get it over with.