11 Jul 06
For spectators and drivers alike, the first couple of hundred feet of the famous Goodwood hillclimb are the most hilarious - and that's before you even get to the start line. It's called it the 'tyre warming' stage, which is the thinnest of disguises for licence to behave like a council-estate car thief.
For best effect, you'll need lots of horsepower and rear-wheel drive. Nissan kindly provided us with an abundance of both in the form of a special one-off 350Z, which made its first public outing at last weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Dubbed the GT-S, the heart of this tuned Z is a supercharger that pumps power up from 295bhp to a rather more substantial 376bhp. And max torque jumps to 313lb-ft.
The car was built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. Jerry Hardcastle of Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire was commissioned by PR boss Wayne Bruce to lead development of the car with tech guru Steve Robbins. Hardcastle and his loyal band completed the GT-S after hours on their own time.
This special Z gains a wind tunnel-developed body kit from German firm Strosek, which improves the 350Z's aerodynamic performance thanks to increased front and rear downforce at speed.
The suspension has been tweaked, too. Working with specialists from Bilstein, Nissan engineers concentrated on optimising road performance, with improvements in both handling ability and ride comfort, particularly on British 'B' roads. Wider wheels and tyres complete the chassis alterations.
