Nissan's 350Z has been a runaway success. Only in the last few months have used values begun to slip (a remarkable feat given the time it's been on sale), as demand is finally beginning to be matched by supply. This popularity is a reflection of the multi-faceted talent of the car: the appearance, handling and performance appealing to stylist, enthusiast and sports car purist alike. In our test of the standard 350Z we concluded it was very good indeed, something we've had no reason to change and we believe that it has yet to be beaten by any other mass-market rival. Also, you may recall that we mentioned that there might be some Nismo goodies in the pipeline at a later date.

And so we come to the car you see here: a Nissan 350Z that has been heavily breathed upon by Nismo (Nissan Motorsport). Nismo is a well-known brand in Japan, synonymous with racing success and high-street styling and performance modifications. Think of Nismo as the Nissan equivalent of BMW's M-division or Mercedes-Benz's AMG subsidiary and you wouldn't be too far wrong. This 350Z, or Nissan 350Z S-Tune GT to give it its full title, is one of a kind in the UK and has been blessed with a full accompaniment of Nismo parts bin goodies.

First things first: the looks. Putting aside the Nismo graphics emblazoned across the car, it's the body-kit that dominates proceedings. Based on the Japanese touring car championship competition car, the front and rear mouldings add a considerable amount of length to the car (300mm!), not to mention some significant aerodynamic benefits. The front in particular is subtly transformed into a very purposeful look that is quite different to the normal car. It looks great, particularly in the rear view mirror of another car. The S-Tune's rear end is a little more garish, but moves much of the visual bulk. From a distance the car looks a lot like a Porsche 911 GT2, which is no bad thing. While talking about the styling it is impossible to ignore the 19-inch lightweight forged alloys: just plain gorgeous.

The interior is little changed from the standard car with wonderfully supportive Nismo bucket seats being the deviation from the norm. Once sitting in comfort the inherent rightness of the driving position makes itself apparent very quickly. Adjustments made, a turn of the key gives another insight into the Nismo's personality as the tweaked 3.5-litre V6 sparks into life with a barely muffled bark. Moving away soon refreshes the memory of the driving experience of the standard Z-car, but the added focus of the car is clearly communicated through the helm and the seat of the pants.

Unsurprisingly, the ride of the S-Tune GT is firmer than the standard car, but the damping is near perfect and the body control is fantastic. On broken surfaces the car performs as near as matters as well as it does on the smooth tarmac of a racetrack. The steering is feelsome and weighted to ensure the driver is aware of just how much grip is available. Turn in is sharp, cornering is flat and it's a joy to feel the car work in hard cornering. You can push the car to the envelope of its limits and beyond with no fear of being punished with snappy oversteer.

The upgraded Brembo brakes are strong and resist fade well under duress. Pedal feel is nice and the pedal location perfect for heel and toe shifts; all the better to enjoy the sonorous tones of the V6 which growls, barks and howls with increasing revs. The exhaust on the Nismo car is much louder than the standard car's and thanks to its better breathing (and significant work to the engine itself) sees the power output nearly up to the magic 300bhp mark. The V6 revs cleanly through the red line of the standard car as it spins up to 7200rpm. Power delivery is linear with plenty of torque to match the rev hungry nature and top end punch. The gearshift remains heavy but its mechanical feel is great and the shift quality itself is fantastic; the ratios are also well matched to the engine's abilities. Performance is improved over the standard car slightly, but the nature of the delivery is a world apart in terms of noise and subjective enjoyment.

This car is fitted with a special Nismo developed limited slip differential ensuring that the drive is well deployed and in the correct hands turns the car into a great drifter. During our time with the car we were lucky enough to have Don Palmer at our disposal for some showboating on track. Riding as passenger during the photo session was a real treat as Don first executed inch perfect full opposite lock drifts, laughing all the way, before treating me to an impromptu display of Godliness on the handling circuit he sets up on Bruntingthorpe's back straight. It was this demonstration that revealed an even greater depth of ability to the S-Tune.

Poise, balance and precision normally reserved for some of the very best cars are on tap. Don obviously drives a lot of cars and was left very impressed by this one's abilities declaring it "lovely" and a "wonderful piece of kit." High praise indeed from someone who knows a thing or two about cars and driving, and an evaluation reiterated by everyone who came into contact with the car during its all too brief stay with us. On track the car felt completely at home, but what was more astonishing was that it mirrored this deep-seated competency on the road as well.

The Nissan 350Z S-Tune GT is a demonstration of what can be achieved when a serious group of enthusiast engineers set to work with something as good as the 350Z as a basis. Something fairly monumental has to go awry for the result to be any other than very good indeed, but what surprises is what a thorough job they've done. The Nismo people have taken a great car and made something very special. Admittedly this car is a one off in the UK that would leave little change from £50k, but I can't help thinking that the demand would be there for a limited run that would be snapped up by enthusiasts. Some of the add-ons are available as options on the regular 350Z now, including those beautiful alloys and the pseudo racetrack body kit.

Having had time to reflect on driving the S-Tune, I'm still hankering for another chance to enjoy it. It may only be February, but I'm not risking much if I say that I'd bet that I won't drive a more enjoyable car this year. Please Nissan, treat us to a limited run of Nismo fettled cars; you know you want to...