In a past life I had an interview at Nissan. During this I was asked about what I felt about the range at the time and, being young and naïve, I told them. Poker faces were somewhat undermined by frenzied scribbling, followed by the downing of the interviewers' pens. Only one other thing I said got the pens back off the desk and generated more writing; that was my response to a question over what Nissan should do to improve its image. My answer was in two parts: the first was simply the word Skyline; the second surrounded the recently unveiled Z concept. If Nissan wanted to boost its image then the Z should be made. Needless to say I never got the job and now in an interesting role reversal I'm in the interviewer's chair. The Skyline was finally imported, and now the Z has been built. But would it go the same way as I did in that interview and leave head bowed or will it get my nod of approval?

The 350Z has an excellent CV, with a family heritage of iconic sportscars such as the Z240/260 and 280, the later 300ZX and the big brother Skyline. The list of qualifications is also impressive. A 3.5-litre V6, mounted far enough back in the chassis to be classed as mid-mounted, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual box wrapped up in a stunning coupe body. The Z studied at all the right schools. Does it live up to the promise?

Well no arguments about presentation: it looks the part. A long sculpted bonnet flows into a dramatically swooping roofline before culminating in those muscular haunches. The J-Lo butt isn't to all tastes but we like it. The 18-inch alloys are a perfect Windsor knot in its tie, showing off the callipers behind. The only downsides in my eyes are the over styled door handles and exaggerated rear strut brace cover, which add up to the equivalent of naff cuff links: perhaps just trying a little too hard. Also, the 350Z is a big car. Take a look at the dimensions in the technical specifications: the looks disguise this in isolation but park it next to other cars and you notice the size, particularly the width.

A benefit of this is a roomy interior. Nissan has not bothered with the customary unusable 2+2 layout and has made the 350 a pure two seater. It pays off with generous accommodation for two and a boot big enough for two sets of golf clubs. Various cubbies up front, behind and between the seats add to its practicality quotient whilst the layout and materials used maintain a suitably macho image. All in all the 350Z lets you know you're in a sports car, and that's before you turn the key and drive off.

I'm not sure what to expect of the Nissan's engine, but when I fire it up and ask the questions I'm pleasantly surprised. It is smooth, powerful and refined. On paper the 3.5-litre V6 has almost as much torque as an M3 and up to 4500rpm it is probably as quick; only above this point would the M-car start to pull away. It's this torque that sees the 350Z so comprehensively out gun its Japanese rivals. The RX-8 and S2000 have no answer to this delivery and on a twisty road, particularly one that you don't know, this difference is telling. You can drive the 350Z around at 1200rpm with no protests from the engine, and the thing is that it will pull from such lowly revs: not hard but with intention. Above 2000rpm the swell of torque begins and it stays linear right up to the red line; not for this V6 the cammy nature of other Japanese units. The variable valve timing is used to maintain an even spread of torque across the speed range, much like the BMW 2.5 and 3-litre straight sixes. But the Nissan's engine sounds so much better than most six-cylinders.

Nissan has gone to great lengths to hone the exhaust note, perfecting the system design for optimum appeal and you have to say they've done a top job. Dawdling around at low revs enables you to bask in the glory of a bassy burble. Short shifting becomes a habit in order to maximise your exposure to it. As does having the window down and driving down narrow streets. Upto about 4000rpm all the noise is exhaust. Only above this speed does the V6 start to emit an induction led growl and it too is a noise to savour. In terms of aural delights this is about as cultured as it gets this side of an NSX, and petrol heads will love it. The fact it sounds equally delicious from the outside means others can enjoy it as much as the driver. Well, almost.

This would all go to waste if the rest of the package weren't up to the job, but we needn't have worried. The surfaces through which you interact with the car and access its joys are all perfectly located, weighted and damped. The steering is full of feel and whilst a little lacking in true communication at low speed works perfectly as the rate of progress increases, along with load in cornering. The pedals are on the heavy side but this is in keeping with the sports car personality and they are not so heavy as to alienate or intimidate. Only an excessive vibration through the gear lever mars the action and depending on how you drive, the annoyance caused by this will vary for each individual. The torquey nature of the car meant I found myself shifting less and so this aspect didn't annoy me as much as others. The brake pedal is maybe a tad over servoed but the actual stopping power is huge, possibly even better than that of the BMW M3 courtesy of a bespoke Brembo brake set up that sits proudly behind the spoked alloys. Dinner plate sized ventilated discs with four-pot callipers on the front and bigger plain discs gripped by 2-pots on the rear dragged the 350Z down from speed every time with no fuss: confidence where you need it most.

It's the competence, nay excellence, of the engine, brakes, steering and gearbox that allow you to get on with the job in hand and enjoy really driving the 350Z and exploiting the great chassis. Make no mistake: this is a very stiff set-up and on initial impressions one may find it a little too hard, but stick with it and this opinion begins to fade away. This is largely due to the ability of the car in more demanding conditions, and when the road gets as twisty as my stomach was in that interview the inherent stiffness begins to pay off. The strut brace in the boot and under bonnet begin to make sense as they add to the overall torsional stiffness that allows you to glean every last ounce of grip from those big tyres. The natural handling poise is very neutral, giving way to a little understeer under pressure when the questions get a little tougher, but word the question in a different way, get off the brakes a little earlier and pick up the throttle before or at the apex and you can use the grunt to quell the initial understeer and exit the corner with a whiff of opposite lock. It's gratifying and addictive.

At the end of the day the 350Z gets the nod ahead of its rivals. In isolation its looks or performance would be enough to shift the full allocation. Together they add up to a great package. On top of this factor in the sublime handling, relative rarity, great noise and the excellence of the driving experience and you have what must be one of the bargains of the last few years; not only at £24,000 for the base model, but also at £27,500 for the top-of-the range version tested here. You have to spend in excess of £30k to find a better all-rounder. Unless four seats are an absolute necessity, or you drive on particularly narrow roads, where its size can inhibit fun, it is a great everyday car with only tyre noise marring refinement on longer journeys.

Believe the hype, it is that good. If I were looking to recruit a coupe for £30k or less, it's the 350Z that would get the place in my garage. I'd like to think that my voice was amongst those that persuaded Nissan to build it, and enthusiasts can rejoice in the fact that they did.