Jack Collins
Vice President, Product Planning
Nissan North America, Inc.

Good afternoon. Thirty-five years ago, on October 18, 1969, the 240Z officially went on sale in North America.

It had a 150-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-6, a 4-speed manual or optional 3-speed automatic and a MSRP of $3,526.

At its unveiling, the “Father of the Z” Mr. Katayama said of the then radical new sports car: “The 240Z represents the imaginative spirit of Nissan and was designed to please a demanding taste that is strictly American. Nissan offers this spirited car with affection. Its heart is Japan and its soul is America.”

Thirty-five years later, I’m pleased to report that the Z’s heart and soul, as well as its legacy, remain firmly intact in this exciting new 2005 35th Anniversary 350Z…

Let me give you just a few quick highlights of the 35th Anniversary model, starting with its powertrain:

- Horsepower, when equipped with the manual transmission, is 300 – exactly double that of the original Z
- Torque is 260 lb-ft, versus 148 on the 240Z
- The engine is the new higher performance version of the standard 350Z VQ engine
- Modifications made to achieve 300 horsepower include:
- strengthened connecting rods and bolts
- double-mass crank pulley
- revised shape of the piston head
- new camshaft profile, remapped ECM and more

- This higher performance engine tuning will also be available with the 2005 350Z Track model
- The 35th Anniversary model is also available with a 5-speed automatic transmission and 287 horsepower-spec engine

Also, clutch pedal effort has been reduced for manual transmission equipped Z models… and 5-speed automatic equipped Zs feature a new Downshift Rev Matching system, which essentially “blips” the throttle between gears and before the trans downshifts in manual model.

It’s like double-clutching without the clutch. And, it provides about 40% faster downshifts compared to the current transmission in Manual mode. Both features are available on all 2005 Z models.

Those are the enhancements to the 35th Anniversary Z that you feel but don’t see. The other, more obvious, changes include:

· Special 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels
· Front and rear spoilers
· Brembo brakes
· Heated leather seats
· Bose® audio system
· and special 35th Anniversary Z badging

The 35th Anniversary Z is offered in just three colors
- the new Ultra Yellow, Super Black and Silverstone.

The 35th Anniversary Z will be available in early 2005. I’m pleased to be able to announce the 35th Anniversary pricing this afternoon - $36,100 for the 6-speed manual and $37,100 for the 5-speed automatic transmission model. That’s an incredible car at an incredible value, just like the original was 35 years ago.

The 35th Anniversary Z is one of five new models we’re introducing for 2005, part of Nissan’s ongoing new product development program.