WE’VE all seen the television shows. Ugly duckling turns into beautiful swan. Today’s reality shows have unearthed a new type of entertainment. And although we’re definitely not suggesting the Nissan 350Z is an ugly duckling, the previous model did have some flaws. The interior was one the harsh ride another. Previous experience with the Z made it a difficult car to justify owning on a day-to-day basis. But visually the Z is still one of the best looking sportscars around. It’s bold, muscular and has a purposeful stance – all the things sportscar buyers desire. The 3.5-litre V6 was, and remains, one of the best performing engines around. It can, and does match, any six-cylinder out of Europe and shames some the locally offered six-cylinders in Australian cars. With the model year 2006 upgrade, Nissan has taken heed of customer feedback and vastly improved interior ambience and quality, and - more importantly - tweaked the steering and suspension to deliver a car that’s lost none of its prowess but brought a new level of ride and handling compliance. All of which makes it a far more enjoyable driving experience.