It seems almost unthinkable now, but Nissan almost didn't bring the 350Z to Europe at all. The big sales volumes were always going to come from the States and Japan, and it was a last minute decision to spend more dosh developing a Euro-spec version. But we're very pleased they did - and I'll bet they are too.

Judging from the glowing reviews in the British press - and the many admiring glances the Z gets on the street - it should be a sizeable hit here. And not just with the TT owners looking for the latest thing. I reckon the Z will be a hit with fans of serious sports cars too. What else can you buy with a big-cube, front-mounted, normally aspirated engine, six-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, two seats, a cool-looking coupe body and a good badge, for less than ΂£25K? If we were to draw up a template for a soulful and challenging but everyday-driveable performance car, it wouldn't be very far removed from the 350Z.

Of course, the template's one thing; the execution's something else. It's entirely possible to take all of the above and still screw up. But on the evidence of our first month and a half with the 350Z, it's not only a car with instant appeal, it's also a car that really gets under your skin.

For us the process started when OV53 YPA scrunched into the car park at the end of last year. First impressions? Bigger than you'd think from the photos, seriously eye-catching in this particularly vibrant hue (it's called Azure, by the way). Best in profile, it's a looker alright, though I couldn't honestly say it's more handsome, or more beautiful, than the TT. The extravagantly flared wheelarches bring relief to the slightly slabby sides, and while it can look a tad bulbous around the snout (and indeed the rump), the lights, both front and rear, are gloriously mad flashes of inventiveness. Love the nods to Z-cars past, especially the one to the 300ZX in the roofline and rear side window. Hate, with something approaching a passion, the contrived-looking door-handles.

Speccing your Z-car is pretty straightforward. There's only one mechanical spec - 3.5-litre V6 with manual 'box, switchable electronic stability program and traction control, and Brembo brakes. Then there's the GT pack, which adds ΂£2500 to the basic price of ΂£24,000 and gives you heated and electrically powered Charcoal leather seats, 240watt Bose stereo with 10in subwoofer, and cruise. Practically the only other options are bright tan leather, which looks better than it sounds, and the Rays Engineering forged alloy wheels, as fitted to our car, which cost an extra ΂£1000 and weigh 8.8lb less per corner than the standard alloys: both wheel-types are 18in diameter; our car wears Bridgestone Potenza RE040s.

Inside there are more knowing nods to classic Z-cars, particularly in the cowled instruments inspired by those in the 240Z. To be frank it's a bit gloomy with the all-black trim - if you can stretch to the tan leather it's well worth it - but I like the no-nonsense nothing-to-distract-from-the-driving ambience, and there are some very neat touches, like the way the main instrument housing moves up and down with the steering wheel.

The big V6 starts with an explosive roar and when you hold the throttle open it's pleasingly vocal. It's a development of the engine from the US-market Infiniti, a quad-cam 24-valver with continuously variable valve timing. Improving the breathing has liberated some extra gee-gees, right up to the Japanese-market ceiling of 280PS (276bhp). It's not zingy in a VTEC way, but it sounds properly sporty. Indeed, despite longish gearing, which helps the fuel consumption - motorway jogging delivers an easy 25mpg-plus - it's never a quiet car, though a lot of that's down to the road roar, amplified by the open rear deck with its minimal sound-proofing.

And then there's that vibration. If you remember the 350Z we had on Car of the Year (issue 063), you may recall we dubbed it the Ginger Tingler for its lurid paintjob and the vibrations through the gearstick. Well, I can reveal that it's not just the ginger ones that tingle, the blue ones do too. Apparently it's a 'characteristic' - Nissan's engineers could have masked it, but it would have made the shift feel more rubbery, so they left it alone.

And, in a way, I'm getting rather fond of the tingle. It seems to go well with the weighty, mechanical feel of the shift, which in turn matches the meaty weighting of the steering and the muscly ride. Better still, as the miles rack up, the engine seems to be getting stronger and lustier, the gearchange slightly faster-shifting, though it'll never be flick-flick light.

I'm already a big 350Z fan, and it seems I'm in good company. Fast car gourmet Simon Draper, he of the fabulous collection of Astons, Lambos and Bristols, rang the other day to chat about the latest addition to his stable. Seems he loves his Z-car, too - so much so that he's already started lavishing money on it, starting with a Middlehurst supercharger conversion.

I doubt the boys at Nissan UK would be too chuffed if we bolted-on a blower. However, they are hoping to bring in a range of Nismo (Nissan Motorsport) goodies for the 350Z in coming months, and we'll be trying some of them on our Z-car. I've a feeling it's going to be a blast. The Z has already taken a firm grip on my affections. It's a genuinely characterful car, and you can never have too many of those.