You can get two sets of golf clubs in the 350Z and to prove it Nissan puts a sticker, with instructions on how to do it, inside the boot lid.

Apparently, this has been a bone of contention in some quarters, with potential buyers shying away because of the car's somewhat limited interior space.

Of course that leaves no room for the driver or passenger but hey, this car's as great to stand and look at as it is to drive, anyway.

That, of course, is unfair - the boot's capacity of 235 litres is more than many a two-seater.

When the bright "Sunset Orange" muscle machine arrived in the office car park it was like the sun arising from a sea of "Sacramento Silver"

and "Borusia Black" as seems to be the modern thinking in colour choice.

A colleague had been thinking of trading his S-Type Jag for a 350Z, and asked for a ride. His comments afterwards summed things up: "It's a fabulous drive, but where do I put my briefcase?"

And that's the essence of the car.

It's an uncompromising sports car - not very practical, low and mean. But oh, what fun.

Depress the clutch, hit the starter, blip the throttle and you're beaming, as the hefty V6 thunders into life.

With the normally-aspirated 3.5 litres producing optimum power at 6,400rpm and maximum torque at 4,800rpm you know you're in for some serious fireworks when you get that needle up around the 5,000rpm mark; welcome to the big grin club.

For the 2006 model year Nissan has beefed up the output to around 300bhp, made subtle changes to the looks, given it a higher quality interior and created more storage space (thank the Lord).

The 0-62mph time is now 5.8 seconds and, with the traction control switched off, there's plenty of opportunity for a bit of tyre-shredding if you're so inclined.

There are (necessarily) hefty Brembo brakes on the 18-inch wheels, which are smothered in wide, low-profile Bridgestone Potenzas.

Needless to say, the car is an exciting and rewarding drive. The race-bred handling is exemplary; with that low centre of gravity, aluminium engine, lightweight carbon-fibre propshaft and 53/47 front-rear weight distribution, the car feels like it's cornering on rails.

Coupled with the snug grip of the roadgoing version of a racing driver's seat, your vital organs may move around a bit, but you and the car won't.

Keeping those revs up, of course, is not for the faint-hearted and with much of the torque arriving from a lowly 2,500rpm, every gearshift through the joyous close-ratio six-speed box produces a hearty shove in the back.

The red light in the dominant, centrally-mounted rev counter soon becomes your friend as it winks on to suggest you change gear as you hit the pre-programmed limit.

Top speed is fixed at the usual 155mph and official economy is given as 24.1mpg. Surprisingly, I managed to achieve this over the week - most unusual for a car on test.

Sitting in the beast is a delight. The low seats give good all-round support and all the important dials and switches come to hand easily - the instrument display is excellent and there's a central row of three gauges on the dash, angled towards the driver.

Standard items include climate control, trip computer and a hefty six-CD autochanger. The GT adds heated, electrically-adjusted leather seats, cruise control and an upgraded Bose sound system, although the engine note is so sweet I could hardly bear to drown it out with Johnny Mathis.

My only gripe was the fiddly joystick control on the optional (£1,200) DVD satnav, which had to be pressed inward to enter settings. You really don't need that while you're travelling in a firm- riding sports car - it invariably clicked in a direction I didn't want.

But that's nit-picking when you're in one of the most exhilarating and stimulating rocketships on the road. Anyway, surely you don't need satnav to find the way home from your golf club...

On the road prices range from £26,345 - £30,345.