Detroit Auto Show: Reinvented Sports Car Legend Named 2003 Automobile of the Year

    DETROIT, Jan. 6, 2003; Nissan's classic sports car, the 350Z,
selected by Automobile Magazine as its 2003 Automobile of the Year, will be
honored with a luncheon Tuesday during press preview of the North American
International Auto Show in Detroit.
    The event, hosted by Automobile Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jean Jennings,
will be held at the Detroit Athletic Club at 241 Madison Ave., and will
commence at 12:30 p.m. Top executives from the winning manufacturer, including
Steve Wilhite, vice president of marketing, Nissan North America, will be in
attendance.
    In naming the 350Z the 2003 Automobile of the Year in its January 2003
issue, Automobile noted that, "a real sports car doesn't come along every day.
That's one reason the Nissan 350Z is an event. And, like every real sports
car, it has a kind of purity to it, a dynamic quality that's beyond the usual
empty phrases about good power and good handling."
    The magazine's reviewers added, "We're stunned by the goodness of the
350Z's performance. The quality of Nissan's execution pushes the outside of
the performance envelope in every department."
    According to the magazine, the five 350Z models -- ranging in price from
$26,809 to $34,619 -- are very affordable, while still delivering a quality
ride. "Nissan is the kind of company that believes in performance, and
enthusiasts have kept faith with it as a result," Automobile concluded.