5 Cars You Wouldn't Expect To Share An Engine With The Nissan 350Z

Nissan's VQ35 V6 engine ends up in some surprising places, from MPVs to family-friendly crossovers
5 Cars You Wouldn't Expect To Share An Engine With The Nissan 350Z

The VQ35 is an engine most of us petrolheads know first and foremost for powering the Nissan 350Z. The thing is, though, this big N/A V6 ended up in plenty of other cars, not all of them from Nissan, and many of them quite surprising…

Renault Espace

A Renault Espace with a Nissan 350Z V6? You'd better believe it
A Renault Espace with a Nissan 350Z V6? You'd better believe it

Yes, they really did bung a VQ35 (the DE version) in the fourth-generation Espace. No, they didn’t sell many.

At the point of its introduction, Renault already had a history of stuffing V6s into its flagship MPV. The second-gen version had the option of a 2.9-litre PRV V6 (that’s the one DeLorean also borrowed), while the follow-up used a PSA unit which had development input from Renault.

For Espace IV, the Renault-Nissan alliance - forged in 1999 - meant the French company could look to its Japanese allies when it came to providing the car with a six-cylinder engine. It’s a fair way off the output of the 350Zs knocking around at the time, developing a more modest 238bhp.

Renault Laguna Coupe

Renault's front-wheel drive Laguna coupe had a 3.5-litre V6 option
Renault's front-wheel drive Laguna coupe had a 3.5-litre V6 option

The Espace wasn’t the only Renault to receive a VQ35 via the Nissan partnership. The pretty but not especially thrilling Laguna Coupe could be optioned with the 3.5 too, in the same level of tune as the Espace. But before you go thinking it’s a cheaper route into VQ35 ownership than the 350Z, we should probably point out that you’ll pay more for one of these front-wheel drive oddities than an early example of the Fairlady. Best stick with the latter, unless you’re really determined to be different.

To prevent this becoming a list dominated by a bunch of Renaults, we’ll just briefly note here that through the same arrangement, the Vel Satis, Samsung SM7 and Latitude also ended up with VQ35s.

Mitsubishi Dignity

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Tokumeigakarinoaoshima
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Tokumeigakarinoaoshima

Mitsubishi has also borrowed the odd VQ family engine, and more than once. You’ll find both the VQ25 and the 370Z’s VQ37 in the Proudia range, for instance. The VQ35 meanwhile was the sole engine option for the quirky ’Series BHGY51’ Dignity luxury saloon. This car differs from the other non-Nissans on the list, as it’s also based on a Nissan: the Cima. Both cars received a hybrid version of the VQ35, putting out 355bhp.

Nissan Murano

5 Cars You Wouldn't Expect To Share An Engine With The Nissan 350Z

Ever done a double take at the back end of a first-gen Murano, having noticed a surprisingly fancy set of tailpipes? There’s a good reason for the presence of this pipework: the crossover packs the 350Z’s 3.5-litre V6, albeit in a 243bhp state of tune. The same six was retained for the next two generations of the vehicle.

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You’d think a single-seater racing car in a championship called ‘World Series by Renault’ would be powered by an engine from, y’know, Renault. But no - it’s our faithful old VQ35 friend sitting behind the cockpits of each of these feeder formula machines.

It should come as no surprise that these are the most powerful versions of the 3.5 on this list, comfortably surpassing the output of all plus even the pokiest 350Zs. Earlier WSR cars put out around 420bhp, with the last ones - before the series switched to 3.5-litre V8s - developing 480.

Comments

Anonymous

Engine being used in renault cars is not suprising at all… since they are partners after all.

10/24/2018 - 12:21 |
12 | 2
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Firstly, not everyone is going to know about the alliance. Secondly, those who do know may well find it surprising that the engine was used in an Espace of all things!

10/24/2018 - 12:30 |
44 | 6
GTRTURTLE 🔰 🐢(Oo \ S K Y L I N E / oO) (Koen

10 cars you wouldn’t expect to have an F1 engine

10/24/2018 - 12:22 |
224 | 4

Ford Supervan 3???

10/24/2018 - 19:35 |
60 | 0
SirJamjaxIsGoingAgain-PeaceOutChaps

Btw guys, the Mitsubishi Dignity/Proudia is also known as the Infiniti Q70/M(37 with the Fairlady engine) and Nissan Cima/Fuga

10/24/2018 - 12:26 |
6 | 0
Dante Verna

Well, time to buy a Renault Espace and a pair of turbochargers.

10/24/2018 - 12:28 |
38 | 0

tbf it would be an amazing sleeper

10/24/2018 - 13:10 |
46 | 0
The Silver Paseo EL54

And the elegant Infinity G35 is missing…

10/24/2018 - 12:32 |
2 | 0

The title says it all

10/24/2018 - 13:12 |
0 | 0
Raregliscor1

Nissan Elgrand too, ya know.

10/24/2018 - 12:37 |
2 | 0
Derek Steele

VQ35 baby! G35 strong 💪

10/24/2018 - 12:40 |
2 | 0
Dhyanesh |தயனேஷ்| (R32 Gang) (

Do you gain dignity if you drive a Mitsubishi Dignity or do you lose your dignity?

10/24/2018 - 12:46 |
0 | 0

Well, the dignity originally competed with the Toyota century, so I’d assume that you gain dignity

10/24/2018 - 13:01 |
0 | 0
ferrarman11

Nissan Quest minivan had one too

10/24/2018 - 13:00 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Now lets ask Renault to put the 370z engine inside the Clio to make a new V6.

PLEASE Renault, make another BONKERS RWD HATCH

10/24/2018 - 13:11 |
36 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

you can dream a long time

10/24/2018 - 14:21 |
6 | 0
Advanced Handling Flags

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Why not a VR38?

10/24/2018 - 22:36 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You can search “Renault TwinRun” it’s a succesor to Clio V6 and R5 Turbo Maxi

10/25/2018 - 08:15 |
4 | 0

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