Nissan started producing the Z sports cars in 1969. Since then, the car has been built in six awesome generations while the company’s next Z production car is expected to herald the seventh generation offerings. Also, having been in production this long, Nissan Z has become a source of material for aftermarket shops' production of some stunning modified Nissan Z sports cars we’ve seen.
Although they are predominantly assembled in Japan, however, Nissan Z’s combination of highly sought-after attributes such as affordability, great aesthetics, and a relatively good level of performance, makes the car such an irresistible choice for several enthusiasts both within and beyond the Japanese shores. The true story behind the rise and fall of Nissan’s Z-cars has been well-publicized and so should these unpopular facts.
10 Lamborghini Borrowed Nissan Z’s Light
Several puzzling questions are begging for answers in the automobile manufacturing sphere. One of them is if Lamborghini used Nissan headlights in the Diablo? Yes, they did. In 1999, when Lamborghini decided to upgrade the Diablo, they planned a facelift that’ll require ditching the popup headlights for a fixed variant.
However, they couldn’t get the new lights they built to pass the Department of Transport (DOT) approval in time for the upgrade. Hence, they got approval to use the headlights from the Nissan 300ZX.
9 Some Z-Cars Are More Powerful Outside The United States
The 300ZX has a rich history and remains one of the coolest Z cars, but the best performing models are outside the United States. More than 70,000 300ZXs were sold by Nissan in North America for the 1985-year model alone.
However, for the United States, the car was only available with the naturally aspirated V6 engine producing 160 horsepower and its more powerful turbocharged variant with 200 horsepower, whereas, in Europe, the turbocharged model was available with 225 horsepower, due to lesser emission regulations.
8 Origin Of The Fairlady Name
For Nissan, the “Fairlady” nameplate was a promotional gamble that turned out to be a genius move. In 1961, Nissan planned to launch an upgraded S211 in North America – the SPL213. The period coincided with the president of Nissan, Katsuji Kawamata’s visit to the United States.
On the visit, he got wind of the highly successful Broadway musical, My Fair lady. Seeing how hugely popular the show was, with his company also making a car for the North American market, he decided to ride on the wave of the show’s popularity by naming the new Z-car, “Fairlady.”
7 Why Z-Cars Are Affordable
Z-cars took the world automobile market by storm, getting record sales while and winning so many gearhead’s hearts while at it. The reason for the widespread adoption of the Z-car is diverse, but it can be narrowed down to it offering premium performance in great packages and relatively affordable premiums.
Keeping the price of a sports car relatively low isn’t easy, however, having built several cars for decades and also with its experience from building Fairlady roadsters, Nissan implemented the use of interchangeable parts from other vehicles to achieve the low price in Z-cars.
6 What’s Special About The 370Z?
Nissan officially launched the 370Z for the North American market in 2009 with the Japanese customers already cruising in theirs as of December 2008. Over time, this model of the Z-cars was produced in several year models, trims, and special editions. Notably, with the 3.7 liter VQ37VHR powering it, the 370Z had varying output range depending on the variant and market it's being sold.
However, Motor Trend’s test claimed the 370Z went from rest to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and quarter-mile range as low as 13.1 seconds to earn it the tag of the fastest production Z-car.
5 Paul Newman Made History With Z-Cars
Paul Newman is famous for various things which include acting, directing movies, and also, car racing. Though his acting and movie directing exploits, among his several ventures can’t be ignored, however, what brought Newman into this list are his escapades on and off track, with the Z-cars.
Among Newman’s several Z-cars is the awesome 1979 twin-turbo V8 Nissan 280ZX. Being a prototype, only three units of this model were built and it has an insane output of 933 bhp. He also raced a 1985 Nissan 300ZX with which he won the 1986 SCCA GT-1 Championship.
4 The 1 Million Club
Selling a million units of any automobile is no small feat. Hence, when Nissan sold its one-millionth unit of the Z cars in the United States, it was a big statement indeed. With sales starting in the United States in 1969 as a 1970 model year, it took Nissan until the 1990 model year to achieve the milestone sales figure.
The feat also earned the Z-cars the tag of the bestselling sports car in the United States at that period.
3 240Z Concept Was Created In Record Time
Several things can be done in 12 weeks, but building a car’s prototype isn’t always one of them. However, with the 240Z concept that was launched in 1999, Nissan engineers managed to pull it off. Nissan had decided to put the Z-cars on break in the United States in 1997.
The company’s decision to put more focus on the production of SUVs meant the Z-cars’ break would eventually last till 2002. To keep the sports cars segment active, Nissan unveiled its 240Z Concept at the 1999 North American International Auto Show.
2 The Most Expensive Z-Car Ever
The Z-cars were designed to be relatively affordable, but some pricey variants were later built as upgrades. However, this is probably the most expensive of them all – a restored 1970 limited-edition Nissan Fairlady Z432R. This particular Z432R, no PS30-00289, is one of the 30-50 special racing versions of the Z432, making it one of the rarest Z-cars ever.
It’s equally powered by the four-valve, three-carburetor, and double-cam (earning it the 432 in its name) inline-six powering the maiden Skyline GT-R. It was sold for $805,000 at the BH Auction in Tokyo.
1 The New Z
A new king is on the horizon. It’s the all-new Z-car being fabricated by Nissan and it’s expected to be ready in 2021. Nissan has kept information about the new Z-car confidential, however, the new sports car, which will probably be called 400Z, is expected to be powered by a twin-turbo V6 mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
It’s also being predicted that the V6 to power the 2001 Nissan 400Z is the same as the 300 horsepower 3.0-liter engine from the Infiniti Q60, while the high-performance variant could be fitted with the 400 horsepower version.