Nissan's new Z sports car has been garnering a lot of attention as fans patiently await its official debut. However, Nissan has been letting the Z Proto soak up a lot of screen time, giving fans something to satiate their Z craving. Byron Glover Jr. (@drive615 on Instagram) from the Drive 615 YouTube channel has the Z Proto with him in this YouTube video where he takes a super in-depth look at the Z.
A Culmination Of Previous Zs
Photos of the Z Proto have been spreading like wildfire through the internet. So the general shape and design of the car is not something unknown. However, there are some very interesting details that get pointed out when up close and personal with the car.
The many carbon fiber bits are hard to discern from afar. The front and rear diffusers along with the side skirts are actually all carbon fiber. Byron also notes just how well the 240z and 300zx stylings merge from the front and rear respectively. Key styling elements like the "Katana" trim that breaks up the floating roof effect from the two-tone paint also draw similarities to the rain guards on the older generation Zs.
An Interior That's Tied Together Seamlessly
The interior of the Z Proto follows suit with retaining design language from previous iterations of the Z. The iconic three gauges sit atop the dash with some suede trim that matches the new fully digital main gauge display.
Once in the cabin sitting in front of that display, Byron gives taller people a moment of relief. Byron is 6'5" and says that he still has ample headroom and fits fairly comfortably in the Z. With how small the car looks from the outside Byron was pretty surprised at how spacious the actual interior was.
Continuing his look through the interior Byron notes the ever more difficult to find three-pedal and manual shifter combo, and confirms the Z will be offered in a manual. Next to the gear shifter, an "S-mode" button was discovered, however, it was not explained what that feature may be.
A Prototype Of What May Be Coming
After really showing off the Prototype Z car, Byron still reiterates that the Z Proto is just that, a prototype. The production version of the Z might still vary from what the Z Proto offers. Things like the color-matched brake calipers, bronze wheels, and interior trim colors may become trim-level exclusives or be axed entirely. However, sightings of a potential production Z have leaked and they do look pretty similar to the current Z Proto.