There can be no denying that one of the greatest family’s of sports cars ever created is that of the Nissan Z range. Dubbed the Fairlady range in Japan, the Z cars are some of the best JDM machines that have ever been created. The first true Nissan Fairlady Z car was the Datsun 240Z that first emerged in the late 1960s, and the range has expanded and expanded over the years. The latest car to grace the range is the Nissan 400Z, which is not too far away from its highly anticipated release.
But what about the past Z cars? Which of those could be called the greatest? Well, for lovers of the Z cars and JDM cars in general, one of the best might just be the Nissan 300ZX. The 300ZX was sold in Japan from 1983 to 2001, and in the United States from 1984 to 1996 as well as making its way over to Europe. It was the successor to the Datsun 280ZX and is the third, true Nissan Z car that was brought out. Its looks typified of the 1990s, and it might be one of the greatest JMD cars ever built.
Design And Development Of The 300ZX Z31
The Z range was already hugely successful before the 300ZX came out, and when it did appear in 1983 the new Nissan was dubbed the Z31 initially. The new car saw a massive increase in power compared to its predecessor, and the sleek, streamlined shape was much more aerodynamically efficient than the 280ZX. The new Z had a drag coefficient of just 0.30, and something more remarkable was lying under the hood of the car.
The 300ZX was powered by Japan’s first mass-produced V6 engine, replacing the inline-sixes that had powered all the previous generations of the Z car. Nissan themselves stated that the new engine was to uphold the sporty, six-cylinder spirit of the first Fairlady Z. But it was also used to uphold that spirit in a much more efficient and compact package than had ever been seen in a Nissan sports car. A variety of transmissions were also available, and they could come in either a five-speed manual gearbox or in the form of a four-speed automatic gearbox. The Z31 though was never seen as a truly great Nissan Z car. When the Z32 300ZX came out though, well that all changed.
The Nissan Z32 In All Its Glory
The Z32 is probably the definitive version of the Nissan 300ZX. The design for this car was approved in its final form by Nissan in October 1986, and it was quite the contrast to the Z31. The body of the car was wider, and overall the profile of the 300ZX had become much wider. Its drag coefficient had increased but only fractionally, and it was still a highly impressive 0.31. Under the hood of the Z32 300ZX was still a V6 engine, the VG30 V6 to be exact, which produced a total of 222 hp.
At the time of the Z32, many had fallen out of love with the Z car range, and that is why the Z32 came into being. At its highest level as well, the amazing twin-turbo model of the car could produce 300 hp which was more powerful than the Lamborghini Jalpa, a car that could easily have been considered one of the main rivals to the Z31 iteration of the car. The Z31 had been seen as quite the forgettable platform, so it was to Nissan’s relief that they saw just how well regarded the Z32 had become.
A Bold And Beautiful Design
The Z32 generation of the Nissan 300ZX has often been called bold and beautiful. And quite frankly, it's very easy to see why. Nissan would also go on to offer a four-seater version of the Z32, the 300ZX 2+2 model, and a hardtop model was offered, including in an extremely rare twin-turbo model seen in Japan only. As you might expect, when the production run of the 300ZX ended in Japan, it was sorely missed. The Nissan 350Z wasn’t far away, but that car was never, ever, able to capture the hearts of Nissan customers quite like the Z32 300ZX.
A Truly Stellar Nissan Sports Car
The latest generation of Nissan Z cars hasn’t really been able to replicate what the 300ZX had in its Z32 guise. The 350Z is a bit of a deathtrap, and looks nothing like the Z32 that came before it. The 370Z was a big improvement, but it's only now with the new 400Z that it feels like Nissan are creating a truly great Fairlady car once again. It’s a shame it's taken so long, but that also shows just how good the Z32 300ZX was. There is every chance that it is the definitive Nissan Z car.
Sources: Autocar, Top Gear, Garage Dreams, Hemmings, Sports Car Market, PC Car Market