Nissan's new Z-series coupe is a tough competitor for the Supra GR and Mustang

In 1969, the Japanese company Datsun introduced the S30 sports coupe, also known as the Fairlady Z. A two-liter six-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower was installed under the hood of the car. Since such an engine turned out to be too small for the USA, the main export market for this model, an L24 engine with a displacement of 2.4 liters and a power of 150 horsepower was installed on the car. The car also received a different name: Datsun 240Z. A little later, modifications appeared with 2.6 and 2.8 liter engines, which received new indices 260Z and 280Z, the engine power of the latest modification reached 170 horses.




The history of the Z-series is full of ups and downs. Sporting successes in the Safari rally and touring car races, as well as rave reviews from journalists, contributed to high sales, up to 50 per year. The second generation of the model became even more popular, the Americans swept them away like hot cakes and in the best years the production reached 86 thousand copies! 

1989: Nissan 300ZX Turbo (Z32), pinnacle of the Z-car concept

The Japanese introduced the new Zetka, giving it a very bold and modern body shape, which made it stand out from its then competitors. The design of the sports coupe turned out to be so successful that even now, after 33 years, the Fairlady Z32 does not look outdated. 



The interior of the 300ZX focuses on high technology and is completely centered around the driver. Along the perimeter of the dashboard is the control of all electronic devices:

✅ radio tape recorder
✅ air conditioner
✅ cruise control
✅ windshield wipers
✅ direction indicators

The technical specifications are also top notch. The Nissan 300ZX Turbo was equipped with a VG30DETT 90º V6 engine with NVCS (Nissan Valve Timing Control System).
First shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1987 on the MID4-II concept car, this motor went into series two years later. 



Under the hood of the production model, this twin-turbo six developed from 280 to 300 horsepower. Garrett turbochargers combined a T2 turbine with a T25 compressor, separately for each bank of cylinders! In addition, each turbocharger had its own intercooler. 

With this engine Nissan 300ZX accelerated to 100 km / h in 5.9 seconds! For comparison, the Porsche 968 took 6.7 seconds to complete this exercise.

Chassis

The Japanese used the multi-link rear suspension from the 200SX, but the front had nothing in common with other Nissan models: the multi-link suspension was developed using the Cray supercomputer and was used only for the Z32. Unlike the GT-R, which switched to all-wheel drive with the R32, the Z-cars remained rear-wheel drive.

In addition, Nissan developed the HICAS (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering) four-wheel steering system. The rear axle steering angle reached 10 °. But for the Z32, they developed an even more advanced version: Super HICAS with electronic control. 



The Nissan Z32 marked the beginning of a new era: the dominance of Japanese sports cars. Following the 300ZX, Japan will give the world models such as: 

✅ Toyota Supra A80
✅Mitsubishi 3000GT
✅Honda NSX
✅Mazda RX7

Among the "petrolheads" these cars have received a cult status. 

In the fight between art and commerce, commerce always wins.

Total American Z-car sales for the 1990 model year reached one million units, making the Zetka the best-selling sports car of the era. But the Nissan 300ZX suffered the same problem as other Japanese cars: the rising yen. If in 1989 the 300ZX cost $30, then in the second half of the nineties the price increased to $000. Sales fell and this led to the closure of the Z line. 

But already in 2001, Carlos Ghosn, known as the "spending killer", announced the return of the Z-car. Since then, two generations of Zetka have appeared, and now, finally, the time has come for the next update.
 

2023 Nissan Z (Z34)

Until now, the number in the name of this model meant the engine displacement, in the form of a three-digit numerical index. 



The Nissan Z has a V6 engine with a displacement of three liters, which means that according to tradition, the new car should have been called 300Z or 300ZX. But the Japanese simply called it Z, probably thinking that buyers would consider a lower index a downgrade. In my opinion, in vain, because it is not the engine size that determines the DNA of Nissan sports cars, but “Z-ness”! And in this regard, the new "Zetka" still corresponds to the canons: 

✅ classic layout
✅ fastback coupe body
✅ rear wheel drive
✅ six-cylinder engine

In the US, the Nissan Z is offered in the following trim levels: 

✅ Sport, for 41 thousand
✅ Performance, for 51 thousand

And this is a good offer, especially considering that the six-cylinder Toyota Supra starts at 53! In addition to the above two trims, there is also a special "welcome" version called the Proto, priced at $54. Its release is limited to 015 copies, and this number is a nod to the Datsun 240Z. 

Design

Clearly, Nissan's stylists were trying to please nostalgic car enthusiasts. But looking at the car, you get a strange feeling: it is noticeable that the designers drew inspiration from the Datsun 240 of the seventies, and the Nissan 300ZX of the nineties, but they embodied all this in the narrow framework of the already existing body from the 370Z model. Of course, the new Nissan Z looks fresh, but a little strange. 

Power unit

Under the hood of the Nissan Z is a VR30DDTT engine. Power - 406 horses, which is a good hundred horses more than the VG30DETT developed under the hood of the 300ZX, not to mention 170 hp. With. "old man" Datsun 240Z. 

Evaluate the acceleration dynamics of Nissan Z:

✅ from 0 to 100 km/h - 4,5 seconds 
✅ from 0 to 160 km/h - 10 seconds 
✅ from 0 to 200 km/h - 15,9 seconds
✅ Quarter mile time is 12,7 seconds

"Zetka" is able to give odds to the ancestors, but not the modern GR Supra! With parallel starts from a standstill for a quarter of a mile, Toyota confidently takes the lead, bringing two hulls to the finish line for Nissan! But the in-line six Supra with two turbines develops “only” 380 horses!



The dimensions of the Z cabin are identical to the 370Z of the past, which is not surprising. True, the Japanese found something to improve here. Now the steering wheel is adjustable not only in height, but also in reach, which increases the chances of finding a comfortable driving position. Inside, a digital instrument panel is installed, with a 12,3-inch display, unlike the classic analog Nissan Z32 instruments. As a multimedia complex, the car is equipped with an eight-inch touch screen tablet with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 



Sport bucket seats with Alcantara inserts and manually adjustable "model Z" are similar to those found on the Nissan GT-R. For the driver, they are regulated in eight directions, and for the passenger in four. 

Due to strict emission and noise regulations, the Nissan Z will not be offered for the European market, including the UK. The Z will only be sold in Japan, North America, Australia and "certain other countries". 

That is, theoretically, thanks to parallel imports, Nissan Z can also appear in Russia! 



But the Nissan Z won't have an easy life: the Japanese coupe will face tough competition for the hearts of buyers with sports cars like the Toyota GR Supra and the Ford Mustang. At the same time, both of these cars are more dynamic than Nissan, and Ford, moreover, is equipped with a V8 engine. Therefore, the only advantage of the Nissan Z is this very “Zetnost”. Whether this will be enough to fight for the hearts of buyers, time will tell.