It’s impressive how boring most of Nissan’s lineup is. The Altima, the Sentra, the Rogue, driving them feels like you’re drowning in a sea of wallpaper paste. But there is one car that has added a little fun to this dreary lineup.
In the 60s, Nissan, then still selling under the “Datsun” name abroad, wanted to add some pizazz to its lineup. With help from Yamaha, they created a new sports car, inspired by the Jaguar E Type. It was known as the 240Z, with the 240 referring to the 2.4 liter 6 cylinder engine. 0-60 was impressive at just 8 seconds, although top speed was nothing special at 125. But the Z was not meant for straight line power, at 163 inches, it was barely longer than a VW Beetle, and it only weighed 2300 pounds. It was meant to go around corners, and it did it very well.
In 1974, the Z got a 2.6 liter engine and became the 260Z. It also offered a longer 2+2 model. The 260Z only lasted 1 year in the US but kept selling elsewhere until 1978.
In the US, the 260Z was replaced by the 280Z for 1975, and it was sold simultaneously in other markets until 1978. As the name suggests, the engine grew to 2.8 liters.
The Z was redesigned for 1979. It was much larger and heavier than before, up to 2900 pounds. The engine, in turbo form, produced 180 horsepower. Power assisted rack and pinion steering became available in 1981 on turbo models and on naturally aspirated models in 1982.
For 1984, the Datsun name disappeared. The Z ditched the look it had since 1970 in favor of a squared off one with partially concealed headlights. The 2.8 was replaced by a 3 liter. Power in turbo form rose to an even 200 horsepower. The Z included a voice alert system that would tell you whether the doors were open, or the parking brake was on, or if the fuel tank was low. I’m sure that was annoying.
For 1990, the Z was redesigned again. By this point, the 300ZX was a bloated and expensive car. Weight was as high as 3600 pounds. In its last year, 2000, the base price was a cool $70,000, inflation adjusted. For that money, you got a dual overhead cam 3 liter 6 making 230 horsepower. Twin turbo models made 300. A super bowl commercial in 1990, directed by Ridley Scott, showed a 300ZX Twin Turbo being faster than a fighter jet, a formula one car, and a sports bike. The ad was pulled after being aired once due to concerns about it promoting street racing. In 2000, the 300ZX was killed off and the Z went on hiatus.
In 1999, Nissan showed off the concept Z commemorating that car’s 30th anniversary. It showed they wanted to take their venerable sports car back to its roots.
The new 350Z arrived for 2003. It was clearly a retro throwback to the first Z, though I wouldn’t call it pretty, it looks like an upside down bathtub. There was no longer a 4 seater model. The new Z was much cheaper than the old one. The engine was a 3.5 liter V6 making 287 horsepower, eventually rising to over 300.
For 2010, the 350Z became the 370Z. It shares a platform with the Infiniti Q60. The engine grew, as you’d guess, now putting out 330 horsepower. It has a nicer interior than before and a neat feature that automatically matches revs on downshifts, so you don’t need any heel-and-toe shifting. Beyond that, the Z is still a hard riding, completely impractical car with a tiny trunk and cramped interior. It’s hard to understand why you’d pick one over a Ford Mustang, which is cheaper, much easier to live with, and almost as much fun to drive. It’s for that reason that Nissan can’t give these things away, they sold less than 5000 last year. Seeing how they haven’t redesigned it in 9 years, I don’t think there’ll be another Z. And once the Z goes, the only exciting car in Nissan’s lineup will be the $100,000 GT-R.