GENERATION Z THE LEGACY OF THE NISSAN Z CAR

There isn’t a petrol-head who doesn’t know “Godzilla”. Not the fabled Japanese monster that rises from the depth of the seas, no. We’re talking about the Nissan Skyline, arguably the most endearing cult sports car to rise from the house of Nissan.

Godzilla was the halo car for video games such as Gran Turismo and movies including 2 Fast 2 Furious. Now known simply as the Nissan GT-R, the Skyline has evolved to almost supercar status both in price and performance.

But what if I told you that the Skyline wasn’t always Nissan’s most prodigious car, and that there are at least six generations of the Z sports car that have (almost) been lost to time? Or, what if I told you that there is a seventh generation of the Z car on the horizon that ought to excite every petrol-head around? Would that grab your attention? Then allow me to give you a brief history of this fair lady.

FIRST GENERATION (S30)

In 1969, a legend was born. The world was introduced to the Fairlady Z, a beautiful two door coupé powered by a 2.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine producing 93 kW. The same model was a success in the United States but under the name Datsun 240Z, and powered by a 2.4-litre in-line six that produced 151 kW. The Fairlady was such a huge success, that Nissan refreshed the model over the years, with a 260Z breaking cover in 1974 powered by a 2.6-litre in-line six, and now featured a 2+2 seating configuration. In the later stages of this generation, the 280Z was released in the American

market with 127 kW. For a spot of context, at the time, the Nissan Skyline was about 7.5 kW lower on power than the 240Z. It would be years before it would become the faster car.

SECOND GENERATION (S130)

The second generation Z was launched in 1979, and continued to be called the Fairlady Z in Japan, and the Datsun 280ZX in the United States. Unlike its predecessor, the 280ZX was more of a grand tourer diverging from the pure sports car path that had garnered it such popularity before.

Nissan decided to focus more on aesthetics and luxury than sporty characteristics, and all those additions came with a weight penalty that triggered a number of purists. In addition to that, the 2.8-litre mill now produced 101 kW, making it less powerful than its predecessor. Whichever way you look at it, the S130 was almost destined to fail, given how purists hate change. Regardless, the slower and heavier 280ZX proved popular, and Nissan sold the car in droves. In response to the demands of customers, there would later come a turbo version with electronic fuel-injection that produced 130 kW and could sprint to 100 km/h in about 7.4 seconds – ballistic performance at the time.

THIRD GENERATION (Z31)

Fast forward to 1984, and the third generation, which debuted as the 300ZX. As the name suggests, the car was now powered by a 3.0-litre engine, and this time around Nissan swapped the traditional in-line six-cylinder for a V6, which happened to be Japan’s first mass produced V6. There were two versions of the SOHC 3.0-litre engines. A naturally aspirated version producing 125 kW, and a turbo version that generated 150 kW. At the time of launch, the turbo 300ZX was the most powerful road car in Japan.

This also became the generation in which the Datsun name was dropped in favour of Nissan for

all markets, bringing some sorely needed synergy to the line-up. Although the car was more powerful than its predecessor, it was also heavier. This is because Nissan continued cramming technology and luxury into the Z cars which also invariably resulted in the car being more expensive than the models that came before it. Regardless, the model proved to be the second best-selling Z car in history.

FOURTH GENERATION (Z32)

Between 1990 to 1996, Nissan produced the fourth generation still bearing the 300ZX name. For this model, Nissan went back to the drawing board and redesigned the 300ZX into a much more beautiful car than the one it succeeded. Gone was the boxy design of the 1980s, as the Z now boasted an exotic low and wide slippery design.

Nissan also decided to lean towards sporty driving dynamics, and stopped pursuing the idea of a luxurious grand tourer. The 3.0-litre V6 was carried over from the previous model, but to better results in this new chassis. It got overhead twin cams and variable valve timing, boosting its power to 166 kW. There was also an option for a twin-turbo version that produced a whopping 220 kW, which proved good for a sprint time to 100km/h of about five seconds. It wasn’t all straight-line performance either, as the Z32 featured a rear-wheel-steering system and a sophisticated suspension system that made it nimble around the corners despite its heft and size. Mind you, the idea of rear-wheel-steering technology has only started gaining popularity with exotic sports cars like Ferrari and Porsche in recent years, whereas manufacturers such as Nissan and Honda were implementing this in the 1990s! This is a clear example of how ahead of its time the Z32 was.

While the improvements in power and handling had the car competing against the Corvette of the time and the Porsche 928 S4, so did its price. Over the years the Z cars slowly crept up in price and, although the car was brilliant, sales started to dwindle in America. By 1996, the Z car was withdrawn from the US market, its sales pummelled by prohibitive pricing and the general appetite for the increasingly popular SUV market. The car, however, continued to be sold in Japan until MY2000. It is worth noting that, at this point, the R33 Skyline was now up to par in performance and had grown in popularity in Japan.

FIFTH GENERATION (Z33)

It wasn’t until 2002 that the fifth generation was launched. The car was inspired by the original 240Z both in design and driving characteristics, and was a vocal 3.5-litre VQ35DE DOHC naturally aspirated V6 powered the coupé – with buyers able to choose between either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic – that produced between 214 kW and 228 kW throughout the car’s cycle.

Nissan ditched the 2+2 seating option along with other unnecessary tech that had resulted in the Z22 being heavy and expensive. This resulted in a quick, light and relatively affordable car that appeased the Z fans who had been shunned by the costly predecessor. Later on, Nissan would make a Track version of the 350Z, followed by a NISMOtuned version that produced 260 kW. Like the R34 Skyline which became an overnight American icon due to its brief appearance in the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious, the 350Z also enjoyed screen time in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, which helped boost its popularity and spark interest in the Nissan Z car among younger buyers.

SIXTH GENERATION (Z34)

In 2009, we saw the release of the sixth generation Z car named the 370Z. It carried over the V6 from the 350Z, but this time was bored up to 3.7-litre of displacement, which produced between 245 and 261 kW depending on the market. While the power increase was not substantial from the predecessor, due to its aluminium construction the 370Z was much lighter than the 350Z and thus benefited from a better power to weight ratio. As a result, it was good for a five-second sprint to

100 km/h, and was a joy to drive both on road and on track. While the 370Z remains on sale to this day, its age has started to show and has had fans begging for a refresh for years.

NEW GENERATION Z (Z35)

After numerous rumours and teases, Nissan has finally unveiled the latest generation of the Z car. The 400Z proto is rumoured to have a 298 kW, 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 mated to a manual sixspeed transmission. Nissan also stressed that this is a completely in-house project without assistance from external manufacturers. This is clearly a jab at the 400Z’s longtime rival, the Toyota Supra, which was bashed by purists for being essentially a reskinned BMW Z4.

I am very excited for this car and by heavens it looks great! It perfectly blends modern styling as well as retro styling from the original 240Z. What the new Z feels like to drive is yet to be experienced, but already the formula seems to have the makings of a legend.

LAST WORD

As long as Nissan manages to keep the weight and, most importantly, the price down, this might be the Z car we have been waiting for for years. Chances are that Nissan will have another winner on their hands, to keep the Z legacy alive and to reaffirm its position as a manufacturer of affordable, potent and desirable sports cars.