Close THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE NISSAN Z-CAR
The Nissan Z-series coupe is known for its legendary styling and reputation as a unique and thrilling sports car. Originally designed to bring a six-cylinder, two-seat sports coupe to the world, the Nissan Z-series has exhilarated car enthusiasts for more than four decades.
After three years in product development, the now famous Z-car was released in October 1969 as a 1970 model. Factory named S30, but referred to in America as the Datsun 240Z, the Z-car was known throughout the world as the Nissan Fairlady Z. Nissan caught the world by surprise with the Z-car’s swept back styling, long low hood and sleek fastback design. Powered by a 2.4 liter straight six engine with dual Hitachi “SU” carburetors, the engine had 151 horsepower and coupled with a sporty 4-speed manual transmission, powered the car to 60 mph in just eight seconds with a top speed of 125 miles per hour.
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With amazing performance and a relatively low-price tag, the 240Z was an instant success. The 240Z had sales topping 45,000 vehicles in the first year, with sales remaining similarly strong in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
A new and updated model, the 260Z, was released in 1974. Although this new model featured a larger 2.6 liter engine, the horsepower was substantially reduced due to emissions requirements and an automatic transmission. Despite improvements to the interior, the car was far less popular and ultimately was only sold in the United States for the 1974 model year (despite being available elsewhere in the world through 1978.)
The 280Z (S130 model) was released in 1975 with an even larger displacement 2.8 liter engine and introduced Bosch fuel injection. Now offered with a 5-speed manual transmission and coupe or 2+2 seating option, the 280Z quickly regained its popularity, and 70,000 vehicles were sold in the US that year alone. The 1977 model brought a huge bump in power — to 170 horsepower.
In 1979 Nissan released the updated Z31 model, known as the 280ZX. The 280 moniker stuck as the car still had the now-famous 2.8 liter inline six engine. The updated design added square design cues and additional luxury items common from the disco era. The 1979 280ZX was hailed by Motor Trend magazine as its Import Car of the Year, and the 1979 model sold over 86,000 units. Later additions to this model included T-Tops in 1980 and a turbocharger in 1981.
Another major redesign occurred in 1984, producing the Model Z31 also known as the 300ZX. Now available with a new 3.0 liter V6 engine with a turbocharger option, Nissan added even more luxury options while maintaining the legendary performance of the Z-car. The updated wedge design was ridiculously popular, and Nissan sold over 70,000 units in the first year of production.
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In 1985, Nissan made a large push to change the name from Datsun to Nissan and dropped the Datsun nameplate for good. After the name change, Nissan made only minor modifications to the Z-car platform in 1986, 1987 and 1988, and the 1989 version had no changes at all.
Nissan changed everything in 1990 when they updated the Model Z32. They kept the 300ZX name, a nod to the 3.0 liter V6 that still powered the car. However, that engine was highly modified with variable valve timing and dual overhead cams to produce 222 horsepower. A twin-turbo version was also available with 300 horsepower. Acceleration times were amazing, with 0-60 mph between five and six seconds, and the car could reach a top speed of 155 mph. (Nissan had to add a governor to the engine to limit the top speed to 155.)
Over its 20-year history, Z-car sales topped 1,000,000 cars in 1990, but changing international markets forced Nissan to stop selling the 300ZX in the United States in 1986, despite sales still exceeding 80,000 units annually.
In 2002, the fifth generation of the Z-car was released. Model Z33, or the 350Z, offered Nissan’s 287 horsepower 3.5 liter dual overhead cam V6 and either a 5-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. A sporty convertible option was introduced in 2004. In 2005 the power was bumped to 300 horsepower, and in 2007 the power was bumped up again to 307.
In late December 2007, the newest 370Z (Model Z34) was introduced as a 2009 model. Powered by a larger 3.7 liter V6 engine, the horsepower ranged from 327 to 350 h.p. depending on the options and configuration. Offered with a 6-speed manual transmission or 7-speed automatic, the 370Z was known as the fastest production Z-car, going 0-60 mph in just a click over 5 seconds.
The legacy of the Z-car lives on today with the 2019 Nissan 370Z Coupe. Now offering 332 horsepower from its 3.7 liter V6 engine, the exhilaration and thrills still come standard in a Z-car, and the available 2019 Heritage Edition creates a modern interpretation of an automotive icon.
If you’re ready to give the 2019 Nissan 370Z Coupe a spin, visit Neil Huffman Nissan of Frankfort to check out our inventory!