The return of the Z
How the new take on the legendary line mixes retro lines and modern power
Hi there. And once again, welcome back on Iron Masters.
First things firsts, I’ve got a confession to make. I’m not exactly fond of how cars are made nowadays. Of course, there are obvious exceptions; thankfully, there are still brands that know how to make them the right way. But, as much as it pains me to admit it, most of cars offered in the showrooms seem to be empty shells.
Do you remember when you looked at a car you had never seen before and immediately fell in love with it? Quite honestly, that is an event that is becoming rarer by the day. Everything just seem to be so…soulless.
So colour me surprised when Nissan released the Z, or how she’s referred to in Japan, Fairlady Z, in 2022. Now, I have to be honest. I didn’t exactly fall in love with it from the get go. After all, it’s not like she’s perfect. After all, the Z tries to mix together elements from the past gens while trying to still look to the future. That’s no easy task.
But first, in order to understand the Z, let’s take a step back and look at it’s long history. Because, you see, the 2022 Nissan Z is the last evolution of the long line of Fairladies presented through the years, the first gen, the S30, dating all the way back to 1969.
It is blatantly obvious that the current interpretation of the Z was greatly inspired by its roots, mostly from the 240Z and the 300ZX. And perhaps that’s why it’s strangely captivating.
Aside from some obvious exceptions, which have a price tag way beyond what most of us could ever afford, this little two-seater bomb has all the right cards to be successful. Of course, that’s up to personal preferences. But I think we can all agree that its sleek design, which is almost elegant at times, is carefully thought out to evoke that call from the past vibe while being competitive on today’s market.
That sentiment immediately pops up if you take a look at the rear.
For those of you who know a little bit of Nissan’s vast offer through the years, the comparison with the historic model that is the 300ZX is almost immediate. The rear lights, which are nestled inside the black fascia that runs from side to side, kind of like Zorro’s mask if you will, are almost identical to that thirty-year-old model.
And that isn’t the only thing matching. Many other little details have that kind of approach in mind.
Still, we have to admit that this is a bold approach. Others would have opted to distance themselves from the past.
Well, evidently Mr. Takeshi Iwami didn’t feel that way.
For those of you familiar with this name, it shouldn’t come off as a surprise that the Z looks the way it does now. I mean, while he was the head designer of the project, Mr. Iwami has worked in Nissan for quite some time; decades even; we can say for certain that he has learned his craft through hard work and dedication. It’s no surprise than that such a high-ranking man managed to get his hands, or pen to be fair, in the shaping of the 370Z, of the new Z, and of the beautiful monster that is the GTR R35, the spiritual successor of the Skyline R34 GTR.
If that’s how the exteriors were designed, the interiors are a little bit different.
If you were to sit behind the steering wheel of any Z, you’ll immediately notice how the cockpit is pretty simple in today’s standards. There’s a reason for that. The design team as a whole worked together with a race car driver in order to craft a driver-focused cockpit while maintaining all the comfort. That’s why you’ll find retro elements, like analog gauges, mixed together with a digital display with all the functionalities you’re looking for. Love or hate it, that’s certainly different than normal.
Quite surprisingly, I find the colour options to be rather limited. A quick jump to the car configurator will give you all the info you could desire.
Now, personally, I think colours like Seiran Blue and Brilliant Silver, both offered in combo with Super Black Roof, are a really good fit. Or you could always go total Black, if you prefer. Still, before you jump into it, let me warn you. A couple of colour combos are exclusive to the market they’re offered.
The same is also true for the interiors.
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While various combo of Black and Red are offered worldwide, Blue is only offered to the American market; while Yellow is exclusively offered in the Asian one. If you want one of those exclusive, you’ve no other choice but to import it. As material are concerned, Alcantara, Cloth, Synthetic Suede and Leather are offered in all variants. For a price, of course.
Now, like always, here on Iron Masters we love to talk about tuning. So, what can we say about the Z? Are there any aftermarket body kits?
Quite surprisingly, there are.
Since it’s a pretty new car, having launched in 2022, I completely expected to be faced with a complete lack of custom parts. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that HKS and Streethunter Desing have already presented their takes on the Z. Should you buy one? Depends on what you’re looking for.
Just like the engine.
In this day and age, where electric engines and sequential transmissions are as common as breathing in air, it wouldn’t have been strange if Nissan’s engineers opted to follow along. Instead, perhaps in a move to attract more clientele, the Z comes equipped with a high performance gasoline engine that can be equipped with a manual transmission.
Don’t get me wrong. Sequential are fun and comfortable to drive. And fast. Lightspeed fast. But I still think that driving a high-powered car with a manual transmission is as close to perfection as you can get.
In any case, under the long hood, nestled between the suspensions, there is a VR30DDTT engine, the same that was offered on the Infinity Q50 and Q60. It’s an engine capable of developing 405 Hp and 474 Nm of torque stock; the Nismo version instead is slightly tuned: 420 Hp and 521 Nm of torque.
The only real downside? Weight.
While we don’t normally talk about that here on Iron Masters, I feel like we should this around. You might not believe it, but the curb weight of the Z comes around the 1600 Kg; and that’s for the sequential version. The manual version weights even more. It would be wise to lighten the car somehow.
Or, given its popularity, you could tune the engine with aftermarket parts.
So…is the VR30 tuneable?
While the VR30 is reputed to be a fairly solid block, I wouldn’t push it beyond the 500 Hp, or a little more than that, with stock internals. Like a wise man once said, better safe than sorry.
After all, while a Z is fairly cheap, the mods aren’t.
A base Z starts at 43k dollars. Performance at 53k dollars. And Proto Spec (a step beyond performance) at 54k dollars. For those of you looking for a Nismo one, prices start at 65k dollars, depending on optional and transmission installed.
For us European however, things are way more complicated than simply show up in Nissan showroom.
For reasons beyond my comprehension, though I highly suspect all those damned anti-pollution policies played a hand, the Z , at the time I’m writing this, isn’t offered on the European market. The only way to own a brand new one is to import it. And that takes time and money. You be the judge if it’s worth it.
As for second-hand market, things are more or the less the same thing. Prices tend to stick just a bit under the 40k dollars.
So, really, the Z is a fairly cheap car; but it’s also a dividing one; some of us might just love the call to the past that exude from every line and curve of it. Others might not. But we can all agree that, given the time and age we currently live in, its one hell of a car. And that, perhaps, is what really set it apart from the rest.
Until next time.
P.s. If you’ve got any cars, motorcycle, or any other thing that has a motor in it that you want me to write about, please let me know!
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