Nissan Z-car

From Nissan 350Z & 370Z Wiki

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Z-car

Image:JapaneseFairladyZ1970.jpg

1969 or 1970 Fairlady Z (240Z) in Japan

Z-car usually refers to a series of sports cars manufactured by Nissan. Early on they were released under Nissan's Datsun brand name.

Starting out in 1969 with the 240Z, the Datsun Z-cars have been popular in Japan (where they are known as the Fairlady Z (Ã£Æ’â€¢Ã£â€šÂ§Ã£â€šÂ¢Ã£Æ’Â¬Ã£Æ’â€¡Ã£â€šÂ£Z)), the United States, and the United Kingdom. For their good looks and strong performance, they have been remarkably affordable automobiles.

1 Engines
2 Reputation
3 Popular Cultures
4 See also
5 External links

Engines

The first two generations (240Z/260Z/280Z and 280ZX) of Z-car were powered by a Straight-6, (part of the L-series of Nissan engines, which powered most of their vehicles until the early 1980s) with a displacement of 2.4 L in the first incarnation, and increasing to 2.6 L and 2.8 L in the 260Z, and the 280Z and ZX, respectively.

The second generation, the 280ZX, introduced in 1979 was a complete re-design, retaining only the L28 engine and other driveline components. A turbo option was introduced, bringing performance surpassing that of the original 240z.

The third generation, the 300ZX, switched to a 3.0 L V6. Two generations of 300ZX ended in 1996 in the US{in most states, anyway} and the Z32 model canceled in Japan in 1997{Some cars were still exported there, though}. The cost of production was rising too fast for Japanese and most U.S. customers, so it was limited to those states in which could be sold. Even a major design change in 1998 couldn't save it, and production finally ended in 2001.

In the 2003 model year, Nissan reentered the US sports-car market with the 350Z, powered by a 3.5 L V6, and styled in an attempt to create a more modern interpretation of the 240Z's lines. It had a new 6-speed manual gearbox, and is capable of over 155 mph.

Reputation

Among Z-cars, the most sought after are the early 240Zs, due to their being unencumbered with emissions regulations, and thus putting out significantly more power than later Z-cars, until the later 300ZXs. In 1998, Nissan even offered restored 240Zs through its dealerships. Also popular is the Twin Turbo Z32.

The first generation of Z-car are known for unusually quick handling, easily comparable to cars such as the Porsche 911, but usually at a much lower price. For those for whom the inline-6 is not enough, V8 conversions are popular. Some companies have even specialized in producing such conversions (like Scarab Engineering, which is no longer in business). Many forums exist for modified cars, http://www.hybridz.org/ and http://www.zcar.com being the major ones.

The 240Z, and to a lesser degree the 260Z and 280Z, were well-regarded for their light weight and good balance, which contributed to their speed and handling. The 280ZX, while maintaining a similar overall look and drivetrain to the earlier cars, was not as well-regarded due to its increased weight, and the addition of more accessories making it less of a pure sports car. This sentiment continued with the 300ZX. The first generation 300ZX was thought as somewhat of a luxury cruiser as opposed to a sports car, despite selling in large numbers. The second generation 300ZX was much improved as a sports car, but it was also thought by many to be overpriced for what it offered.

Nissan has managed to retain the reputation of the Z-car with the 350Z, a car that combines strong performance with good looks.