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Nissan’s 300ZX reshaped what a Z car could be and ultimately led to the stunning new 2023 Nissan Z as we know it today.
The Nissan 300ZX: A Pivotal Step in Z Car History
1985 Nissan 300ZX – usa.nissannews.com | Shop Nissan 300ZX on Carsforsale.com
Looking back at the history of the Nissan Z car makes it clear that, unlike some rivals, the Z has always adapted to stay relevant. In our deep dive into that history, it’s easy to see why cars like the original Fairlady Z and the 350Z garnered huge followings.
Those cars set new standards and featured designs that were eye-catching. And sometimes, due to the success of the rest of its family, the 300ZX and its importance to the Z lineage are overlooked. Today, we’ll look back at it and see how it became an anchor point in history for all Z cars. For more info on the also legendary 240SX read this article.
First Generation Nissan 300ZX
Following up on the 1983 Nissan 280ZX was never going to be an easy task. It was one of the fastest cars available in the US and critics loved it. Despite that, it’s exactly what Nissan did when it introduced the 300ZX in September 1983 as a 1984 model. It was a clean sheet design that leveraged some of the technology from the 280ZX chassis.
Dubbed Z31 internally, it also had a better drag coefficient and dropped the inline-six engine in favor of Nissan’s first mass-produced V6. According to engineers, the change in engine format was meant to keep the sporty nature of the car while making it easier to package and more efficient.
That V6 came in two flavors. The first, a naturally aspirated unit developed 160 horsepower. A turbocharged version was also available with 200 horsepower. These figures were big improvements over the 280ZX which had largely been neutered by regulation. From a standstill, the car would accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 7.3-seconds.
It wasn’t a short-lived foray into more power either as each engine actually gained about 5 horsepower in 1988 thanks to improved internal components and a slightly higher compression ratio. In addition, the turbocharged engines dropped the Garrett T3 turbo they had been using in favor of a new low-inertia T25 turbo which spooled up quicker.
Even while this improvement was taking place, the next generation of the Z car, another 300ZX, had already had its design approved and engineers were busy at work to bring it to production.
Second Generation Nissan 300ZX
The car that would result, known as the Z32, modernized the Z even further and became an icon in its own right. Drag actually increased from .30 to .31 but it didn’t hamper performance because the new base V6 engine made 222 horsepower. It could accomplish that thanks to dual overhead cams and variable valve timing. The turbo version was truly historic for Z though. Gone was the single-turbo version of the car in favor of a twin-turbo setup.
Twin Garrett turbos worked in parallel with twin intercoolers to produce 300 horsepower and 283 pound-feet of torque. The Z32 300ZX might have weighed more than the Z31 but it had enough power to overcome it with ease. The sprint from 0-60 took just 5.5 seconds and the car could reach a top speed of 155 mph. Turbo models also came with an adjustable suspension, four-wheel steering, and a limited-slip differential.
This car might have still been a luxury GT car by definition but it would embarrass cars like the Corvette and the NSX as though it were a stripped out racer. The naturally aspirated V6 wasn’t slow either with a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds and a 2+2 configuration that almost made it a practical sports car. On the other side of the practicality coin, Nissan offered a convertible version for the first time in 1993. It would go on to offer another convertible with the 350Z years later as well.
Impact of the Nissan Z Cars
2023 Nissan Z – usa.nissannews.com | Shop Nissan 300ZX on Carsforsale.com
These two sports cars bridged the gap from Nissan’s past to its future. The Z31 300ZX innovated and proved that the Z wasn’t going to go gently into that good night. The Z32 kept everything that was great about the Z31 while improving on all aspects of the recipe that’s made the Z so special for decades.
Take one look at the 2023 Nissan Z and you’ll immediately see the stylistic design cues that point back to both of these models from the silhouette to the retro horizontal tail lights. Take a look under the hood of the new car and you’ll find that Nissan has returned to the recipe that made the Z32 so iconic too. The twin-turbocharged V6 under its bonnet develops some 400 horsepower and once again makes it a stunning performance bargain compared to many of its rivals.
