Tag: nissan

TUNED R34 SKYLINE GT-T: PURPLE CRAZE

When James Hibbert swapped his R34 GT-R for its lesser-powered GT-T sibling, people thought he’d lost his mind. But there was definitely method in his madness as his tuned R34 Skyline GT-T will demonstrate.

From Fast Car. Words & photos: Dan Sherwood.

When it comes to cars, there’s a very definite hierarchy to manufacturers’ model line ups. At the bottom of the ladder is usually the smaller, lower-priced models, whose reduced costs are in line with their sparse levels of performance and specification. At the top are the luxury and high performance models, the halo cars that drip with power, technology and desirability. As petrolheads who see cars as more than just simple modes of transportation, and who value the experience and thrill of driving and ownership as much as the practical advantages, it’s only natural that we covet the models that sit at the highest echelons of those ladders. They provide not only the adrenaline kick of performance and the satisfaction of style, but also endow their owner with a certain unspoken status too – an element that can get lost on some people, but is crucial to a car nut. In fact, so important is this standing within automotive circles, that it goes way beyond the differences between the varying marques and models and can come down to just a handful of letters…

“For anyone into Japanese cars the GT-R badge is the stuff of legend,” says 30-year-old HGV driver James Hibbert. “For many of us, any Nissan Skyline model that features those three letters on its bootlid falls under the category of our dream car, with people gladly willing to give up various essential body parts to own one, myself included.”

So when James actually managed to make his dream a reality by purchasing an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R – while keeping all his limbs intact, too – why did he soon sell it in order to buy the GT-R’s poor relative; the lower-powered, less revered R34 GT-T?

“People must’ve thought I was going crazy,” he laughs. “But as good as the GT-R was, I just started to miss the fun of rear-wheel drive, and drifting in particular.”

Since owning an EP3 Civic Type R many years ago, all of James’s cars have been rear-wheel drive, with various Nissan S15s, a Lexus GS300 and an NA Supra making up his enviable back catalogue and cementing his addiction to steering from the rear.

“The other issue was the value of the GT-R and the attention it caused,” James sighs. “It meant that I was always wary of driving it on the limit or where I was parking it, as I was constantly concerned about it getting damaged or stolen.”

And so, combined with his need to get his sideways-sliding fix, James had an epiphany of what his next move should be, and started looking for a rear-wheel drive R34 Skyline GT-T as a replacement.

The R34 GT-T is Nissan’s next rung down the ladder after the range-topping GT-R. Featuring a 276bhp 2.5-litre single turbo RB25DET NEO, rather than the legendary twin-turbo’d 2.6-litre RB26DETT of its bigger brother (claimed to produce 278bhp as per the Japanese manufacturer’s gentleman’s agreement at the time, but actually making nearer 330bhp), it’s certainly no slouch, but the lack of the iconic swollen arches and the legendary ATTESA E-TS four-wheel drive system housed within, plus the small matter of the GT-R’s racing pedigree, means the GT-T will never be as revered as its stablemate, but to James, that was part of the appeal.

“GT-T’s may not look as tough as the brawny GT-Rs and don’t have the same potential to be tuned, but aside from the fact they’re rear-wheel drive (which is actually a bonus in my book) they’re actually not that different really,” reckons James. “And when you consider that you can get a mint condition GT-T for less than a quarter of the price of a GT-R these days, that leaves you with plenty of cash to tune and modify one to your preferred specification, which was exactly what I had in mind…”

James began his search by putting up a post on social media to see if there were any GT-T owners who wanted to make the jump to GT-R ownership and were willing to work out a trade. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long for a suitable candidate to arise.

“I was contacted by a guy with a GT-T with a full Tommykaira bodykit and accessories,” James remembers. “It had really low mileage and was immaculate!”

As well as the rare bodykit, the tuned R34 Skyline GT-T came with a host of other tasty additions including an HKS GTRS Pro turbo, a Z32 MAF, Sard injectors and fuel pressure regulator, a GReddy radiator and intercooler and an A’PEXi Power FC.

“It was making around 500bhp,” James says. “Which, along with a set of BC Racing coilovers, an uprated ORC twin-plate clutch and bigger R34 GT-R Brembo brakes, made it a real weapon on the road. In fact it felt much quicker than my stage one tuned GT-R that was running around 380bhp.”

So after some friendly negotiations the pair finally did the swap on Christmas Eve, 2015, with James receiving an extra £18k his way, which just goes to show the price difference that occurs by moving that third letter of the badge just two positions along the alphabet.

“It felt great to have the power going to the rear wheels again, so I was happy with the deal,” James beams. “But even so, I wasted no time in adding my own touches.”

For starters it was the bodywork that received James’s undivided attention, as, even though it was genuine, he wasn’t keen on the look of the Tommykaira kit, so he sought to replace it with body panels bought from Loughborough-based body-styling supremos EP Racing.

“I’ve known EP’s bossman Leon Chan for years and he’s always been a great help with my project cars,” says James. “So when I removed the Tommykaira parts and sold them on – including the gearknob which sold for £300 on its own! – I had a nice pot of cash to spend on the GT-T to get it looking how I wanted it.”

As anyone who’s really into their Skyline’s will likely tell you, the Z-Tune is the ultimate R34, but their rarity and astronomical price tag means few people are ever going to be able to own one, so James decided to do the next best thing and bought a replica bodykit, so at least his car could look like one.

“The kit was fitted by a friend of mine who owns a bodyshop in Chippenham called Desire Motor Factory,” says James. “He also tubbed the arches to allow more clearance for wider wheels, before respraying the car in a custom purple paint.”

With the body-styling sorted James swapped out the obscure 18in Sqobs wheels for a set of highly-concaved 7Twenty Style 46 split five-spokes and installed a HICAS lock-out bar and Kaaz two-way limited slip diff to ensure the rear wheels could be lit up on demand.

At this point in the build, James was happy to just kick back and enjoy his creation that combined the looks of his ultimate Skyline with the tail-happy handling attributes of his beloved S-bodies.

“It was great to get back into drifting again and the car looked great, but I can never stop tinkering with things,” he grins. “So it wasn’t long before I’d added a big Japspeed GT rear wing and changed the wheels to a set of 19in Weds Kranze Cerberus splits with a 6.5in rear dish.”

Such is James’s addiction to alteration, however, that both of these mods were relatively short-lived, with the spoiler being removed and the wheels swapped again for a set of 18in Work Emotion CR Kiwamis. But that wasn’t all…

“I like to run the car low, but it can make it impractical,” James concedes. “So I invested in a set of Stance Parts air cups. These trick bits of kit are like mini air-bags that sit on top of your coilovers and are fed by a small air tank that allows you to raise the car a few inches when you need extra clearance, yet still retain the handling characteristics of coilovers.”

As well as the air cups, James decided to give his interior a shot of racecar chic by stripping it out, fitting a pair of Corbeau Clubman bucket seats and harnesses and having a comprehensive custom rollcage installed by HDF Motorsport in Petersfield.

“I really love my music so the rollcage has been designed to fit around my audio system,” highlights James, pointing out the Hertz door speakers and 10in Vibe subwoofer in a custom enclosure behind the bucket seats. “It’s a great sounding setup and pretty loud too, which it needs to be, if it’s to be heard over the exhaust system!” he chuckles.

Uninspired by the car’s previous setup, James needed added aural excitement from the GT-T so decided to install an external wastegate with a bonnet-exit screamer pipe and a straight-through exhaust system with shotgun-style tailpipes.

“It’s certainly a lot louder now and sounds epic when you let off the throttle and it spits flames up the windscreen,” he smiles. “Unfortunately when I removed the downpipe to fit the wastegate, I noticed the turbo’s turbine blades were damaged.”

This was all the excuse James needed to get the turbo rebuilt by forced induction experts Midland Turbo, while at the same time improving the fuelling and ignition with larger Sard injectors, an high-flow fuel pump and Splitfire coilpacks.

“Once the engine upgrades were installed I had the ECU re-mapped by Tom Hudson at tuning gurus, Fensport in Chatteris,” James reveals. “As far as I know, the car didn’t make any more power as such, but the delivery was night and day. The turbo spooled quicker and the torque in the midrange was brutal. It’s a much quicker and more fun car to drive as a result, which is exactly why people shouldn’t get hung up on outright power figures.”

Now, for most people, this would be the end of the story, but not for James…

“I got a call from Leon at EP Racing who said he had just taken delivery of a new Sunline Racing style kit for the R34,” recalls James. “It’s a really aggressive looking kit with wide arches and was the first of its kind in Europe… I just couldn’t resist!”

James sent the kit, along with a JUN-style front bumper, to be painted before installing it himself on his driveway the day before he was due to attend the Player’s Classic show at Goodwood racecourse.

“‘It was a bit of a race against time to get it on, but it fitted really well in the end and I made the show the next day, where it’s safe to say, it got a big reaction!” he beams. “I was well chuffed with how it looked, but it’s even better now I’ve changed the rims to these 18in Work Emotion CR-2Ps.”

So surely this is end of the road for James’s fettling fetish? Well, not quite, as he has his sights set on a forged engine with top mount turbo and a tucked bay! But that’ll have to wait until another day. For now though, James can be content with what he has. It may not have an R at the end of its moniker, but by taking a step down in the Skyline hierarchy, he’s built a car that not only looks a million dollars, but puts a huge smile on his face every time he gets behind the wheel, and there’s nothing crazy about that!

Tech Spec: Tuned R34 Skyline GT-T

Engine:

2.5-litre, 6-cyl, 24v RB25DET NEO single turbo engine, HKS GT RS pro turbocharger, A’PEXi Power FC and hand controller, Blitz SUS air intake, Z32 MAF, TiAL external wastegate fitted to the exhaust housing of the turbo, Splitfire coilpacks, HKS oil filter, IHR high-capacity fuel pump, SARD bigger injectors, SARD fuel pressure regulator, large GReddy radiator, GReddy oil cooler, large GReddy intercooler, carbon coilpack cover, steel head gasket, blue and black silicone hoses, HKS downpipe, HKS elbow and custom unsilenced shotgun-style exhaust

Performance:

450bhp @ 1.4bar of boost

Transmission:

RWD with 5-speed manual gearbox with a short shifter, 80% solid gearbox mounts, Kaaz 2-way 4.1 limited slip differential, HICAS lockout bar, ORC twin-plate clutch with a lightened flywheel

Suspension:

BC Racing coilovers with adjustable dampers, Driftworks Stanceparts full air-cup kit with the air tank hidden in the boot, Japspeed tension arms, Japspeed track rod ends, Japspeed rear camber arms, front lower arms extended by 25mm

Brakes:

Skyline R34 GT-R Brembo brakes with EBC grooved and dimpled discs (front), standard discs and calipers (rear), Ferodo DS2500 pads all round, drift button on the stock handbrake, braided brake lines all round

Wheels & tyres:

9.5in18in ET 0 (front) and 10.5x18in ET 20 (rear) Work CR-2P wheels in GT Silver with polished lips and 225/35/18 (front) and 255/35/18 (rear) Achilles 123 tyres, 10mm spacers all round

Exterior:

Sunline Racing-style rear quarters, Sunline Racing-style side skirts, Sunline Racing-style front wings, Jun-style front bumper, Z-Tune-style bonnet, R34 GT-R rear bumper, rear lower diffuser, genuine Ganador mirrors, De-spoilered, rear wiper removed and blanked, R34 GT-R rear light covers, Nismo smoked side repeaters and front indicators, rear arches have been cut up and tubbed, rust proofed underside and inner wheel arches, resprayed in custom one-off purple, full undercar neons controlled via Bluetooth

Interior:

Fully stripped interior, full HDF weld-in rollcage with crossbars, door bars and gussets, Corbeau Club seats with custom low mounts and Driftworks 4-point harnesses, dash trimmed around the rollcage, fabric carpet dash mat, Blitz gearknob, outlaw drift button, Nardi small steering wheel with NRG quick release boss, Defi water temp gauge, Defi oil temp gauge, Defi gauge controller, Blitz boost gauge, A’PEXi boost controller, fire extinguisher, 10in Vibe sub in custom rear enclosure, Vibe 6x9s, Hertz front speakers, Kenwood DVD headunit, Broadway rear-view mirror, interior painted metallic silver with added glitter

Source

June 30, 2021
BAGGED S15: AIR MAX DRIFTER

Some cynics will say that a bagged S15 is borderline sacrilege. But for Tim Tremlett, bagging his drift car turned out to be the turning point that helped him rework the project for maximum impact…

Fast Car magazine. Word: Dan Bevis. Photos: Joe Austin

The old maxim that you should build your car for you rather than to please anyone else is as true today as it’s ever been. Sure, it’s nice to win trophies on the showground, to have people come up to you in petrol stations and say ‘Nice car, mate,’ and so on – but the only person you need to please is the one behind the wheel. Your car, your rules. So anyone who casts Tim Tremlett the stink-eye for shoving an air-ride system into his S15’s undercrackers can collectively wind it in: he’s done this for logical reasons. Besides, he’s definitely more of a driver than a show tart, as his motoring history demonstrates. Graduating from the default first-car Corsa (boot full of subs, we all did it) to a tramp-drift Volvo 360 back in 2009, he had an early introduction to the world of drifting. After a winter of Scandinavian skids, Tim moved on to an E30 BMW, which he shoved a bigger engine into and enjoyed slaying tyres until he was old enough to insure something he really wanted. Something Japanese and turbocharged. Specifically, a Nissan S13.

“That ended up being a daily-driver, drift car and general project for the next four years or so,” he recalls. “Over this time, it was transformed from a multi-coloured rolling shell to a fairly respectable-looking street/drift car with a red-top SR20DET. Unfortunately, as with most UK S13s, it was rust that killed that car.”

Land of the rising fun

And with the scene colourfully set, it’s time to refocus our attentions on another chapter of Japanese folklore. Those of you who’ve enjoyed the rather sublime car-chase-with-a-bit-of-plot-attached movie Ronin will be familiar with the tale of the Forty-seven Ronin. In short, it references a true story that took place in Japan in the early eighteenth century, which is held up as a key example of bushido – the samurai code of honour. A group of samurai were left leaderless when Asano Naganori, their feudal lord, was compelled to commit seppuku after an altercation with a court official named Kira Yoshinaka. The Forty-seven Ronin planned for a year, avenged their master’s death by killing Yoshinaka, then committed mass seppuku themselves. It’s a story that’s since inextricably woven itself through Japanese heritage and culture, a symbol of persistence, loyalty, sacrifice and honour.

The S15-generation Nissan Silvia shares much with this folkloric troupe. The Silvia name itself stretches way back to the CSP311 coupe that debuted at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show (under the guise of its alter ego, the Datsun Coupe 1500), and has graced a plethora of iconic models, from the wilfully odd Group B 240 RS rally cars to the ubiquitous S13 and S14 driftmobiles that enjoy such popularity in retro circles today. But the S15, the last of the line, was the model that saw the S-platform orphaned, abandoned, deemed superfluous by a corporate decision to streamline and update. After generations of loyalty to the platform, the Silvia was left without its feudal lord, condemned to stalk the lands and seek its honorific vengeance.

…and not many lands, either. As well as being chopped down in stature to meet the dimensions of the Japanese government’s ‘compact class’ – something which had been hurting S14 sales – the S15 suffered the ignominy of not being a widely-exported model, only being officially sold in Japan, Australia and New Zealand (although grey imports abounded everywhere else, of course). So, who is the S15 Silvia seeking to exact its vengeance upon?

Well, in the case of this particular example, the answer could well be tyres – but more specifically, let’s just say high-octane fuel. Tim was fully enamoured with the manner in which his S13 skidded about with wilful abandon, and it was time to level up to the true Ronin-hearted S15. “When I realised that my S13 was beyond repair due to the amount of rust on the shell and chassis, it seemed like natural progression to get an S15,” he reasons. “I’d actually decided to move away from drifting by this point, the costs of running and repairs were sucking the fun out of it and I really just wanted a car that I could enjoy driving, instead of constantly repairing. I had always dreamed of owning an S15, although a Spec R was still out of my price range. I decided my best option was to buy a Spec S and convert it myself, using the SR20DET from my old S13.”

A masterful plan indeed, and Tim began making inroads into the process of importing a stock Spec S auto from Japan; however, in a happy flash of serendipity, it transpired that Marshall at MnM Engineering had recently imported a manual Spec S in Pearl White for a customer who ended up not buying it. It was just what Tim was looking for, being completely mint and totally stock aside from some Cusco coilvers and WedsSport wheels – so he swooped in and scooped it up.

“The first thing I did was to replace the alloys with a set of 7Twenty Style 49s and wind the coilovers down,” he says. “After about a month of accumulating parts, I pulled the SR20DE engine out and replaced it with the red-top SR20DET from my S13. The swap was fairly straightforward and it all went smoothly, and within a few weeks it was back on the road – now with the power to match the looks! I was absolutely in love with the car, it was perfect. Apart from one thing…”

The speck of sand in the ointment here was the suspension: while Cusco coilovers are unquestionably a quality choice, Tim’s increasing move away from track-based hijinks meant that having a low-slung panscraper didn’t really fit in with how he was using the car. In order to have the car as low as he wanted, he was having to sacrifice just a little too much comfort and driveability, and this situation was (both figuratively and literally) beginning to grate. “I spend a lot of time driving the car on country roads around where I live,” he says, “and I knew that if I didn’t do something about the ride height, the underside of the bagged S15 would soon resemble my old, rotten S13.

Obviously raising the car wasn’t an option. So I opted for air suspension.”

You see, when he puts it like that, it’s perfectly reasonable. And once again, the spectre of serendipity was there to provide a helping hand: “I put together my own air suspension kit using the shocks, bags and tank from Ksport that, surprisingly, I found for sale on Driftworks,” he continues. “I replaced the Ksport manifold and controller with Air Lift V2 management, which is miles better. Yes, I was unsure about the air suspension idea at first, but in hindsight it was the best decision I made for the car – I can now drive it as low as I want without sacrificing my spine, I can raise it up for speedbumps, and I can drive fast on country roads without ripping the exhaust off! It transformed the S15 from ‘cool-looking but essentially useless’ to a perfect all-rounder.”

Bagged S15: Silvia lining

That really does sound like the sort of transformation you want to achieve; after all, there’s no point building a cool car if it’s just going to become a pretty ornament. (Well, unless that was your aim in the first place – but that’s a very different thing.) The bagged S15 became properly usable, and Tim continued to refine the platform to accentuate this. The old suspension arms were replaced with 7Twenty items, all the ageing bushes were renewed, a set of Whiteline ARBs was stirred into the mix, and he swapped in a helical LSD. “I also worked on styling the car to get it to look exactly how I wanted,” he says. “It came with the Aero sideskirts and spoiler, which was a massive bonus; I then added the DC2 Integra front lip, Origin roof spoiler, and ultimately replaced the Aero spoiler with a 326 Power Luxhane spoiler. Less-is-more has always been my way of thinking when modifying cars – I’ve never been one to just slap a load of parts on a car for the sake of modifying it.”

This economy of addition has paid dividends, as the finished result strikes just the right tone. This is also true of the interior, with a keen focus on usability; the seats have been replaced with Supra-sourced ‘confetti’ Recaros up front and a leather S14 bench in the back, and there’s a pleasingly tactile Nardi wheel. And all of this has led to the bagged S15 being reinvented as exactly the sort of car Tim had always hoped it’d be. “For now, I’m pretty content with it,” he smiles. “There are probably a few little things that I might change up over time; for example, I’d like to upgrade the turbo to a 2871R or similar at some point. I also plan on stripping and refreshing the whole underside of the car next winter, if I can find somewhere warm and dry to work on it. But the main plan is just to enjoy owning and driving it. I spent the first few years getting the car to look and perform how I wanted, now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of my labour.”

That’s what it’s all about, really. Form and function in perfect harmony, built on a strong bedrock of driver enjoyment and engagement. And yes, some haters will make snarky comments about the bagged S15, but it’s really none of their business. Tim built this car for Tim. It’s everything it needs to be.

Tech Spec: Bagged S15

Engine:

SR20DET straight-cam red-top (from 180SX), fully rebuilt (with Cosworth head gasket, ARP bolts, new piston rings, bearings, all gaskets etc), Kinugawa TD05 18G turbo, Nismo 555cc injectors, Z32 air flow meter, A’PEXi dual-funnel intake, GReddy front-mount intercooler, full Japspeed exhaust system (manifold, elbow, super-low twin downpipe, decat, twin 3-inch shotguns), A’PEXi Power FC standalone management, S15 Spec S 5-speed manual, ACT HD organic street clutch, ACT lightened flywheel, S15 Spec R helical rear differential

Power:

320-330bhp (est.)

Chassis:

9.5×18-inch ET18 (front) and 10.5×18-inch ET15 (rear) 7Twenty Style 49 wheels in custom chrome powdercoat (or Style 57 in matte anodised bronze), 20mm front spacers, 215/35 Nankang NS2s (front) and 245/35 Uniroyal RainSport 3s (rear), Project Mu brake pads, Ksport Airtech shocks and bags, Air Lift V2 management, Viair 444cc compressor, Ksport 5-gallon tank, 20mm-extended front lower control arms, 7Twenty front tension rods, Whiteline front and rear anti-roll bars

Interior:

Recaro ‘confetti’ front seats (from Toyota Supra), leather S14 rear bench, Nardi Classic 330mm steering wheel, GReddy 60mm electronic boost gauge, GReddy Profec B Spec 2 boost controller, AEM air/fuel ratio gauge

Exterior:

Aero sideskirts, Aero rear spats, Integra DC2 front lip, Dmax 50/50 rear lights (tinted full red), 326 Power Luxhane boot spoiler, Origin roof spoiler, Nismo tinted side repeaters, front and rear arches rolled and slightly pulled

Source

May 26, 2021
NISSAN Z-CARS: A HISTORY OF THE SPORTS CARS

The Datsun 240Z is the great grandfather of today’s Japanese performance cars, and its arrival – amazingly over 50 years ago – heralded a range of successful Nissan Z-cars that did much to establish the marque as a global player, by making reliability cool, especially when attached to power, handling, value for money and panache. And that’s no thanks to George Bernard Shaw… Here’s a history of Nissan Z-cars.

Words: Nigel Fryatt.

Check out the basic specification of the original Datsun 240Z and you can be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed; a two seater, rear-wheel drive sports car with a six cylinder in-line engine more likely to be found in a lorry, designed especially for chubby Americans, and built to be sold cheap. Add to that the fact that all versions could have been called the Nissan Fairlady Z, thanks to the then company boss being infatuated by the George Bernard Shaw musical My Fair Lady believing therefore that ‘fairlady’ was an English word denoting the height of elegance and glamour, and it would have been hard to predict the Z’s prodigious sales success and enduring attraction.

Nissan Z-Cars: Datsun 240Z

You can also add a complex and muddled gestation period that many years later led to US-based German automotive designer Albrecht Goertz taking legal action against the mighty Nissan, to get his part in the 240Z’s story officially recognised, after he had seemingly been erased from the car’s history. Japanese car companies tend to be reluctant to give credit to outsiders, preferring a car’s design to have been a team effort from within the company. Goertz, however, worked as a consultant for the then fledgling Nissan between 1963 and 1965, when they were looking to design a new sports car. He helped produce working prototypes, in association with Yamaha, and it was his influence that suggested the car should be matched directly against the Jaguar E-type and Porsche 911. He also pointed out to the then somewhat naïve Japanese design team that if this car was aimed at America it needed to fit two (possibly well-built) occupants of over 6ft and it needed to do that in comfort, which demanded a significantly bigger interior than was usual for the more compact Japanese physique. The Nissan-Yamaha prototype Goertz worked on was actually shelved in 1965, yet much – including the overall look – was transferred to the new model that arrived in Japan in 1969, launched as the Nissan Fairlady Z.

This new sports car was aimed directly at the US, yet Nissan was nervous that if it failed to be a success it would reflect badly on the company, and so it was decided to use the brand name Datsun on all export models; presumably Western customers would obviously be too daft to know it was built by Nissan. Anecdotal evidence also claims that the President of Nissan US, Yutaka Katayama, stopped the first models that arrived in America from being delivered to dealers until all the ‘Fairlady’ badges were removed and the cars became known simply by the model name, 240Z.

Katayama’s actions were not always well received by the more conservative executives back in Japan and he was accused of having ‘gone native’ and become too American! However, he knew how to sell cars, what the American market wanted and he knew the 240Z was perfect. The relatively simple 2393cc carburetored ohc six cylinder engine developed 150bhp, it handled like a sports car, it was comfortable and roomy (thanks to Goertz), ultra-reliable and cheap as a Big Mac and fries… The US launch price was around $3500, at the time, that was half the price of a Porsche 911. It would accelerate to 60mph in around eight seconds, which was competitive with the Porsche and top out at 120mph, admittedly slightly less than the equivalent Jaguar E-type’s 140 maximum speed, but did we mention the 240Z was very reliable? And cheap.

To boost sales, Katayama, who became known in US motoring circles as “Mr K”, put the 240Z on the race track immediately it arrived, where it won the well-respected 1970/71 season SCCA National Championship. After arriving in Europe, the 240Z also went international rallying, won many supporters (especially on British forest stages) due to the tail-happy, mud splattering handling characteristics on the loose, and the 240Z’s toughness and reliability saw it win the highly prestigious East African Safari Rally in 1971, repeating that victory two years later.

When the 240Z came to the end of its production run in 1973, nearly 200,000 had been built, with over 70 per cent of them sold in the US. Yutaka Katayama had proved he knew his market, although he continued to annoy the bosses back in Japan until he was eventually persuaded to take early retirement, only to reappear later in the Z story, since the tale had only just begun…

Bigger, fatter, but better Nissan Z-cars?

It’s an incontrovertible law that everything in America gets bigger and fatter eventually and that can be said of the 240Z, which from 1974 to 1978 grew to be a 2+2 GT rather than a sprightly two seater. Interestingly when some manufacturers produce a 2+2 coupe from an existing design, they work from the existing overall dimensions and concentrate on refiguring the interior space, Nissan actually increased the wheelbase by nearly a foot, kept the front section as was, and completely redesigned the rear. For the 260 and 280Z that didn’t upset the car’s lines too much, but does perhaps help to explain the rather ungainly looks of later models.

Bigger did mean more weight, and despite engine mods that included Bosch fuel injection available from 1975, the weight and US Emission laws meant that in the States the car was now more GT Tourer, less outright sports car. Nevertheless it still managed to keep its nose in front on the race track. In 1975, a privately entered 260Z became the first Japanese car to race at Le Mans, admittedly not that successfully, but it makes a great quiz question. Actor, and serious racer, Paul Newman took his 280Z to the 1976 SCCA National production class championship and forged a long-term racing career with the Japanese company.

When the 280ZX arrived in 1978, a rather low key launch from Nissan had people asking ‘what’s new?’ Certainly it looked much the same, when in fact it was a new car from the ground up. Now much bulkier than the original 240Z concept, it was more luxurious, quieter and softer riding, all the things demanded by the dominant American market. It came as a two seater and 2+2, then with the ‘T-bar’ roof version. For the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show we got to see the 280ZX 2+2 TT, which was a T-bar and turbocharged. The turbo version originally was only available as an automatic as Nissan didn’t believe the manual gearbox could cope with all that power – around 180bhp. This 280ZX Turbo model never made it to Britain, such was the demand in the US, but even over there, times were changing with the big Detroit manufacturers swapping the ubiquitous V8s for smaller V6 units. Nissan followed suit, taking the V6 from its ‘Tokyo Taxi’ Cedric saloon; for export markets this was in 3-litre normally aspirated and turbocharged formats.

Nissan Z-Cars: Nissan 300ZX

This engine pointed to the future, but everyone accepted that the overall ‘look’ of the latest Z-car had fulfilled its potential and a new model was sorely needed; enter the 300ZX in 1984.

Brave new world for Z-Cars

Now the Eighties were a problem for many; we gained ‘disco’ music, big hair, odd clothes and confused car design. To this author’s eye, the first series 300ZX is a great example of all that was wrong with Eighties’ design; a confusion of straight lines and curves, exacerbated by ghastly, seemingly unnecessary trim, topped off with equally unnecessary but legally demanded impact bumpers. While the looks were questionable for some, it didn’t lack performance. Autocar magazine took a 2+2 UK spec turbo model and managed a 0-60mph in just over seven seconds and a 137mph top speed, which for a weighty car with only 230bhp available, is impressive. The Datsun brand name was dropped at this time and so this became the first Nissan Z-car in all markets (thankfully, the Fairlady moniker stayed just for Japan). It kept selling, so you can’t blame Nissan for plugging along with a design which, while still kept a nod to the original Z car was beginning to look very outdated; but things changed from 1990 when western markets got the all-new 300ZX.

If you compare the profiles of a series one and series two 300ZX, you can see the resemblance, yet everything changed. Everything. The only commonality between the two was the displacement of the engine; still 3-litre, but now DOHC, with variable valve timing. Twin Garrett turbochargers were available, with dual intercoolers and this model could summon up 300bhp, 0-60mph was in the five to six second bracket and it would bust a 155mph top speed. There was even the option of four-wheel steering on the top spec model. What’s more it looked good, if a tad conservative. Available as a two-seater, 2+2 and even a full convertible but, and there’s always a but, it came at a cost. The successful Z-car value-for-money motif could no longer be linked to the new 300ZX. Competition was stronger, SUVs were becoming the ‘must have’ vehicle, which when added to a relatively high price in the main export area of America, saw sales drop and the last 300ZX was imported into the US in the 1996 model year, where it was taken to the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Despite losing its main market, the 300ZX continued for a couple more years in Japan to achieve close to a decade of sales. You could have been forgiven for thinking, however, that it would be the very last of the Nissan Z-cars.

Nissan Z-Cars: Nissan 350Z

Towards the end of the 1990s, Nissan was in financial trouble; sales had fallen, the SUV era hadn’t brought it the necessary riches; in truth, Nissans were boring. Within the company, however, the Z-car was still held with much regard. Nissan started an official classic restoration scheme in the US, buying old 240Zs, restoring them and selling them back to the market. Laudable, but fruitless and certainly not cost effective. But then at the 1999 North American Auto Show, a concept 240Z appeared. In its bright burnt orange colour scheme it had the soul of the original, and it had “Mr K”, former President of Nissan US in its corner, supportive, enthusiastic and influential as ever. The decision to build, however, came from an unlikely source. Renault bought a major shareholding in Nissan, basically saving the company and the man charged with leading this new partnership, Carlos Ghosn, announced that they would be building a new 240Z, and it would be profitable. Ghosn’s achievements with the Renault-Nissan conglomerate are impressive, which makes his more recent extraordinary fall from grace and clandestine ‘escape’ from Japan, where he faces numerous charges brought by Nissan, all the more dramatic. Whatever the charges against him from Nissan may be, he certainly made the decision that kept the Z-car alive and in 2002, we all fell in love with the 350Z.

A squat, rounded and sexy two-seater, the design matched the age. Aimed, in the US, to compete directly with the Porsche Boxster in terms of performance and all-important price, the launch models had the 3.5-litre V6, but there were numerous options including the Nismo (Nissan’s in-house performance and motorsport division had been established in 1984, but for many in Europe, until the 350Z, it was a relatively unknown concern). The car arrived at a perfect time when Japanese performance cars were booming, the modification industry was exploding and the 350Z seemed to cover all the bases. 2005 was celebrated with the 35th Anniversary Edition models, complete with a revised engine management system that allowed, even encouraged drivers to hit the 7000rpm redline. It even became a film star when a modified 350Z took centre stage in the highly successful franchise Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, introducing the Z-car format to a completely new generation.

Nissan Z-Cars: Nissan 370Z

The 370Z model arrived for the 2009 model year. Its 3.7-litre engine displacement version was tested by the American Motor Trend magazine where it achieved a 4.7-second 0-60mph time, making it the fastest production Z-car ever built. We now had six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Early in 2020, we were even able to buy a 50th Anniversary edition 370Z, the BRE, a model that paid homage to on one of the original 240Z race teams, Brock Racing Enterprises; a racing heritage that can span five decades is a major achievement, as is the longevity of the 370Z, which has been on sale, with very few significant updates since 2009. Nissan has been reluctant to end production, despite sales having been low for many years. The reason? The Z Proto or 400Z. Sadly, here in the UK, we won’t be getting the upcoming addition to the Nissan Z-Cars family, but we’ve put together a little guide to the upcoming Z model here.

Feature first appeared in Fast Car magazine.

Source

May 17, 2021