300ZX

Nissan 300ZX Details

The Nissan 300ZX, also known as the Nissan Fairlady Z is a sports car produced by Nissan Motor Company. It comprises the third and fourth generations of Nissan's Z-car line-up, respectively given the chassis designations Z31 and Z32.
The Z31 chassis designation was first introduced in 1983 as a 1984 model and the third-generation Datsun/Nissan Z-car. The car was designated as a Datsun/Nissan 300ZX in its 1984 premiere, but the Datsun badge was dropped in 1985 when Nissan standardised their brand name worldwide. The car was designed by Kazumasu Takagi and his team of developers, and featured a new, more aerodynamic body than its 280ZX predecessor. It also had a more powerful line-up of V6 engines instead of the old I6 used in the 280ZX.
Due to its quickly aging design, the Z31 body was slightly restyled in 1986 with the addition of side skirts, and removal of the hood scoop for a much smoother look. The old fiberglass spoiler was replaced with a more durable plastic one, and a third brake-light was incorporated within the unit for safety. The car was given a final makeover in 1987 that included more aerodynamic bumpers, fog lamps within the front air dam, and replacement of the sealed beam style headlights with more modern 9004 bulb based lights. The "300ZX" reflector in the rear was replaced by a narrow set of tail lights running the entire width of the car, and a 3rd brake-light located on the top of the rear hatch. The car continued selling until 1989 and sold more than any other Z car made to date with over 70,000 units sold in 1985 alone. In 1990, Nissan replaced this very successful car with the Z32, and was a complete redesign version of the Z31. It was also titled the 300ZX because it retained a 3-litre engine.
The Z32 was a complete redesign. It featured a naturally aspirated engine rated at 222 hp, and a top-of-the-line Twin-Turbo version rated at 300 hp (224 kW) at 9.5 psi (66 kPa) of boost through two intercoolers. A naturally aspirated convertible model was also introduced in 1993.
The Z32 300ZX Turbo was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list every year it was available, from 1990 through 1996. The Z32 Turbo was also Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1990. It was critically acclaimed by many magazines as being a complete turnaround from the Z31, which many critics felt was a sloppy-handling GT, far from the agile, sporty 240Z of years past. From the year it was introduced, it won many comparison tests against similar Japanese sports cars such as the Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth and the Mazda RX-7, as well as the Chevrolet Corvette, Toyota Supra and the Porsche 968. (edit this text)