Nissan's newest Z looks back half a century and skips Europe entirely
The seventh-generation Nissan Z borrows its overall shape and round running lights from the 1969 240Z, and a 2026 facelift added a front bumper inspired by that original car. Yet European buyers, including in Britain, cannot get one. Strict emissions and noise rules kept it out of those markets altogether.
Hints came early. In 2018 Nissan's design chief Alfonso Albaisa told the Australian magazine WhichCar that a successor to the 370Z was under way. A trademark for a new Z logo followed in March 2020, a teaser video in May confirmed the retro styling, and the Z Proto concept appeared on 15 September 2020. The production car was revealed in New York on 17 August 2021, presented by Cody Walker, brother of the late actor Paul Walker.
Underneath, it is an evolution rather than a clean sheet. The platform, manual gearbox and basic architecture come from the 370Z, and chief product specialist Hiroshi Tamura said roughly 80 per cent of the body parts were changed while carryover pieces kept the price affordable. Power comes from a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 shared with Infiniti's Red Sport 400, rated at 400 horsepower, and buyers can choose the six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic built under licence from a Mercedes-Benz design.
Production began in April 2022, but parts shortages pushed deliveries to late that year. American prices started at 41,015 dollars, and a launch run called the Proto Spec, finished in black and yellow with bronze wheels, was limited to 240 cars. Racing driver Tsugio Matsuda helped shape the cabin, which has three analogue gauges for boost, turbo speed and battery voltage.
A harder-edged Z Nismo was revealed on 1 August 2023, and the 2026 update gave it a manual option and front brakes from the GT-R.
Source: Nissan Z (RZ34)
