Z-Car Blog » Spy Shots

Mercedes-Benz Powered Nissan Z?

Alvin G — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:11:41 +0000

This was brought to my attention earlier this week. Could this really happen? Speculation?

When it was announced that Nissan/Renault was partnering with Daimler-Benz, we didn’t have a clue as to how close this relationship would be. We’re now hearing that it will be quite close, with the two companies planning to extensively share platforms and engines. The first reports from Japan suggested that the next-generation Infiniti G sedan and coupe, as well as future M sedans, will be built on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform. Then came more interesting news: how this relationship would affect the 370Z.

What do you think? Read the rest of the article here

40th Anniversary 370z Available Spring 2010

Forbes — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:01:20 +0000

Nissan has a history of releasing anniversary Z cars the new 370z 40th Anniversary is the most current offering. The official 40th Anniversary in the United States is on October 22nd (which is why I waited until today to post this.) Happy anniversary old friend!!!

From Nissan (full lengthy press release after the read more):

About the Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition The 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition starts out as a 370Z Coupe Touring model equipped with manual transmission and Sport Package (including SynchroRev Match, front chin spoiler, rear spoiler, Nissan Sport Brakes, 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels and viscous limited-slip differential) and adds a premium “40th Quartz” exterior color and red leather-appointed interior.

Additional exclusive equipment includes a high-luster smoke wheel finish, red brake calipers and 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and front strut tower brace. Inside, along with the red leather-appointed seats are red door panel inserts, 40th Anniversary seatback and floormat embroidery, red stitching on the center stack, shift boot and kneepads, smooth leather steering wheel with red stitching and a plaque of authenticity. Every 40th Anniversary Z also comes with a commemorative premium satin car cover.

I’ll be holding my judgment on the car until I see one in person. Sometimes these special editions are just a base model car with special badges on them and other times they are worth the $5k+ premium because they pull on your heart strings. We’ll soon see. Let me know what you think in the comments if you so desire, I’m always interested to hear from all of you.

Nissan Press Release:

Nissan Celebrates Four Decades of Sports Car Leadership With New, Limited Edition 370Z “40th Anniversary” Model

Forty Years After the Debut of the Original Datsun 240Z, the Iconic Z Continues to Capture the Imagination and Passion of Sports Car Enthusiasts Worldwide

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Oct. 15, 2009) – The 25th anniversary is silver, the 50th is gold. And the 40th? Another precious metal, or more correctly metal, rubber and glass – the Nissan Z. Forty years ago, on October 22, 1969, the Datsun 240Z arrived in North America, heralding a new era in sports car design.

Where previous sports cars were primarily a.) imported from England or Germany b.) expensive c.) fragile or unreliable or d.) all of the above, the new import from Japan offered the performance of a Porsche, the looks of a Jaguar and the price and reliability of, well, a Nissan. The 240Z was a revelation to the automotive world – an affordable sports car that could be driven every day and was accessible to anyone with the $3,626 base price.

And though the price of a new Z might have changed a little in the past 40 years, its unmatched value, style, performance and segment leadership remains stronger than ever. To celebrate, Nissan has created a special, limited production version of the current 2010 Nissan 370Z Coupe, the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition. It will be available at select Nissan dealers nationwide beginning in spring 2010.

“Throughout the history of the automobile, a rare handful of cars stand apart as vehicles that not only capture the imagination of the world but also embody the essence of the automaker’s brand, engineering and ideals. The Z is just such a vehicle,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc.

Changing Times – Literally When the original Datsun 240Z debuted as a 1970 model, its design and performance were considered state-of-the-art: a 150-horsepower 2.4-liter single overhead cam inline 6-cylinder engine, 4-wheel independent suspension, 14-inch wheels, choice of a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission, and a quarter-mile acceleration time of 17.1 seconds at 84.5 miles per hour. The 240Z was conceived as a closed coupe body, rather than the typical open-top sports cars of the age, to enhance body rigidity and, therefore, improve handling and durability.

Needless to say, a lot has changed. Today’s definition of state-of-the-art, as expressed in the sixth generation Nissan 370Z, includes a 332-horsepower 3.7-liter dual overhead cam V6 engine with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift), lightweight 4-wheel independent suspension with extensive use of aluminum components, available 19-inch super lightweight forged alloy wheels, choice of 6-speed manual transmission with innovative SynchroRev Match or refined 7-speed automatic and independent quarter-mile acceleration times of 13.5 seconds at 106.6 miles per hour. And today, the recently introduced 370Z Roadster – with its automatic-operation fully lined cloth top, offers nearly the same body rigidity and performance as the rock-solid 370Z Coupe.

Also, where the 240Z offered what many considered “luxuries” in a sports car – including roll-up windows and radio, today’s 370Z is offered with items such as Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Start, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, XM Satellite Radio and an advanced Nissan Hard Drive Navigation System with touch-screen, XM NavTraffic Real-Time Traffic Information and NavWeather (XM subscription required, sold separately), Zagat restaurant guide, 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for digital music storage and playback and a USB fort for iPod connectivity.

Pricing of the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition will be announced closer to its on-sale date next spring. A Brief History: Six Generations of Z The journey from the original 240Z to the current 370Z, of course, made a number of interesting stops along the past 40 years. Interestingly, the 240Z might not have made the journey to America in the first place, if not for the efforts of one man.

Though many, many people were responsible for the design and engineering of the first generation 240Z, its success in North America can be attributed to Yutaka Katayama, who was president of Nissan’s U.S. operations at the time. Known affectionately as “Mr. K,” he was convinced that the company’s new sports car design would be a hit in the U.S. There was just one problem – the vehicle’s name: the Fairlady Z (which is still used in the Japanese market today).

With a name change for this market to “240Z” and some aggressive marketing, including early motorsports success, the Z became an instant hit – bringing attention and buyers not just to Z, but also to the entire brand.

After overseeing Nissan’s growth in the U.S. in the ’70s, Katayama returned to Japan and remains, to this day, linked to the Z’s success here and around the world. On September 15th, 2009, Mr. K celebrated his 100th birthday and received cards and birthday greetings from Z lovers everywhere.

In 1974, as the engine displacement climbed to 2.6 liters the name changed to 260Z. The 2+2 model with an extended roofline and tiny back seat also appeared. In 1975, engine size increased again to 2.8 liters and the name changed to 280Z. Z cars continued to dominate on the racetrack, with Pete Brock, John Morton, Bob Sharp and P.L. (Paul) Newman among the many talented drivers.

Z sales continued to climb with the introduction in 1979 of the new second generation 280ZX. Now priced at just under $10,000, the 280ZX was named Motor Trend “Import Car of the Year” and sales passed 86,000 units. T-tops and a turbocharged engine followed in the early ’80s.

In 1984, Z engine displacement increased again, with a 3.0-liter V6 replacing the classic Z inline-6, and the 300ZX was born. Also, a specially equipped model celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary and priced at $25,999 was introduced. The 1984 Z was the best selling sports car in America.

The next breakthrough in Z history came in 1990 with the arrival of the totally redesigned, fourth generation 300ZX. Offered in two-seat and four-seat 2+2 models, it offered an unheard of 222 horsepower and a top speed of 150 mph. A few months later, the 300ZX Turbo followed – with 300 horsepower, a 160-mph top speed and a $33,000 price tag.

The 1990 300ZX captured the Z’s second Motor Trend “Import Car of the Year” award, along with a spot on Car and Driver and Road & Track “10 Best” lists. The 300ZX also captured Automobile’s “Design of the Year” and the first of four “All-Stars” awards.

By the mid-’90s, however, sports car sales in general were slowing and the Z had lost its “affordable” sports car positioning. With Z sales declining sharply and the core “value” positioning no longer part of the “Z DNA,” sales of the Z in the U.S. slumped and sales were stopped following the 1996 model year. The last 300ZX imported into the U.S. was inducted into the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

The next chapter of the Z history came just before the end of the century. In 1999, Nissan and Renault formed what has become the highly successful Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Mr. Carlos Ghosn was assigned by Renault to head the new management team. Among his first tasks was not just to look at the business aspects, but to find the “soul” of the company. In interview after interview, people inside and outside the company brought up one model to him, one letter: Z.

Development of the new Z began later that year, with the return to the values of the original 240Z – a car that sports car enthusiasts would look forward to driving everyday; quick, inspiring and affordable.

In summer 2002, the Z was reborn with the introduction of the 2003 350Z. It was delivered, as promised, with an MSRP of under $30,000.

Following the 350Z’s unprecedented success, the sixth generation Z, the 2009 370Z was launched last December. Now the little sports car that could comes full circle with the announcement of the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition.

“It’s almost inconceivable that it has been 40 years since the original 240Z changed the course of Nissan and the concept of affordable, everyday sports cars,” said Castignetti. “In a year, 1969, marked by the first man to walk on the moon, the 240Z made a remarkable first step of its own. Happy anniversary, Z.”

370z Convertible Unveiled Tonight in New York

Forbes — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:00:46 +0000

The new convertible looks amazing. There I said it. It is being released in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show tonight at 7pm EST, 4pm PST. Nissan North America will be hosting a web cast for those who can’t make it to the live event. The web cast will take place on www.Nissan370zNY.com for anyone interested. Check it out and enjoy the new convertible!!

Infiniti Hybrid Luxury Super Coupe Concept

Forbes — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:26:03 +0000

I love seeing new concept cars. This one especially peaked my interest because it is a Nissan product. I’ve been sitting on these photos for some time as this car was released at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. Nissan is going to be taking the Infiniti brand name to Europe for the first time and was looking to make a splash with the “Essence” concept.

The drivetrain of the Essence concept is what intrigues me the most so far. Power comes from a twin turbo’d, direct fuel injection, 3.7L V6 that has been paired with a newly designed electric motor called the ‘3D Motor.’

Infiniti press release excerpt:

Essence previews a new type of electric motor, called 3D Motor, that was designed to meet tough requirements on size and power output. The result is a particularly slim, disk-shaped motor that has twice the torque of a conventional unit. Its design was achieved by 3D magnetic field analysis to optimize the layout of the electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets.

In Essence, the motor is positioned between the engine and transmission and provides 160PS (158bhp), drawing power from a compact lithium-ion battery pack in the boot area. Because the 3D Motor operates in both propulsion and power regeneration modes, the battery pack is kept charged up.

With the 3D Motor putting out 158hp, and the 3.7L V6 putting out 434hp, the Essence nears the 600hp mark at the crankshaft. I’ll take two please.

The exterior design is that of a very liquid and flowing 2 door coupe/hatch. I can’t help but think that there is some sort of homage paid to the early Z Car with the sloping hatch and C-pillar design, call me crazy. In the end I really like the design and execution of the Essence and I wouldn’t be surprised if we started to see some of this technology and a few of these design cues in forth-coming Infiniti models. Traditionalists may not approve, Rob, but that’s why it’s a concept.

I would like to thank Autoblog.com for the photos and some of the info on the Essence concept. If you would like to read the entire press release make sure that you click the link below to the Autoblog post.

Autoblog.com Infiniti Essence Concept post

370z With R35 GT-R Wheels at Z Car Garage

Forbes — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:41:07 +0000

By now everyone knows that Z Car Garage just hosted an awesome event on the Follow The Nissan Z tour and we took the chance to try out a new wheel option. The obvious choice are the R35 GT-R wheels that we have off our shop GT-R. They fit perfectly which could make this the hot ticket when the 370z hits market. Check it out

This car was brought to our shop by our friends at GO370Z.com and Nissan Sport magazine. Check out their sites.