Wow, forty years? Has it really been that long since Nissan (then Datsun) rolled out the Z Car? Indeed it has, and as you would expect, they have a special anniversary edition to help celebrate. Through the years, the Z has seen as many twists and turns as a mountain road. It started out as a pretty good, if spare sportscar. In between now and then, it would get fatter then skinnier; more luxurious and more of a boulevardier; from straight to vee engines, with and without turbos.
So we are, forty years on, we’re still here, cars are still here, and the Nissan Z is still here. What does the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition have to offer?
Of course, the gets special paint and badges and exterior stuff. Specifically it features 40th Quartz paint and “high-luster” smoke 19-inch Rays wheels. It also has red brake calipers as well as special 40th anniversary badges on front strut tower brace and on the rear hatch.
The interior features red leather seats with special 40th anniversary embroidering and matching embroidered floor mats. There’s also red leather stitching on the center console stack and it also has a commemorative plaque. To top the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition off, it comes with its own special satin car cover.
And the special bits and pieces for the chassis and drivetrain? None. There’s no big turbos or coilovers or any of that. Apart from the special wheels, there’s nothing about the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition that is going to improve its performance. Yes, I realize there are costs to be considered and all that, but still, if you’re going to make a “special” edition, why don’t you do something to make it actually special other than the badges?
(Update Dec 9, 2009) Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced pricing for the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition, which is scheduled to go on sale in early spring 2010. Created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Datsun 240Z, the 40th Anniversary Edition starts with the 370Z Touring model equipped with Sport Package and 6-speed manual transmission then adds unique special equipment. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price* (M.S.R.P.) is $38,860 USD. The 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition will be limited to 1,000 units.
Source: The Garage Blog
Here is a website for the Z cars. As they turn 40 on Oct 22nd! I gives a bit more of a rundown of the life of the car. Hope it helps.
http://www.nissannews.com/newsrelease.do?id=915&mid=1
You neglected to mention what the first model was. Was it the Datsun 240Z? My friend had one and it was sweet. I drove it once, in the nineties, and it was still impressive. It would be fun to do a comparison between the original Z car and a current model. I’d love to see photos of them next to each other.