Nissan Zed marks 50 with 370 Anniversary
The Nissan Zed car reaches its big 5-0 - no better way to celebrate than with a retro special
While it may sometimes feel like the current Nissan 370Z has itself been on sale for 50 years, there have of course been many iterations of Nissan Zed car since the 240Z first emerged in 1969. It was revealed at the New York show of that year in fact, so there's no better place to pull the covers off this latest special edition five decades later.
The 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition is described as celebrating "the history of the model and its racing heritage, both of which have played a vital role in helping making Nissan what it is today." Which would explain how this car looks, the paint scheme evoking the Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) 240Z that was so successful in various SCCA races in the 1970s. That means white with red boot, bonnet, roof, mirrors and stripes, or silver with black accents. See as well the 50th Anniversary badges, because it's not a special edition without badges.
And, er, well, that's kind of it. Based on the 370Z Sport in the US, the 50th uses the venerable 3.7-litre V6 that's powered the model since launch, with 328hp and 268lb ft. Suspension, gearbox, wheels, brakes, tyres and interior (bar some badges and Alcantara) are carried over unchanged as well. Far be it from us to be the arbiters of what makes a good 50th anniversary sports car, but it does seem a bit of a shame that a little more effort couldn't have been expended on marking such a significant occasion.
Launched as a 2020 model, the 50th Anniversary Zed will likely be available in the States soon - there's no word yet on any UK availability. As you may well remember, there's a GT-R 50th anniversary on the way too, so perhaps that'll be a more enticing prospect. Until then, for some Zed car excitement, here's a 240Z BRE onboard - seems apt, given this 370 pays homage to it. And, well, it doesn't sound bad, either...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff