Even though it has a lot of fans, the Nissan 300ZX still isn’t as famous as the Datsun 240Z that started it all. But this was still one of the most impressive cars you could buy in the 80s and 90s. Nostalgia kicked in hard, and we want to see what the legendary VG-powered sports car would have looked like if it were produced as a 2023 model, not a 1990 one.
To make that happen, YouTuber/car designer TheSketchMonkey did one of his usual modernized renderings. At the start of the process, you’re going to be skeptical about the redesign, but by the end, you’ll be completely sold and more in love with the 300ZX than you’ve ever been.
As you may have already noticed, the rear end of the 2023 Nissan Z sports car looks a lot like that of the 300ZX. It’s flat with that retro taillight design. But the achievements of this iconic Nissan are more significant than that.
300ZX: the history lesson
There are two cars named the 300ZX. The first generation was made from 1983 to 1989, and we’re talking here about the second model called the Z32. It was made from 1989 to 2000 but we’re going to call it the 1990 model year to clear away some of the confusion.
The Z32 retained the base engine from the previous generation, a 3.0-liter V6 now fitted with DOHC and variable valve timing that produced 222 horsepower. However, the version everybody remembers is the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 dubbed the VG30DETT. This had two Garrett parallel turbos and dual intercoolers, lifting the total output to 300 hp.
The 300ZX also came with rear-wheel steering. It’s amazing that Nissan had this car on sale since 1990. The Fox Body Mustang was still around, and the only reason the Z32 isn’t as famous as the GT-R Skyline is that it’s not rare.
The 300ZX cutting-edge headlight
Compared to the Z31, this 1990 300ZX was wider and rounder with fewer sharp edges. In the 1980s, designer Toshio Yamashita even traveled to the United States to figure out what buyers wanted and came up with the idea of aerodynamic headlights which fit perfectly between the hood and bumper.
These had an extreme rake of 60 degrees, and once the 300ZX came out, Lamborghini was so impressed that it bought them under license. That’s right, the Lamborghini Diabo had these Nissan headlights after the 1999 facelift. The supercar only lasted like that for a few years, and it was basically a way for them to save money while the Murcielago was being developed.
Even so, TheSketchMonkey feels like he has to redesign the 30-year-old Nissan 300ZX headlights. In his rendering, the sports car adopts dual strips of LEDs, which appear to be taken from the latest Frontier pickup truck. It’s obviously quite a controversial thing to do but ends up working well.
Other revisions include streamlining of the body, which makes the 300ZX appear as aerodynamic as a Tesla Roadster. The panel gaps are reduced, and modern wheels get digitally installed. Unless I’m mistaken, the body is that of the 300ZX 2+2, which is about 8.5 inches longer and has the fuel door further back compared to the 2+0.
