280zx

Datsun then Nissan has produced plenty of a great Z cars over 54 years and seven generations. This bloated piece of metal and velour, 280zx squarely at the American market, 280zx, wasn't one of them. Once upon a time there was a long, low and exciting coupe called the Datsun Z. In just a few years, Nissan's best 280zx brightest transformed a light, stylish, nimble, quick and affordable coupe into the ZX, a heavy, ugly, lumbering, 280zx, slow and expensive one.

It looks like the era of inexpensive Japanese sports cars from the s is coming to an end. Amid the plethora of classic European race cars and grand touring machines rolling through various auctions held during Monterey Car Week, a wedge-tastic Datsun ZX fetched nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Wait, what? But we aren't talking about the OG Datsun sports car fetching a quarter mill. We're talking about the ZX, though admittedly, this particular car checks all the boxes for collectors.

280zx

From the November Issue of Car and Driver. When Datsun introduced its model to the press, the joke of the meeting was that these cars would be competing head-on with Buick and BMW by Christmas—not because of a massive overhaul in the Japanese company's marketing philosophy, but rather because of the plummeting value of the dollar relative to that of the yen. Datsun would not be building Buick-style cars; it would simply be offering its weight-watcher compacts at Buick prices. But driving the new ZX coupe suggests that Nissan has been anticipating exactly this sort of repositioning in the market all along and has already dialed in the appropriate correction. The new Z-car ZX-car? It's longer, lower, and wider than the old version; quieter and more vibration-free on the inside; calibrated for a mashed-potatoes ride underneath; and just itching to be dolled up with all sorts of packages and gadgets, which the option list cheerfully offers. All of this probably makes perfect sense from a hit-'em-where-they-ain't marketing point of view. The closed-roof-sports-car business—once the almost exclusive province of Datsun—has become a hotbed of activity in the last few years. Porsche now occupies the high end of the middle-price class with its sleek and nimble , an automobile that places great emphasis on handling and driver participation. Mazda is putting the squeeze on from the bottom of the price range with its RX-7 , a two-seater that's winning friends everywhere for its agility and sparkling performance. The TR7 has been brought to its knees temporarily because of labor problems in England, but it will be back in full strength by spring, bringing along with it the V-8 powered TR8, which will surely set the performance pace for this class. So what was Datsun to do? The only space left uncontested is the comfort-and-luxury slot. The old Z-car always was a bit more of a tourer than its competitors, and the product planners apparently decided to aim its replacement even more in that direction.

First Drives.

In Japan, it was exclusive to Nissan Bluebird Store locations. The ZX was the first time the "by Nissan " subscript was badged alongside the Datsun logo, along with Nissan trucks. The ZX was Motor Trend 's import car of the year for The ZX was a complete redesign, retaining only the L28 inline-six engine and other driveline components from the Z. Compared to the more overtly sporting earlier models, the ZX was a much softer, heavier car, with less focus on driving and more on driver comfort and refinement. In the spirit of the times, emissions controls and aerodynamics were markedly improved over the first generation Z-cars , while weight was down somewhat as long as the buyer did not pick much from the very long options list.

The Nissan Z model is widely known for its great performance abilities throughout the generations. The chassis started in as the popular Datsun, or Fairlady Z, and is still being produced today, as we currently wait on the Z. Although the ZX retained a similar shape as its favorable predecessor, the second generation of Zs produced weren't necessarily the "best. The previous generation featured a sporty look, that handled just as well as it looked. The newer ZX featured a luxurious interior and softer springs, insinuating it was geared for comfort. Due to the S30 first generation Z's amazing styling , it was heavily preferred among enthusiasts, even though the later ZX models were more aerodynamic.

280zx

From the November Issue of Car and Driver. When Datsun introduced its model to the press, the joke of the meeting was that these cars would be competing head-on with Buick and BMW by Christmas—not because of a massive overhaul in the Japanese company's marketing philosophy, but rather because of the plummeting value of the dollar relative to that of the yen. Datsun would not be building Buick-style cars; it would simply be offering its weight-watcher compacts at Buick prices.

Cheetah body paint

Moreover, it has some clear disadvantages from a handling standpoint. Aug 21, at pm ET. The only changes are with the battery, and for reasons unknown, the radiator. Altima Coupe. A remake of the ZX for the s captured just a little of the former glory but by then the price was stratospheric. Family Cars. They really didn't know what," Goertz says. As a consequence of this and all the other detail improvements, the ZX is a much quieter and more refined tourer than its forerunner. GT-R R The old Z grille was a masterpiece of simplicity. The Z was actually the second car Goertz did for Nissan. This should enable you to worry about running out of gas with far greater accuracy. Sell My Car.

Showing 24 of 82 related listings. Sell Your Car. Your Markets.

That is a net improvement. Nissan's concerns about the reliability of their own five-speed transmission when combined with the additional torque of the 2. But even these relatively minor dimensional changes are viewed with great significance in certain quarters. But when they get ready to do a new car, I hope they'll ask me. The Datsun didn't have the full, molded-Jell-0 look of, say, the Dino GT, but the sheetmetal of its roof and fenders was formed with rather large-radius curves. These cars were identical to the other cars of this year with the exception of the spoiler and decal package. If you look closely, you'll see that the dimensions of the original Z and the Porsche are about the same. A frequent complaint about the old Z was high steering effort. The short, truncated tail of the old car provided a highly functional appearance that is absent in the replacement. He was born Count Albrecht Goertz in Brunkensen, Germany, in , but since the royalty business is usually a bit slow for the second son, he came to the U. Buying Advice. View Photos. The Z was actually the second car Goertz did for Nissan. Mercedes-Benz and BMW use them, they've been adopted by GM for the new Riviera-Toronado-Eldorado body, and Datsun had them on the original and the discontinued , and continues them on today's