Here's Why We Miss The Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

There have been six generations of the Nissan Z-car throughout its model run, dating back to 1969 with the Datsun 240Z. A seventh-generation model is bound to come out at the end of this year,

with the new Z-car being called the 400Z

. It will follow the same front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a turbocharged V6 engine, replacing the outgoing 370Z's naturally-aspirated mill.

However, this is not the first time that Nissan has put a turbocharged V6 engine in one of their Z-cars. Back in the 90s, the competition was tight and Japanese manufacturers were in a race to produce the most technologically advanced

sports cars

. This gave us the likes of the Toyota Supra and the Mitsubishi 3000GT, which were

cars that were ahead of their time

. Nissan took on that challenge with the 300ZX Twin Turbo, and they conquered the competition both on and off the track. Here are some of the facts about the Z32 that make us miss this JDM legend.

90s Classic

via Pinterest

A lot of people say the 90s were the golden era of JDM, as Japanese car manufacturers basically had a performance model ranging from small hatchbacks to sports cars. That could be true, as cars from that generation

are increasingly becoming popular for collectors

, and auction prices are skyrocketing as we speak.

Via Nissan

The 300ZX, for example, was born right in the thick of the 90s JDM car battle and was in production for a decade, starting in late 1989. Furthermore, the digital age was looming during that era, and the Z32's body design was made using the Cray-2 supercomputer, making it one of the first production cars that were CAD designed.

'90s Flashback: 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

V6 Engine

via garagedreams

Since the first conception of the Z-car,

it always possessed a six-cylinder engine

, and the S30 even shared the same engine as the first-generation Skyline 2000 GT-R.

via engineswork

However, beginning from the Z31 model, Nissan switched from an inline-six to a V6 engine to make a more compact and efficient packaging. The VG30 engine was one of Japan's first mass-produced V6 engine, producing 300 hp and 283 lb-ft of torque in the twin-turbo version of the 300ZX.

10 Things You Should Know Before Buying A Nissan 300ZX

T-Top

via twitter

There is one thing to take note of

when you're in the market for a 300ZX

. When it has a T-Top, it's most likely the twin-turbo version. Nissan distinguished the naturally-aspirated Z32 by making it a hardtop model.

via motortrend

An extremely rare hardtop twin-turbo model was only released in Japan, and only the T-Top models had seats in the back for a 2+2 configuration.

Nissan 300ZX And 9 Other Underpriced Sports Cars From The '90s

Super HICAS

via conceptbunny

We mentioned earlier that the 300ZX was a technologically advanced car during its time, and here's one feature that justifies that fact — it had four-wheel steering in 1990.

via vocal.media

Nissan also gave the 300ZX Twin Turbo the Super HICAS High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering, the same system found on the Skyline GT-Rs of that era, utilized to improve the car's handling abilities through a computer-controlled electronic rear-wheel steering.

Motorsports Legend

via japanbullet

Like the Skyline GT-R, the 300ZX proved to be successful as a race car as well, particularly in the IMSA GT Championship, where it garnered two IMSA GTS Driving Championships and two IMSA GTS Manufacturer's Championships with Steve Millen behind the wheel.

via carnewscafe

Furthermore, the 300ZX was victorious in the 1994 24 Hours of Daytona and took a class win in the GTS-1 class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year. It's a classic case of a car so good, it got banned, as in 1995, IMSA declared the 300ZX's twin-turbo engine ineligible in order to level the playing field in the GTS-1 class.

Tuning Potential

via youtube

90s Japanese performance engines are over-engineered, and the VG30DETT engine found in the 300ZX Twin Turbo is no exception. The Z32's 3.0-liter mill is regarded by tuners as an engine that could reliably produce around 450 to 500 hp even when using stock components.

via reddit

Even though it's an old car, plenty of aftermarket parts are still offered worldwide. In North America, Enjuku Racing and Andy's Autosport have a lot of 300ZX parts in stock in case you wanna make your Z32 one of a kind.

Mid Night Club

via bequietndrive

From 1987 until 1999, there was an illegal street racing squad that ruled Tokyo called the Mid Night Club. They used to run the Wangan, or the expressways, between Tokyo and Yokohama.

via top gear

One Tokyo street racer during that time used the 300ZX Twin Turbo for those midnight runs, and was tuned by Revolfe S.A. to produce 680 hp. In its time, it could reach speeds of over 200 mph.

SR-71 Z32

via cartune.me

Back in 1990, the Ferrari F40 held the record for being the fastest production car in the world, with the Lamborghini Diablo coming in at a close second. Guess which car was third? It's no European car. In fact, it came from Japan, in the form of the MotorSports International SR-71 Z32.

via garagedreams

Only eight cars were produced bearing the SR-71 name, and cost $15,000 more than the standard 300ZX Twin Turbo. However, you get 486 hp instead of 300, and a top speed of 185 mph, thanks to larger Garrett turbochargers, HKS electronics, and a Kaminari bodykit designed by no other than Pete Brock.

JUN-BLITZ Bonneville Z32

via news.yiche.com

JUN Auto and BLITZ are both reputable Japanese tuning shops, and together, they created the fastest 300ZX ever, with the Bonneville Z32 clocking an amazing 260 mph at the 1995 Bonneville Speed Trials.

via reddit

The Z32's 3.0-liter V6 was bored out to 3.1 liters and had Group C-spec turbochargers to produce 986 hp. In fact, the car is still very much alive and kicking to this day, and even went on sale in Japan back in 2017 at the BH Auction. Not to mention, the previous owner made the car street-legal.

Award-Winning Car

via reddit

From the year it was introduced up to this day, the 300ZX impressed a lot of people, and earned the adoration of not just JDM fans, but also automotive journalists, as it made the Car and Driver 10 Best list for seven straight years.

Via: RM Auctions

Furthermore, long after it was out of production, the Automobile magazine by Motor Trend even had the 300ZX Twin Turbo in its 2004 edition of 100 Greatest Cars Of All Time. That distinction needs no further explanation, as it truly cemented its place as one of Japan's all-time greats.

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