Also known as the Nissan Fairlady Z, the Nissan 300ZX is a sports car produced by the Nissan Motor Company. The Nissan 300ZX is compromised of the third and four generation Z-car vehicles, also known as the Z31 and the Z32. Production of the Nissan 300ZX began in 1983 with the 1984 model.
The Z31 chassis was introduced in 1983 and still carried the Datsun name with it. By the time the 1985 model was introduced, the Datsun name no longer used. This first generation was powered by a whole lineup of V6 engines and had a generally more aerodynamic look about it than previous Z car generations. The engine options were either a naturally aspirated VG30E or a turbocharged VG30ET that produced 160 and 200 horsepower.
The Z32 saw a complete redesign of the vehicle as Nissan felt the design was aging and needed some new life breathed into it. The new vehicle saw a naturally aspirated engine that provided 222 horsepower as well as a top of the line twin turbo engine that provided 300 horsepower. The Z32 also was a dual overhead cam design and featured variable valve timing system that would eventually be replaced. This new vehicle features a new front bumper with three vents for the turbo charged variant. The Z32 platform was also longer than the first generation of the car and had a multi-link suspension in the front and rear.
The Z32 was finally discontinued in 1996 in the United States as sales numbers began to fall. Nissan also struggled with heightened smog regulations as well as an increase in production costs. Amazingly, some Z-car fanatics still have Z31 and Z32 units that are in near mint condition and run quite well.
