The Z-car was manufactured by Nissan under the Datsun brand name. These cars have been popular in the USA, the UK, and Japan. They were considered to be reliable and affordable. The Z-cars have been known for their strong performance… and good looks!
The 300ZX both accelerated and handled better than my 1980 Corvette… and it had a 91.3 in wheelbase. My 300ZX was equipped with Macpherson strut/trailing arm independent suspension. And all of the turbo charged models featured 3-way electronically adjustable shock absorbers.
In 1987, the Nissan 300ZX was given its final makeover, which included more aerodynamic bumpers, fog lamps within the front air dam, and 9004 bulb-based headlamps that replaced the outdated sealed beam headlights. A narrow set of tail lights that ran the entire width of the vehicle replaced the 300ZX reflector in the rear, and an LED 3rd brake-light found on the top of the rear hatch.
Several small engine updates were also added in 1987 that included the installation of a smaller T25 turbocharger, an R200 limited slip differential that allowed for quick response and a compression ratio of 8.3:1.
Auto sports politics and a controversial GTS-1 class win at the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1994, prompted the International Motor Sports Association to declare the twin turbo engine illegal for future competition. The 300ZX also holds the E/BMS land speed record of 419.84 km/h (260.87 mph) from the 1991 Bonneville Speed Trial.
Throughout its life, the 300ZX has been praised by critics. The Car and Driver Magazine placed the car on its Ten Best list for seven consecutive years, and Motor Trend awarded it as the 1990 Import Car of the Year.
And, for all of this… I STILL loved my little red Corvette the best!