Z-car Engines Reputation See Also External Link

Z-car usually refers to a series of sports cars manufactured by Nissan. Early on they were released under Nissan's Datsun brand name.

Starting out in 1969 with the 240Z, the Datsun Z-cars have been popular in Japan (where they are known as the " Fairlady "), the United States, and the United Kingdom. For their good looks and strong performance, they have been remarkably affordable automobiles.

1 Engines

The first two generations ( 240Z/ 260Z/ 280Z and 280ZX) of Z-car were powered by a Straight-6, (part of the L-series of Nissan engines, which powered most of their vehicles until the early 1980s) with a displacement of 2.4 L in the first incarnation, and increasing to 2.6 L and 2.8 L in the 260Z, and the 280Z and ZX, respectively. Their form was deliberately derived from the 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around Jaguar E-typeThe Jaguar E-type or XK-E is an automobile manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1961 and 1975. The E-type revolutionised sportscar design, with performance, handling and looks ahead of its time. It was priced well below similar models, helping it to huge s.

The second generation, the 280ZX, was a complete re-design, retaining only the L28 engine and other driveline components. A turboIn its original sense, turbo is a prefix denoting a machine that is turbine related. Most people use it to refer to the turbocharger in cars. Another typical use of the word is turbopump. In machinery, at least two other combinations exist: Turbodrill Tur option was introduced, but this still did not bring the 280ZX's stock performance up to the level of the original 240Z.

The third generation, the 300ZXThe Nissan 300ZX is a sports car produced by Nissan/ Datsun and sold in its home market as the Nissan Fairlady Z. Z31 The Z31 version was first introduced in 1984 as the third-generation Nissan Z-car. It offered V6 engines for the first time: a naturally-, switched to a 3.0 L V6Ford Essex V6 engine A V6 is an internal combustion piston engine with six cylinders in a " V" configuration. It is the second most common engine configuration in modern cars after the straight-4; it shares with that engine a compactness very suited to th. Two generations of 300ZX ended in 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan in the US, and shortly thereafter in Japan.

In the 20032003 is a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar), and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Summary Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion of Iraq launched by the U model year, Nissan reentered the US sports-car market with the 350ZThe Nissan 350Z is a coupe and roadster-type automobile built by Nissan. The Nissan 350Z six-gear two-seater was introduced in August 2002. It is the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. A special 35th Anniversary model will be offered in 2005. This v, powered by a 3.5 L V6, and styled in an attempt to create a more modern interpretation of the 240Z's lines.

2 Reputation

Among Z-cars, the most sought after are the early 240Zs, due to their being unencumbered with emissions regulations, and thus putting out significantly more power than later Z-cars, until the later 300ZXs. In 1998, Nissan even offered restored 240Zs through its dealerships. Also popular is the Twin Turbo Z32.

The first generation of Z-car are known for unusually quick handling, easily comparable to cars such as the Porsche 911, but usually at a much lower price. For those for whom the inline-6 is not enough, V8 conversions are popular. Some companies have even specialized in producing such conversions (like Scarab).

The 240Z, and to a lesser degree the 260Z and 280Z, were well-regarded for their light weight and good balance, which contributed to their speed and handling. The 280ZX, while maintaining a similar overall look and drivetrain to the earlier cars, was not as well-regarded due to its increased weight, and the addition of more accessories making it less of a pure sports car. This sentiment continued with the 300ZX. The second generation 300ZX was also thought by many to be overpriced for what it offered.

Nissan has managed to salvage the reputation of the Z-car with the 350Z, however, which is known for its speed and handling, and not just its good looks.

3 See also

Nissan 240Z - Generation 1
Nissan 280ZX - Generation 2
Nissan 300ZX - Generation 3 and 4
Nissan 350Z - Generation 5

Nissan Z-car timeline

1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s
0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
									240Z					60		280Z			280ZX					Z31						Z32													350Z

4 External link

Z31.COM, http://z31.com/
Internet Z-Car Club, http://zhome.com/
ZCAR.COM , http://zcar.com/

"Z-car" can also refer to a series of roadsters from BMW , released beginning in the late 1990s.

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