Nissan Z Kaze revives T-top era

Nissan has turned back to one of the more memorable periods in Japanese sports car culture with the Z Kaze concept, a one-off Nissan Z fitted with a custom T-top roof and several touches inspired by the tuner scene of the 1990s.

The concept made its debut at ZCON, the annual gathering of the Z Car Club Association in the United States.

Kaze means wind in Japanese, and the name points directly to the car’s main feature. Nissan replaced the standard roof with a removable T-top arrangement that gives the current Z an open-air character similar to earlier generations of the sports car.

The project came from Nissan product planners and designers who wanted to revisit the open-roof Z models of the past while also drawing from the import tuning culture that helped build a following for Nissan and NISMO during the 1990s.

Nissan gave the Z Kaze a Pacific Teal finish that fits the period it draws from. The body also gets a vented carbon-fiber hood, wider fenders, and a custom carbon-fiber aerodynamic kit.

One detail may carry more weight with longtime Nissan fans. The car uses original 18-inch NISMO LMGT2 wheels, which have long been out of production.

Nissan found an original set and had the wheels restored for the project. They measure 10 inches wide at the front and 11 inches at the rear.

The cabin takes a different approach from the dark interiors often seen in performance concepts. Nissan fitted white leather-appointed seats that make the interior more visible when the roof panels are removed.

Carbon-fiber trim appears inside as well. Bose Personal Plus speakers are fitted into the headrests so occupants can still hear their music with the roof open.

Nissan also made changes beneath the bodywork.

The suspension uses upgraded NISMO components, while the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 receives parts from Japanese tuning company GReddy.

These include a SUPREME SP exhaust system, a front-mount air-to-air intercooler kit and an Airinx air filter kit.

The mechanical changes follow the same theme as the exterior. Rather than turn the car into a completely different kind of Z, Nissan used parts and styling cues that would have been familiar to enthusiasts who grew up around Japanese tuner cars.

Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan Americas senior vice president and chief product and planning officer, said the project pays tribute to Nissan’s open-top sports cars and the tuning culture that helped strengthen the reputation of Nissan and NISMO.

The Z Kaze also arrives as Nissan continues to keep the current Z connected to the nameplate’s past. The sports car has gone through seven generations, with several earlier versions offered with removable roof panels.

Nissan will display the Z Kaze at ZCON in Phoenix, Arizona through 26 September. It is also scheduled to appear at the Japanese Classic Car Show on 3 October.

The company has not announced plans to put the Z Kaze into production. Nissan identifies it as a concept vehicle that is not available for sale, and no announcement has been made on whether it will be shown or offered in the Philippines.

That leaves the Kaze as an enthusiast exercise, though one that shows how naturally a T-top still fits the shape and character of the modern Z.