We’re less than a month away from Nissan unveiling the all-new Z, which may be called Fairlady Z in the United States based on a July 11th trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In anticipation of the premiere, concept artist Brad Builds took the liberty of imagining the car with goodies that would make any NFS player blush with admiration.
Himself the owner of a 1971 Datsun 240Z, the pixel wizard has grafted humongous fenders onto the vehicle to achieve that perfect low-rider stance. The negative camber, five-spoke forged wheels, and semi-slick rubber bring the point home, along with a deep front spoiler, a low-slung aerodynamic diffuser, and side-skirt extensions finished similarly to the ginormous wing.
A duckbill spoiler is also featured out back, along with stacked exhaust tips à la the BMW X8 M Competition. The squared-off grille up front and the power bulge in the hood crank up the visual drama to eleven, and the finishing touch comes in the guise of a duo of fender-mounted side mirrors.
The Japanese weren’t the first to utilize this kind of mirror design, but the Japanese brought it through prominence in the ‘60s and ‘70s on countless high-volume cars and exotics that include the Toyota 2000GT. Alternately known as “Fenda Mira” in the Land of the Rising Sun, topside fender-mounted side mirrors were standard until 1983 when new legislation paved the way for door-mounted units. As to why door-mounted side mirrors are better in this day and age, the best answer concerns aerodynamic efficiency.
Turning our attention back to the Z for a brief moment, Nissan intends to take the veils off on August 17th. Tipsters suggest 400 horsepower for the most basic specification thanks to the VR30 V6 of the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, which is quite an upgrade over the VQ37 V6 of the gray-haired 370Z because it boasts a pair of turbochargers instead of natural aspiration.
As opposed to the BMW Z4-related Toyota GR Supra, the Z will appeal to a slightly wider audience thanks to a six-speed manual transmission. Customers who can’t be bothered by the clutch pedal will have to settle for a Mercedes 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox built under license by JATCO.
A duckbill spoiler is also featured out back, along with stacked exhaust tips à la the BMW X8 M Competition. The squared-off grille up front and the power bulge in the hood crank up the visual drama to eleven, and the finishing touch comes in the guise of a duo of fender-mounted side mirrors.
The Japanese weren’t the first to utilize this kind of mirror design, but the Japanese brought it through prominence in the ‘60s and ‘70s on countless high-volume cars and exotics that include the Toyota 2000GT. Alternately known as “Fenda Mira” in the Land of the Rising Sun, topside fender-mounted side mirrors were standard until 1983 when new legislation paved the way for door-mounted units. As to why door-mounted side mirrors are better in this day and age, the best answer concerns aerodynamic efficiency.
Turning our attention back to the Z for a brief moment, Nissan intends to take the veils off on August 17th. Tipsters suggest 400 horsepower for the most basic specification thanks to the VR30 V6 of the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, which is quite an upgrade over the VQ37 V6 of the gray-haired 370Z because it boasts a pair of turbochargers instead of natural aspiration.
As opposed to the BMW Z4-related Toyota GR Supra, the Z will appeal to a slightly wider audience thanks to a six-speed manual transmission. Customers who can’t be bothered by the clutch pedal will have to settle for a Mercedes 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox built under license by JATCO.