November ‘Targa NZ’ issue of NZ Classic Car – on sale now!

It’s time once again to get down to your local magazine store and pick up the latest NZ Classic Car magazine because the November issue has just reached the shelves. The new issue is packed with feature articles, news and special features, all to keep you up-to-date on NZ’s classic car scene.

In this month’s issue we have included a special 2011 Targa programme that has driver listings for all the cars, maps and a schedule so you can find the stages and driver profiles so you know who the key competitors are. If you’re planning on being a 2011 Targa spectator then you’ll want this programme. In keeping with the Targa NZ theme we are featuring three of this year’s competitors with full articles. These include Allan Lewis’ V8-powered Datsun 240Z, Dion Arnold’s Toyota FX-GT and the BMW 635 CSi of Gerry Hodges. Elsewhere in the magazine we have an exclusive preview of an upcoming book – The Bruce McLaren Scrapbook. We also document the return of OSCA racing to New Zealand and we catch up with the crew at Hitech Motorsport in Auckland. Read the rest of this entry »

1971 Datsun 240Z and 2009 Nissan 370Z – Z Car Revival – 227

The evolution of Nissan’s Z cars hasn’t come without setbacks and growing pains. The Z badge has never enjoyed a long uninterrupted evolution like the benchmark Porsche 911. But with pain comes strength, and Nissan is back flexing its design and engineering muscle with the most recent branch on the Z family tree — the 370Z.

The exterior aesthetic of the 370Z offers a buffet of styling cues and athletic lines, but it’s not until you slide into the car’s enveloping leather and suede bucket seats that it becomes clear this is a modern sports car without compromise. Surrounding the driver is a range of soft, tactile, leather-bound surfaces and high quality materials. It’s a dark, purposeful cabin lightened by silver and brushed metal accents and the use of various circular shapes.

Modern touches collide with traditional Z elements, such as a digital clock amongst the three, dashboard-mounted auxiliary gauges. With the main instrument cluster tied to the adjustable steering column, power adjustable seats and a closely located gear-stick, finding a comfortable driving position presents no difficulty. Once that’s achieved, hit the push-button start and the engine awakens with a raspy note. Bury a foot into the floor-hinged accelerator pedal, and any notion that the 370Z is a mere retro-themed toy will be left behind — rapidly.

As the sixth vehicle to wear the ‘Z’ badge, the 370Z has a range of ancestors from which to draw comparisons, but the yardstick for measuring any Z car remains the original Datsun 240Z.

The First Z

The significance of the 240Z is greater than just being the first Z produced, it played a starring role in changing the world’s perception of Japanese performance cars. Before the 240Z, Japanese sports cars were often viewed as simply too small, too uncomfortable and worse, underpowered. This harsh global opinion lit a fire under one Nissan executive, Yutaka Katayama — who would later become known as Mr K. During the late 1960s, Mr K set about creating a Japanese sports car to silence the critics. Fuelled by a passion for the Jaguar E-Type, which he viewed as perfection, Mr K sketched out his pivotal design criteria.

The new Nissan coupe had to be designed for safety and comfort with a unique style, it would make use of part sharing for low development costs, be innovative in its design and technology, be functional and, most importantly, fast.

It was a tall order, but in 1969 Mr K’s dream became reality with the launch of the 240Z. The 240Z fulfilled the challenging criteria, impressed critics and, thanks to low pricing, became a sales success. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mr K’s story is an interesting one, but that was 40 years ago and we now live in more cynical times, so fresh evidence of the 240Z’s merits is required.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rare 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 goes on sale

For all you fans of classic Japanese metal out there, a rare and interesting find has just popped up for sale on the internet. A fully restored 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 with only 12,000km on the odometer and it’s being sold at an undisclosed price by a Japanese dealer named Bingo Sports.

For those unfamiliar with classic Nissans, the Z 423 was a JDM-only version of the Fairlady 240Z and interestingly came equipped with the same 2.0-litre inline-six S20 engine producing 160-horsepower and 177Nm as the very first Skyline GT-R (PGC10). It’s super exclusive being only built in limited number of units for homologation reasons. The name ’432′ refers to the 4 valves per cylinder, 3 carburetors and 2 camshafts.

Along with the straight-six engine from the soon-to-be-famous GT-R that was coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Z 432 also featured other choice upgrades including Magnesium wheels and a Bosozoku-style exhaust system with dual vertical tail pipes.

Check the photo gallery below for more images of this Japanese classic. Read the rest of this entry »

Nissan celebrates 240Z anniversary with special 370Z

Nissan is releasing a special edition model to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic Datsun 240Z. The Nissan 370Z Black Edition will be limited to just 370 units all coupes, and will all be painted in either black or quartz.

So what extras are on offer? The car will ride on 19-inch forged aluminum RAYS rims in dark grey, which cover brake calipers painted in red.  On the interior, red leather and suede is used for the door inserts and seats.  The red theme is also repeated on the stitching of the dark grey leather-wrapped steering wheel, as well as the centre control stack and instruments.  Special logos and badging are mandatory and can be found on the seats, and on the exterior.  The car’s infotainment consists of a sat-nav, seven-inch touchscreen, Bose audio system, hard drive and USB port.

No real performance mods have been made and like the stock model, the special edition gets Nissan’s 241 kW 3.7-liter V6 engine.  With a manual transmission the car hits 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited 250kph top speed.

The Nissan 370Z Black Edition has just become avaiilable for order in the UK.  It won’t come cheap over there and pricing begins at £33,645 ($76,500 NZ). Nissan expects to be making deliveries by April.

1973 Fairlady 240Z

The Fairlady Z (S30) was launched as the 2000 series in November 1969. Two years later in November 1971, the 240Z was added to the domestic lineup (it had previously only been available as a North American export model). Offering high power and superior maneuverability, the 240Z did well in overseas rallies, coming in 1st overall in the 1971 and 1973 Safari Rally. This commemorative car is the No.1 car that won in 1973, driven by S. Mehta and Lofty Drews.

Overall length / width / height	4,115/1,630/1,305mm
Wheelbase	2,305mm
Tread (front/rear)	1,355/1,345mm
Curb weight	1,100kg
Engine	L24 (6-cyl. in line, OHC), 2,497cc
EngineMax. power	165W (225PS)/7,200rpm
EngineMax. torque	250Nm (25.5kgm)/4,800rpm
EngineCarburetors	Solex 44PHH (x3)
Transmission	5-speed, direct-coupled
Suspension	Strut (front & rear)
Brakes (front/rear)	Disc/drum
Tires (DL PW81)	FR70-14 (front & rear)
Fuel tank capacity	100 liters
Model Number	HS30

Z Car history

A history of the Datsun/Nissan Z car including 240Z, 280ZX, 300ZX and 350Z

New Targa NZ issue of Classic Car magazine out now!

The November 09 issue of NZ Classic Car magazine is on the shelves now, so grab your copy today.

In this month’s issue we’ve included a official Dunlop Targa NZ programme, it’s got exclusive route maps and driver profiles to keep you informed on the upcoming Targa event. We are also featuring two exciting machines that are taking part in the Targa NZ, these include Clark Proctor’s amazing Ford Escort and Dr Nick’s popular Valiant Charger. We check out three rental BMWs that have been specially prepared for the 2009 Targa and we look back at the inaugural Targa NZ back in 1995. We road test the new Nissan 370Z and see how it matches up with its 240Z ancestor. Our future classic section looks at the Subaru WRX STi and we find out what it’s like to be a Kiwi working for a European racing team. In motorsport flashback we revisit 1969 to the NZ dominated CanAm Series. In our home mechanic section we show you how to keep your car’s battery in tip-top condition.

All this and more articles, news, reviews and technical support to keep you informed on the world of classic motoring. Pick up the new issue before it sells out.