Proto Z

viiv

What did the X signify at the end of the 300ZX name? Was it just marketing, sounds better, sounds more expensive, rolls off the tongue easier? If so, why not call it the 300ZX again instead of just 300Z? Toyota brought the Supra back from the 90s, now why wouldn't Nissan do the same with the 300ZX, especially with those tail lights?

I guess the question to ask, and I am sure this is what is going on in Nissan focus groups right now. If you owned a Z35, would you prefer to say to your friends or that cute girl "I have/drive a 300Z" or "I have/drive a 300ZX"?

geokots

I don't care if it's called Z, 300Z, 400Z, 375Z or any name. I just care how it drives and how it looks. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

JARblue

So then you can argue the new Z is Z33.5.5

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JARblue

I don't dislike that idea

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takemorepills

Nissan has been known to assign a new chassis code to a warmed-over refresh.

I had a 1997 Maxima, "A32". I bought a 2004 I35, "A33.5" as a swap donor to get a VQ35DE into that older Maxima. Very convenient that Nissan kept 95% of the car the same over the years for my swap shenanigans!

Evildky

The "X" came into play in 1979 when they replaced the 1978 "280Z" Last of the S30 chassis) with the all new (S130) 280ZX. Completely different chassis but the drivetrain carried over with only minor tweaks. The 280ZX was more of a "Grand Tourer" and far more refined than the S30. The ZX got plushier interior, power windows, power steering, 4 wheel disks, vented front disks, over time it even got heated side mirrors, digital dash and even voice warnings. Then with a complete redesign for the Z32 model no single part carried over from the Z31 they kept the name as the displacement stayed the same even though t was a completely new engine, trans and diff housing.

triso07

If you tie it to displacement you run into all sorts of issues. From a marketing standpoint they always want to increment higher. Having a brand new car named exactly the same as a car from the 80s or 90s doesn't make too much sense.

If you tie it to HP you run into all sorts of issues. What if it has 436hp? Are we calling this thing the 436Z?

Z or 400Z.

Both work, but if they go with 400Z they should probably increment upward for each new model ... 400 -> 450 -> 500 -> 550Z something along those lines.

(though personally I prefer just Z with some internal code)

takemorepills

During the "ZX" years, Datsun/Nissan literally used the "X" to denote "luxury".

Even though the Z32 300ZX was more of a return to performance, with models being available with T-Tops (an original "X" feature) and leather, Nissan continued with "ZX".

For Nissan to name the new Z "400Z" would be wildly arbitrary. A confident product could easily pull-off a back-tracking from 370 to 300. We aren't such simpletons! I highly doubt ANYBODY who was considering a new 300Z Twin Turbo would have a hang-up over the name!
I mean, Toyota went ahead and had BMW make their Supra, they didn't feel people would have a hang up over BMW making it!

viiv

You mean like the Toyota Supra and the Acura NSX?

Evildky

But the name has always been tied to displacement and that is a unique Z car thing. BMW uses part of their displacement as part of their model names, Ferrari did similar, but Datsun/Nissan was the only one to use a numerical value tied only to its displacement.

And on the supra thing. Toyota has been rebadging Subaru's for years now so rebadging a BMW was less surprising than dusting off their halo nameplate for use on the BMW. They should have put their V6 into the FRS and called it a supra, at least it would have a toyota engine.

triso07

It would be different if it was the Nissan Z with a 3.0 badge, but the way Nissan does it is different as it's actually part of the naming convention itself. To compound on that it has essentially always risen with each model. It would be an interesting marketing exercise to release a name that goes backwards and is essentially named after pre-existing model.

240Z
260Z
280Z
300Z
350Z
370Z
300Z again?

That's why coupling it with displacement is challenging.

HP is no different as things can get awkward quickly.

NissanFreak81

They need to just call it Z.

cv129

This thread suggests otherwise though...

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takemorepills

"300Z" would be an all new name, "300ZX" was used twice already.

viiv

I've been thinking about it.

350ZX and 370ZX just sounds horrible, which is why I am sure they didn't go with that.

But for the number '300', it's a unique situation where ZX just goes better with it than Z. Thus 300ZX just sounds better than 300Z.


I understand the X denoted luxury, and I know some people here see the Z35 as a more return to form of the original 240Z, but let's be honest the Z35 has more luxury than the Z32 could have ever dreamed of.