Nissan Z
by Sam Livingstone

'Lust then Love' are the key words epitomising the new Z according to Nissan. Based very closely on the second Z car concept from Nissan that was shown at Detroit earlier in the year, this production car due on sale next year is certainly a type of car and design that many people will lust for, but will they love it?

Although quite faithfull to the design of its concept car predecessor, the Z seems to have taken on more bulk at the rear of the car that the stretched rear lamps find hard to disguise, and the typically Nissan sports car DLO has lost a little of the strongly arched character of the original concept. Other changes from the Z concept include the design of the fender badge, door handles, headlamp detailing and front bumper intake and indicator shapes.

The interior has had to differ more so from the concept car than the exterior has done due to cost reasons, but the Z car genes are still present in the positioning of the three secondary dials across the centre console and the three main dails still adjust with the steering colomn just like the concept car (and the Porsche 928).

18 inch wheels and exhaust pipes that Nissan boasts are 100mm in diameter, add to the powerful attitude that the car‘s meaningful down-road-graphic and strong stance create. And with a powerful 3.5 litre V6 and the potential of a larger V8 engine soon, the car promises to deliver on its looks, but whether lust leads to love willl always be down to the heart of the individual.