New Nissan Z explores its Aussie family tree

The new 2022 Nissan Z is now finally just weeks away from its official Australian launch on September 1 and, to celebrate, Nissan’s local arm has released a new video recapping the seventh-generation Z-car’s illustrious lineage.

Filmed predominantly on a dark and damp Sydney night, the video showcases the previous six generations of Nissan’s iconic sports car cruising the streets of Australia’s biggest city, showing off all the design cues that have been emulated in the new model.

The original Datsun 240Z of 1969, followed by the 260Z and 280ZX, all make appearances in chronological order, as does the Z32 Nissan 300ZX, Nissan 350Z and Nissan 370Z. The Z31 300ZX was strangely absent though.

Each vehicle’s appearance is accompanied by a quick graphic showing the year that model launched, before the music amps up and the footage cuts to a golden morning and a brand-new Nissan Z Proto Spec circumnavigating the Sydney CBD.

Attention is once again drawn to the new model’s historic design nods before the bright yellow coupe stops in front of the Sydney skyline.

“This is a proud moment. Few models can claim the performance lineage of the Z, and to be able to celebrate it right here in Australia, on the eve of a new dawn of performance for the brand, is special,” Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson said.

“This might be the first example of the all-new Z we see on local roads, but we’ll soon be seeing many more, with a new era of Z about to begin.”

In case you missed its two-year teaser campaign, the new Nissan Z will be powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 developing 298kW of power and 475Nm of torque, sent to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential.

If the Nissan 370Z’s 14-year model life is anything to go by, this new-generation Z could be the last iteration to feature a purely internal combustion powertrain as electrification continues to gain traction across nearly all vehicle segments.

Harping back to the glory days of the JDM era, the new Nissan Z’s chief rival Down Under will be the Toyota Supra, but other logical competitors will include sports cars like the BMW 2 Series Coupe, Porsche Cayman and the soon-to-be-renewed Ford Mustang.

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