At the end of the same year that the Ares Skyline? 2000GT-R was launched, Nissan's Datsun series models launched a very powerful two-seater sports car in order to enter the North American market. It was the famous Fairlady?. Z model. The Fairlady Z model can also be said to be Nissan's most successful sports car model, because the first five generations of Fairlady Z sold a total of 1,685,000 units. Although she was successful, this famous car still had a small twist when it was first born. Since the 240Z (S30) produced at that time was called Fairlady?Z, its name immediately became the laughing stock of major car manufacturers, and even became the news reported by major newspapers at the time (of course it was also a mocking report) ). But soon the 240Z turned all the ridicule into heartfelt admiration with its true strength.
Picture: A group photo of the first five generations of the car, but the 370Z is not there. The seventh-generation concept car has just been released when this article was written.
Please allow me to give a brief introduction to Datsun. Datsun is actually a small passenger car brand produced by Nissan in 1932. However, after decades of upgrading and upgrading, Datsun has been forgotten by the younger generation of car fans. However, as a brand used by Nissan in its early years, Datsun has been widely used in the market. The meaning in Japanese is "as fast as a rabbit", but in Cantonese, it has a more catchy name: Victory!
In fact, there is a little story between the names of Fairlady Z S30 and 240Z, because everyone in Japan is very familiar with Fairlady Z (S30), but at that time Nissan was in charge of North America. Yutaka Katayama felt that the name Fairlady Z was not suitable for the North American market, so he asked all dealers to refer to Fairlady Z as 240Z. If any dealer did not compromise, the car could not be mentioned. So North America called Fairlady?Z 240Z.
Picture: The North American version of the 240Z has 151 horsepower.
Because Nissan was not well-known in the North American market at the time, and some of the car models it launched failed to win much market share for Nissan in the local market. So at that time, the person in charge of Nissan in North America decided to design a new sports car for Datsun. The car should have the characteristics of fashion, innovation, high performance and relatively low price, as well as the ability to use spare parts with other models. So in 1966, the construction of clay models began. In this way, the 240Z appeared in front of everyone's eyes in October 1969. Of course, the 240Z has an exciting streamlined appearance (a bit like a certain European model), is practical and reliable, and has strong performance and low price. All of the above elements combined made the 240Z popular in North America.
Picture: The Japanese version of the 240Z has 130 horsepower.
Picture: 240Z East Africa Rally Car
Picture: 240Z-G?GTS-II racing car. Many bosozokus in Japan like to modify their berserk tanks in this way.
When I first came into contact with this 240Z?, I felt that it was very similar to a certain European model, and it had the feel of a European sports car. So what do you think? Is it like Ferrari's 275 GTB, or Jaguar's E-type? In fact, this is not the case, because the design of the car was handled by Japanese designer Yoshihiko Matsuo, and the 240Z he designed is full of European style. But the European-style 240Z is right in the hands of most North Americans. Therefore, the appearance of 240Z is also one of the important reasons why 240Z is so popular in North America.
Picture: The 240Z with modified lampshade looks a bit like Jaguar’s E-type! But this kit not only looks good, but it can also really reduce wind resistance. According to unconfirmed tests, this lampshade can increase the top speed by 5~10kph.
Of course, who would like a car that looks like a vase? Therefore, the 240Z did not dare to relax in terms of performance. At that time, the 240Z was divided into a Japanese version and an American version.
The Japanese version is equipped with an L20? 2.4-liter straight-6 engine using a single overhead camshaft, which can produce 130 horsepower and uses a 5-speed manual transmission, while the American version is equipped with an L20 2.4-liter straight-6 engine using a single overhead camshaft. The L24? 2.4-liter straight-6 engine coupled with two SU carburetors makes the horsepower reach 151 horses and the torque reaches 20.2 kg.m. Using a 4-speed manual transmission (a 3-speed automatic transmission is optional), the vehicle weighs only 1,068 kg, can reach 0-96KM/H in 8 seconds, and has a top speed of 201.2KM/H. The suspension system of the 240Z is a front MacPherson independent suspension with an anti-roll bar, and a Chapman strut independent suspension at the rear. Coupled with the FR layout, it is no wonder that the 240Z can come and go freely in corners. The braking system is front disc and rear drum. Considering that the price of this car is only US$3,500, do you still want the front and rear disc brake system that was a high-end configuration at that time? It is precisely because the 240Z is so outstanding that the sales of Porsche and Jaguar sports cars in North America have eclipsed them, not to mention other sports cars using straight-4 engines.
The 240Z was produced from 1969 to 1973.
Picture: 240Z modified with reference to the racing comic "Wangan".
Picture: 240Z’s heroic appearance during rally competition.
Picture: 240Z-G engine.
The first-generation Fairlady Z actually spawned many competition models, such as the 240ZG that participated in the Group 4 event, and the S20 engine that used the GT-R. Z432, its body is equipped with aerodynamic kits and has been reduced in weight. There is also the Z432R version that is further modified and reduced in weight based on the Z432. Z432 means that each cylinder has four valves, three carburetors and two camshafts.
Picture: The Z432, which uses the S20 engine with the GT-R, is a rare breed of the S30 car series and a hot commodity in the second-hand market.
Picture: Z432R evolved from Z432. (Only the colors in the picture above)
Picture: Z432R uses the S20 engine used in the first-generation GTR, which has 160 horsepower.
Picture: Z432R is the rarest version and is probably the most collectible among Fairlady?Z models.
Nissan launched the 260Z model in 1973, and added a 2+2 version in 1974. Since the wheelbase of the 2+2 model was lengthened, it looked more like an E-type. . As the name suggests, the 260Z model is equipped with a 2.6-liter straight-6 engine (but using a new SOHC and a new carburetor), which can output 162 horsepower (but because the emission standards in the United States were stricter than other countries at the time, The American version only has 140 horsepower and 21 kilograms of torque. It also takes 8 seconds to accelerate from 0-96KM/H, and the top speed is 204KM/H. There are 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual options.
The suspension system of the 260Z has changed to front and rear MacPherson independent suspension, but an anti-roll bar is still installed on the front suspension. The 260Z's braking system is still front disc and rear drum, but a servo-assisted (servo-assisted) device is added. Moreover, the 260Z's chassis has been strengthened and has higher rigidity than the 240Z, and the American version's front bumper is thicker and larger than the Japanese version. Because the 260Z can make an engine sound similar to that of a Ferrari sports car when driving at high speeds, some enthusiasts have modified the 260Z to look like the Ferrari 250GTO!? The 260Z was produced from 1973 to 1975.
Picture: This is a 260Z (2+2 model) from 1974.
Picture: The so-called 2+2 really means two seats at the front and rear.
Picture: The 2.6-liter straight-6 engine of the 260Z can produce 162 horsepower, but the American version has decreased but not increased, with only 140 horsepower.
Because the 260Z was affected by emission regulations in the United States, its horsepower was not as good as the 240Z, so Nissan immediately launched the 280Z model in 1975, but please do not confuse it with the second-generation 280ZX, because the 280Z is just The engine displacement was increased to 2.8 liters, but the biggest change of the 280Z is that its engine uses Bosch's L-Jetronic fuel injection system to replace the carburetor. It has an output of 170 horsepower and a huge bumper to comply with federal safety regulations.
In addition to the 5-speed manual transmission, the 280Z produced in 1975 also had a 3-speed automatic transmission for customers to choose from. The automatic transmission models were equipped with EGR valves (exhaust gas recirculation valves). All 280Z models produced in 1976 were equipped with EGR valves. The 280Z was produced from 1975 to 1978. Due to the greatly increased horsepower of the 280Z, more car fans like to modify it into Ferrari's 250? GTO.
The 280Z was produced in 1975-1978.
The article comes from the Nissan Car Fan Magazine public account.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.