The 2024 Nissan Z is already one of the most evocative retro-inspired cars on the market.
If you don’t know about the classic Z cars, the current version is a lovely sports car. But if you’re a devotee of its history, today’s Z salutes its inspirations all the way back to the 1969 Datsun 240Z.
You see it in the reared-back proportions and dramatically canted roofline. You see it in the subtle tunneling ahead of the headlights. You see it in the hilariously useless rear quarter window.
But you don’t see it in the grille. The original Fairlady Z (its Japanese-market name) had a rectangular grille split in two by its thin steel bumper. The 2024 Z has a wide rectangular maw of a thing — in keeping with today’s big-grille trends — bisected by nothing.
It needs fixin’. Nissan has the fix. But it’ll cost you.
Standard Split Grille, Fender Flares, Emotional Attachment
Nissan announced last week the 2024 Nissan Z Heritage Edition. It’s just an appearance package with no mechanical upgrades. But it’s one of the best appearance packages on the market because it finally gives the Z the split grille it has always needed. Stare at a Heritage Z, and you no longer feel like something’s missing.
And you will stare.
“The distinctive color scheme of the Heritage Edition pays tribute to the iconic orange body available on the original S30,” Nissan explains. An energetic explosion of color, Nissan calls it New Sight Orange.
Thick black stripes low on the doors and wide down the center of the hood break up the intensity and give it a sense of motion.
The Heritage Edition also gets “fender extensions” that echo the subtle flare of the 240’s fenders but appear to be stick-on. There seem to be no interior upgrades. I’d have accepted a retro-wooden shift knob, but I’m not complaining.
The 2024 Nissan Z Heritage Edition goes on sale this summer with a sticker price of $60,275, including $1,140 for shipping.
All 2024 Nissan Z coupes get a 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6. Nissan builds the Heritage Edition on the Performance Grade, which gets a mechanical limited-slip differential and better brakes. The Z Performance offers a 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic transmission.
