A Brief History of the Nissan Z

PATREON: / barchettamedia
MEMBERSHIPS: / @barchetta
SOURCES
240Z: www.barchetta.co/240z-sources
280ZX: www.barchetta.co/280zx-sources
300ZX: www.barchetta.co/300zx-sources
350Z: www.barchetta.co/350z-sources
370Z: www.barchetta.co/370z-sources
2023 Z: www.barchetta.co/2023-z-sources
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 (240Z) INTRO
6:01 (240Z) EARLY DESIGN PROCESS
11:59 (240Z) ENGINEERING
21:33 (240Z) NAMING/USA TESTING
28:48 (240Z) DEBUT
34:11 (240Z) MAGAZINE REVIEWS
39:38 (240Z) RACING PEDIGREE
44:47 (240Z) CHANGES/260Z/280Z
52:59 (280ZX) INTRO
54:27 (280ZX) DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
59:29 (280ZX) MARKET INTRODUCTION
1:06:47 (280ZX) TURBOCHARGERS AND T-TOPS
1:10:57 (Z31 300ZX) Z31 300ZX OVERVIEW
1:16:57 (Z32 300ZX) INTRO
1:17:58 (Z32 300ZX) DESIGN
1:26:12 (Z32 300ZX) ENGINEERING
1:28:51 (Z32 300ZX) DEBUT
1:30:01 (Z32 300ZX) MAGAZINE REVIEWS
1:36:46 (Z32 300ZX) LATER YEARS/DECLINE
1:41:56 (350Z) INTRO
1:44:38 (350Z) 1998 Z CONCEPT
1:51:20 (350Z) HISTORY OF NISSAN DESIGN AMERICA
1:56:15 (350Z) 1999 Z CONCEPT
2:00:15 (350Z) DESIGN PROCESS
2:11:33 (350Z) 2001 350Z CONCEPT
2:13:00 (350Z) MAGAZINE TESTS
2:17:42 (350Z) INFINITI G35
2:19:52 (350Z) TRIM LEVELS/MODEL UPDATES
2:23:33 (370Z) INTRO
2:24:46 (370Z) RANDY RODRIGUEZ
2:26:08 (370Z) ENGINEERING
2:28:02 (370Z) DEBUT/TRIM LEVELS
2:30:47 (370Z) REVIEWS
2:35:17 (370Z) UPDATES
2:42:01 (RZ34) INTRO
2:42:45 (RZ34) DEVELOPMENT
2:44:08 (RZ34) DEBUT/DESIGN/COMPARISON TESTS
2:57:03 (RZ34) 2024 UPDATE

[@joshm3484]

I daily drive a '73. After everything that could break did and was replaced or repaired by me, it's been the most reliable car ever. I love cars of that era, because there's no computers, and everything can be fixed with basic tools.

[@phoenixkiller2585]

So basically a new car? (Pls don't take this comment the wrong way)

[@boss350z5]

Legend...

[@SlapMssterson]

I work on 3 cars I own myself. All maintenance myself. I call BS. No special tools? BS

[@joshm3484]

@@SlapMssterson What years? The closest thing I have to a specialized tool is an analog airflow meter to sync the dual carbs, and a multimeter. Set AFR with the tach. Valve lash set with a feeler gauge. Same with dual points gap. SU carbs are adjusted with a needle on a piston controlled by vacuum. Is a torque wrench a specialized tool? Or a timing light? Probably will be in a few decades. It has no computers. No sensors. I pulled all the emission gear. It's all analog. What kind of tools do you think you'd need for a car like that?

[@sageoz9886]

My greatest car regret is giving away my 240z, but I owed a friend a solid and when I heard he was without a car I tossed him the keys.

[@peekaboo1575]

A brief three hours video on the history of the Fairlady/Z. Your best videos are the long ones! :^)

[@yofoon]

wow i just notice its already been 2 hours of Z history!!! This is awesome!

[@buckminsterfullerene2149]

Pound-for-pound the greatest car ever produced. IMO.

[@litwick4077]

It is insane how you only have 1k views on this in 11 days. This is quality content. Great work man.

[@n-da-bunka2650]

I LOVED my 280z that I bought after earning some "serious" cash working while putting myself through college in the early 80s replacing a 1975 Celica I had been driving. It was the first car I owned that actually had A/C which waas really important in the hot Louisiana summers. I even ran some SCCA races with it. I had bought it used for $6,200 and the large rear space came in critical when driving back to my parent's home in North Carolina. Mine had the rear louvers that were so popular in the days before tinting was available. It served me exceptionally well through college and for my first 2 years of "real" employment. My dad bought one of the Anniversary models a few years later for himself so I like to think that perhaps me having owned the earlier model may have helped him make that decision

[@errrky]

This is by far the most comprehensive history on the Z that has been documented on this platform. Many of the prototype pics haven't been seen in other sources before. Great to see breakdown of the key people and each generation's contemporary competition and media reviews. Thank you!

[@kevinsellsit5584]

I strip away the old debris, that hides a shining car. A brilliant Red Barchetta From a better vanished time. Rush, Red Barchetta (The best driving song ever!)

[@eft6775]

💯

[@lostunder12]

My 1st love of cars was the z32 red turbo seen in the movie timecop with Jean Claude van dame. My 1st buy with my own money was a 91 white pearl na z32, and my dad used it more than me. Then, I went to a Z34, base model gun metal grey 6 spd. And I still have it. When the Z34 came out on need for speed, I made a vow to get my dream car. I was lucky enough to drive some at my old job in my early 20's. I have made so many mods to my Z34 from suspension, aero, basic power mods, and wheel tire set up. My Z has taken me to the high and lows of my life, and I wanna live long enough to be able to enjoy it as long as I can.

[@minhnguyen96]

first time viewer but i love the 3 hour videos. learned alot

[@Barchetta]

Thank you!

[@95blahblahhaha]

I know they probably only share 5% but I was so happy to find out my Infiniti FX35 "crossover" was related to the 350z and NOT the Murano!! I was 17yo lol🤷🏽‍♂️😂

[@HaHaThatIsFunny]

Just finished rewatching this for the third time. This is my favorite episode. I made Ferman Nissan an offer on that lime green vintage z back in the late '90s, but they weren't willing to budge on their price. I can't remember if they were asking 45 or 48K but I remember offering them 40 and they wouldn't take it. I thought that was around Thanksgiving 99 but he said it sold in 98

[@voiceofunreason5153]

With quality videos like this, your subscriber count will definitely grow. Job well done.

[@tonyadams6375]

Great video! I’ve owned 3 Z cars, a ‘72 240z a ‘74 260 2+2 and an ‘82 280zx. I enjoyed them all. I regret selling them over the years. Who knows. I might find another…

[@chaimshamza5850]

Im 20 mins in, i know yhe rest is going to top stuff, thanks for all this effort 👌

[@Barchetta]

Thanks for watching

[@slevpy]

you need to invest into a P-P- Pop filter

[@maltebudde3711]

Awesome video! I really like how you narrated the individual parts!

[@Strahlendersonnenlicht]

just starting now at 0:01, looking forward to a fantastic video thank you for your dedication ♥️

[@Taxi58]

You passed Scania Kungens Kurva on your way to Scania HQ. 20 minutes sw Stockholm C - about 1 mile from oldest IKEA in the world! If all your efforts and downs on your last Scania make you a bit fed up the Scania dealership is cross the road from biggest MAN-dealer in Scandinavia. Enjoy your trip!

[@mndlessdrwer]

I used to really like the 350Z, but now, having been in contact with them more, I have just grown a bit tired of them. The basic styling cues are all good things, but they were implemented with less care than I would have liked. Creases aren't as sharp as they could be and the excessively bubbly design makes it look a bit like a toy. The interior design is also quite cheezy and cheap feeling in actuality, quite unlike the more stark in aesthetic, but sturdily built Z32 300ZX. In retrospect, including the new 400Z, I think the Z32 300ZX is my favorite of the Z cars. It accomplished the low, wide, and mysteriously curvaceous look while maintaining that same ever-desirable roofline. They carried over the iconic tail lights and the originally blacked-out tail design in a light bar design that looks both eminently 90's yet also timeless. And the interior, while not covered in expensive luxurious finishes, was at least honestly built in a way that would resist rattles and squeaks by virtue of being sturdy and the steering wheel control pod design is vapor-wave futurism at its best. Heck, you could even get a digital HVAC control at your fingertips. It's a really cool interior with a lot of design effort put into making it feel cohesive and relatively unobtrusive while still being filled with as many trick features as they could reasonably afford to pack into the cost of the car. Looking at them side-by-side, the Z32 300ZX just feels more timeless to me than the 350Z. Maybe it's just because the body feels lower and leaner compared to the 350Z. Maybe I'm just being unfair because 90's JDM is my bias. Regardless of my personal opinion about the design and build quality, the 350Z was a major turning point for Nissan, as the strong reception of the car helped to raise the public image of other cars from the brand and really brought their overall sales to a level where they could afford to be more adventurous again. Without the 350Z to buoy the brand image and rake in some extra cash, it's reasonable to think that the R35 GT-R may never have happened.

[@ballsdeep6912]

I love the video, but I feel like the Z31 was overlooked. As a former Z31 owner, that’s usually how it goes. You have the lines of the s30 and s130 behind it and the Z32 in front so it’s usually forgotten, but it only got one segment in the video and it was such a cool car. The digital dash, the first V6 in a Japanese production sports car. The Shiro Special wasn’t even mentioned!

[@mndlessdrwer]

It really is a shame that the aesthetics really are what held it back from being the rockstar that it is in its bones. The Z32 will always be my bias of the Z cars, though. That mysteriously low and curvaceous body shape just does it for me. I can't help but be that weird guy in the parking lot who walks around the car when I happen to spot a Z32 in the wild. Pictures cannot possibly convey how low and lean the body of that car looks in reality. Modern cars with all of their crash protections and big wheels always seem to end up with hoods at my hip or even higher, but the Z32 is at mid-thigh at the highest on me and that's just incredible. Add to that the lovely large glass canopy and the more comprehensive and cohesive interior design and it's just my favorite of the Z cars by a mile. A shame that there aren't nearly as many on the secondary market anymore, so their prices have begun to steadily creep into an unobtainable price point for many. But, if the Z31 is your jam, then you can at least be happy that their pricing is far more reasonable.

[@HunterKnightCustoms]

Standing ovation! Great video and documentary. I own a Z and is the most fun i've ever had. The only way I would drop it would be to get a GTR. You have gained a new subscriber!

[@alexhouser4201]

This is so good, I absolutely loved your ls 400 video, and I can't wait to finish this one!!

[@Barchetta]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@sultanalsharif4673]

I watched the whole thing and my god! you have made something that is truly special!

[@6mtzhp55]

Owning an AP2 S2000 identical to the one in the video, it's funny how spoiled we were back then - today most people consider the 'dulled' AP2 far, far too raw. Every car in those tests is a treat to the senses in light of what cars have become.

[@HunterKnightCustoms]

Do you plan on doing a GTR docu as well?

[@Crusher103]

Brief history on a car=3hrs.

[@simonvancoevorden295]

Brilliant, great vid ! Deserves more subscribers.

[@LarryMoveHer]

Bro sounds like a villain that chose the wrong profession 😂

[@maureencora1]

My Favorite is the 1990 2+2 Z 300 GT. (smile)

[@samaravadi3]

Those power numbers for the Q50/60 are for the red sport spec, not base model VR30.

[@will4688]

Another great video!

[@gsxerwhite]

I can do a pretty good impression of this guys voice

[@alphatrion100]

Silvia, Z and Skyline were produced at the same time. That's alot of different sports cars for a mainstream car manufacturer!

Me gusta este video

[@nickwalters9311]

Such an underrated youtuber ❤

[@davisdesigns1153]

Toyota is fully sending it this generation, i love it

[@skibee50]

Great show

[@jessecain1646]

What a cool old truck

[@DavidDiaz-zp4hu]

1:21:58 thats a Ford Probe, somebody's readin a little too many car magazines ..

[@jasonwalters7927]

Awesome

[@vladimirmihnev9702]

I would put some flag or something like that on the antenna on top, so Trucks dont miss and drive over you in bumper to bumper traffic. Other than that, in a European city that tiny thing is great for getting to work and managing to find a place to park, and I guess it has quite good gas mileage, basically what the smart for to is made but fun and unique and not shit. And when you get some open road you will feel about to lift up before breaking the speed limits❤. And I am 100% positive its a chick magnet😎

[@whoami-eb7cq]

That test getting destroyed at the track killed it's sales potential.Why would you pay almost 30k(2023 dollars) more to loose by a full second at the track?All sports cars are measured by there lap times,period.Individually it did everything better but was lost in translation on the track.I absolutley loved it then and still do until this day.But the gold standard is the vette and chevy doesn't like handing over that title as America's sports car

[@mariabenitez334]

Es interesante el vídeo👏

[@BigAL_209]

You should rename the video to the entire history of the Z

[@silver1407]

intellectually you are like half a step above an AI

[@BigAL_209]

@@silver1407 sexualy your mom is a half step above the 5 dollar street walkers down my block.

[@SuperJMichael]

Yup. There’s nothing like a rotary engine for horrible gas mileage, slow acceleration, and copious engine oil usage.

[@MrBoomSkate]

Carnivorous luggage compartments are the best!

[@Barchetta]

I still can't believe I actually said that.

[@MrBoomSkate]

@@BarchettaI was looking to see if there other comments that caught it, yeah I didn't see any at the top at least. But it made me laugh even though I know exactly what you meant.

[@MrBoomSkate]

@@BarchettaI guess that would be compartmental payback for using leather?! 😂

[@Skinnerposse]

27:39 what? 4300 miles. Did they drive around in circles for 2500 miles before they left cuz it only 1800 from la to la

[@jwatt247]

I don't like how the new one looks in the back..

[@valedslinger6290]

My brother got a 72 for $2,100 brand new. UFB.

[@eft6775]

35:23 cavernous, not carnivorous 😂

[@caribbeangtr8077]

This is a well-narrated documentary. When Nissan killed the 300ZX Turbo and moved to the 350Z without a turbo, the car was dead for me. You cannot replace a turbo car with a non-turbo and expect it to be better. Even the new Z(400) is not as good as the 1989 300ZX in look and performance.

[@grahamkeeton6643]

Personally I don't think that the new z is good enough The R35 GTR shows the way of how to update a legendary car while the new z sort of fails OK the Nismo edition may help but its just still not enough

[@gwiz3059]

Brief !?!

[@StayRed]

I didn't even watch the video yet but it's a "brief history" it's 3 hours long lmao what's the long history? The actual time of the z's history? 😂

[@brice5542]

bravo great job

[@user-agreement-disengaged]

3 hours isn't exactly "brief."

[@froccoli]

I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE FOR FIVE MINUTES! (not complaining doe)

[@Barchetta]

I'm sorry 😞

[@froccoli]

​@@Barchetta nonono not complaining! genuinely some of greatest automotive documentaries ive ever watched, got me hooked.

[@Koenisegg]

S130 on top

[@StrelokBoggard]

So Yada didn’t want to change the headlights? of course not. Imaging they did change them… Boom! All of a sudden the Diablo is different. Shit, in that timeline Lamborghini name it something else… probably the poodle 🐩. He was right about the headlights, good enough for Lamborghini anyways. When you know you know

[@brandondimmitt8467]

Brief history 3 hours later 😂

[@gsxerwhite]

By "brief history" he meant you might have to change your underwear at least once by the time you finish watching this

[@avtomad722]

shit, sorry, what is a slush box?

[@whatyoudo9773]

is there some reason you talk like your doing pushups while speaking?

[@lobsterwhisperer7932]

I would love to purchase a 370z or earlier, but I'm an old fart and would look silly driving it.

[@tommiezturner6554]

Do what you love. Life is short…

[@User0000000000000004]

"a Cray supercomputer" Yawn. The nVidia GPU in your gaming laptop can run circles around any late 80s Cray. Many times over.

[@bulletmouse]

'brief'

[@Barchetta]

Brief is a relative term.

[@mikerattee56]

Adam should quote accurate stats about deaths in Ukraine.

[@edkidd5741]

HEY!!!!! It's pronounced DOT-SON not DAT-Son OMG!

[@zeoh4371]

3 hours long!!

[@silver1407]

This video is painful to watch. You want to keep going because the information on display is entertaining, but every part of you wants to click away so you can escape this dismal presenter. I don't think I can do it anymore

[@samuelgarrod8327]

A three hour brief history of something. With that voice. No thanks but good luck.

[@r107560sl]

Man, it’s just a stupid car for a stupid time.