Seven Generations On: What the Nissan Z Is Today

The RZ34 is the seventh chapter in a story that started with the 240Z in 1969. Its specs, its character, and the lineage it carries.

The Nissan Z is one of the longest-running sports-car stories in the business. The line stretches back to October 1969 and spans seven generations: the 240Z/260Z/280Z, the 280ZX, two generations of 300ZX, the 350Z, the 370Z, and the current car^[1]. The RZ34, launched in 2022, is the latest keeper of that flame^[1].

The current car

The RZ34 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre VR30DDTT V6 producing 406 PS (400 hp) and 350 lb-ft of torque^[1]. The layout is front-mid-engine with rear-wheel drive^[1], and buyers choose between a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic^[1]. There is a quiet statement in the name itself: the 2023 model was the first Z car sold without a number in its name^[1] — no displacement figure, just the letter that has carried the idea for over five decades.

Where the idea came from

The Z exists because Nissan USA president Yutaka Katayama believed in an affordable international sports car^[1]. The original Datsun 240Z proved him right, selling over 45,000 units through 1971 and establishing the model’s reputation for looks, reliability, performance, and value^[1]. Every generation since has been a restatement of that same argument: real performance does not have to be exclusive.

Its place in the lineup

Within Nissan’s range, the Z holds a specific post: it is the accessible performance car, the halo that ordinary buyers can actually reach^[1]. The GT-R chased supercars; the Z has always chased drivers. Four hundred horsepower^[1], a manual gearbox on the order sheet^[1], and rear-wheel drive^[1] is a combination that has become rare at any price, and the Z’s continued commitment to it is precisely its character — modern hardware in service of an old, good idea.

The full specification and generation history are on the Nissan Z database page. To see the current car in the metal, browse our live Z listings — the seventh generation of an argument Nissan has been winning since 1969^[1].