The last production vehicles to feature T-tops were the 2002 Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Camaro. After a 24-year absence, they have made an appearance on the Nissan Z Kaze concept car built for ZCON, a convention hosted by the Z Car Club Association, to pay tribute to 1990s sports car culture.
“The Z Kaze concept celebrates some of Nissan’s most iconic open-top sports cars, while recognizing the ’90s tuning culture that helped put Nissan and NISMO on the map,” said Ponz Pandikuthira, senior vice president, chief product and planning officer, Nissan Americas. “This passion project combines Nissan’s engineering excellence, creativity and celebration of the brand’s heritage.”
The concept vehicle (named after the Japanese word for wind) is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 enhanced with components from GReddy that include an Airinx air filter kit, front-mounted air-to-air intercooler kit, and Supreme SP exhaust system. Underneath, the suspension system has been upgraded with NISMO components.
Pacific Teal paint encases the exterior that includes slight modifications that pay tribute to the 1990s import tuner car scene. Upon first glance at the custom-engineered T-tops, vented carbon fiber hood, black fender flares, custom carbon fiber aerodynamic body kit, and restored 18-inch NISMO LMGT2 wheels, one might believe they’ve walked onto the set of “The Fast and the Furious.”
The wheels — which have been out of production for a while — were sought after by the product planners and then rebuilt specifically for this concept car. They measure 10 inches wide in the front and 11 inches wide in the back, which creates an aggressive stance.
The exterior does everything to evoke feelings of nostalgia, while the contrasting interior has futuristic, performance-inspired white leather custom seats complemented by carbon fiber accents. Designers at Nissan ensured occupants of the vehicle will be able to enjoy music with the T-tops on or off thanks to Bose Personal Plus speakers built into the headrests.
Unfortunately for all of us, especially those like me who are big fans of T-tops, the Nissan Z Kaze is only a concept. In case you’re in or near Long Beach, California, you can see it on display at the Japanese Classic Car Show on Saturday, October 3.
