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Nissan launches Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary Edition

10/15/2009, 9:33 AM

By Drew Johnson

In honor of its 40th anniversary, Nissan has announced a special edition of the Fairlady Z — better known to us as the Nissan 370Z. Dubbed the Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary Edition, the limited edition model commemorates the car’s October 1969 market launch.

Based on the Fairlady Z’s top trim level in Japan – the Version ST – the 40th Anniversary Edition adds plenty of special touches. Inside, the 40th Anniversary model comes equipped with a unique leather and suede trim on the seats and doors, complete with red accent stitching on the seats, steering wheel, shifter, console boot and instrument panel upper box.

Special 40th Anniversary emblems adorn the rear of the car as well as the Fairlady’s seat backs.

Although the 40th Anniversary car’s engine bay remains unchanged, the car does feature unique 19-inch RAYS wheels finished in a dark chrome coating. Hiding beneath those wheels are upgraded brakes sporting a red finish. The 40th Anniversary model can be had with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic.

The car’s signature color will be Metal Gray, but it can also be had in Deep Maroon, Brilliant White Pearl, Brade Silver, Diamond Black and Vibrant Red.

No word if the 40th Anniversary Edition of the Z will be heading State side, but given the 240Z also launched in American in 1969, we suspect this model will land in U.S. Nissan dealers sometime next year.

The Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary Edition will list from just under $50,000 in Japan, but that figure would drop significantly if brought to America.

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10/15, 9:44 AM

posted by:

key4wheels

“The Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary Edition will list from just under $50,000 in Japan, but that figure would drop significantly if brought to America.”

does this drop in price turn the fairlady into a rottencrotch?

10/15, 9:44 AM

posted by:

idrinorbarsaku

Why is it the “Fairlady…?” Fairlady refers to the japanese version of the z with a v8! Will this have a v8 in it?

10/15, 9:48 AM

posted by:

armstealer

“we suspect this model will land in U.S. Nissan dealers sometime next year.”

for the, um, 41st anniversary?

10/15, 10:02 AM

posted by:

leftwingagenda

i think i’ll buck the comment trend…cool car! i want one (but a convertible)…the dark grey/grey wheels/red brakes look should be pretty hot…i want to see pics of the interior, since that sounds like where a lot of the effort went…

10/15, 10:07 AM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

So if you ever have to tow one of these do you need to stick a worm on the hook?

10/15, 10:14 AM

posted by:

Need more oil for GM

What a joke, 40 years of bad reliability, sh1tty quality, and miserable ownership costs is not a legacy worth celebrating. 40th anniversary for a POS japcrap car, you might as well celebrate Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor while your at it.

How many of these piles of crap are even on the road? They’re all in the scrapyard ready to become 12 packs of beer by now, good luck finding one to celebrate.

The only sports car with a legacy is the Vette. It has always been the standard for performance in this segment (Nissan has always been an also-ran) and with values holding strong and desirability off the charts, it’s no wonder GM has something to celebrate. Nissan doesn’t.

They can celebrate when they get the fock out of the Country once and for all, but until then, fock em.

GM. An American Revolution

10/15, 10:16 AM

posted by:

A4

This car has a V8 in Japan but not in the U.S.? nawwww… really?

10/15, 10:17 AM

posted by:

A4

GOD DAMMIT NMOFGM

10/15, 10:38 AM

posted by:

SG328is

QUOTE:
Need more oil for GM

What a joke, 40 years of bad reliability, sh1tty quality, and miserable ownership costs is not a legacy worth celebrating. 40th anniversary for a POS japcrap car, you might as well celebrate Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor while your at it.

How many of these piles of crap are even on the road? They’re all in the scrapyard ready to become 12 packs of beer by now, good luck finding one to celebrate.

The only sports car with a legacy is the Vette. It has always been the standard for performance in this segment (Nissan has always been an also-ran) and with values holding strong and desirability off the charts, it’s no wonder GM has something to celebrate. Nissan doesn’t.

They can celebrate when they get the fock out of the Country once and for all, but until then, fock em.

GM. An American Revolution
END QUOTE

That didn’t take long you loser. Relating supporting foreign cars to the bombing of Pearl Harbor just shows your lack of respect, as well as intellect. How many freaking scraps of GM or Ford product are on the road… oh man I could make a HUGE list. Corvette does have a legacy, but so do the likes of the Z car, the Mustang, Camaro. Yes I listed American product, but to say that the Z isn’t a legacy car is just flat idiotic.

I’ll say it again, get the hell off this site. I don’t believe there is anyone on this site that enjoys reading your gibberish. Oh and I’m glad GM has something to celebrate, being one of the failures of America and having to have daddy government buy them out to sustain their crappy products… Celebrate that buddy!!!

10/15, 10:43 AM

posted by:

05Z88Path

Woah. Woah. Hold on there folks. The 370Z does not come with a V8 in any market. The only V8’s to be squeezed under the hood of the Z by the factory is for racing (in the JGTC series over in Japan).

Secondly, anybody who knows anything about Nissans knows that ‘Fairlady’ is merely the name given to the Z lineup in Japan. The name was first given to the car in 1969 for what we know as the Datsun 240Z here in the States. Word is that Nissan thought the name ‘Fairlady’ wasn’t macho enough for car guys in the US. I’ve always thought it was a pretty cool name, but hey the one letter ‘Z’ has worked out pretty well too!

10/15, 10:47 AM

posted by:

zeegone

Sweeeeet ride! Love that color and the dark black chrome wheels look incredible along with the rippling exterior. Too bad GM can’t put an interior with this high of a quality in their 100k+ vette. What isn’t to like about this car?!?! The styling is pure preference but everything else is dead on. The 350z was and still is badass but only lacked a decent interior, I mean it was Corvette quality inside (Eeek!), but now that is all fixed. The Z is still a rock solid enduring pure sports car. How did Car and Driver put the Pro’s one year with the Z- “The enduring feeling of solidity” I believe, true indeed.

Best part is 20 years down the line this beast will still be holding together just as good as the day it was built, pity you can’t say that about a vette unless you lock it up in an airtight bunker and never drive it. Poor NMOFGM, thank you for making me buy my Z, completely worth it.

10/15, 10:56 AM

posted by:

05Z88Path

@zeegone: Do you have a 370 then or a 350? I have a 05 Touring 6 speed…absolutely love it! The interior was one of the few gripes people had with the 350, but the leather seats in the Touring really help out and I’ve installed a carbon-fiber center console (goes all the way from around the gauges down to the shifter) and that adds a lot of interest inside. Gotta love the aftermarket support for our cars; it’s a car guys dream for bolt-ons!

10/15, 11:02 AM

posted by:

SG328is

I think a 350 or 370 will be my next “fun” car for sure… 05Z88… fit a bag of golf clubs in the back alright?

10/15, 11:07 AM

posted by:

JakeK66

I think synthetic squid lures will work better in this fishing expostion, Johnny, due to this being native to salt-water

10/15, 11:09 AM

posted by:

floor_it

idrinobarsaku –

240/260/280/300/350ZX has always been called Fairlady Z in Japan, never been available from the factory with a V8, only inline or V- 6s.

10/15, 11:15 AM

posted by:

Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust

The 370Z is one of the better Zs, but I wish they had done more than just cosmetics for the 40th anniversary. The original Z was a game changer and a hard act to follow.

10/15, 11:18 AM

posted by:

American_Cars_Crap

My dad who just turned 65 got a 370z NISMO edition which is awsome to see a guy that age still have the heart of a 20yr old. I guess being a vegetarian really does boost health and energy. But its a fantastic machine for the money. Very well balanced, beautiful engine, and brakes that will cause your eyeballs to exit their sockets. This is the car I was considering for myself but I wanted something I could also put my mountain bike in and the STI was the perfect car for that. And the Fairlady was never a V8 version.

10/15, 11:23 AM

posted by:

zeegone

@05z88path- Grand Touring 350. Don’t get me wrong now, I love the interior, the seats are comfy and hold you in tight and the perforated leather looks very nice. The 07 and 08 350z models were very similiar to the first years but enough small changes were made to make it nicer still and not cheap. The plates around the window and door switched have started to wear a little bit so I was looking to find a full replacement carbon fiber plates for those. I’ve found the stick on ones but would rather just replace the whole piece. The center stack still looks good though but I bet a carbon fiber plate would look awesome.

@floor_it- I was wondering what idrinobarsaku was talking about too. If there were ever a Z built with a V8, we would have certainly already figured out a way to have one in America.

10/15, 11:24 AM

posted by:

floor_it

05Z88Path – don’t think Nissan has ever put a V8 in the Super GT / jgtc Zs…not in the GT500 class anyway. Maybe a private team did…

10/15, 11:44 AM

posted by:

wakeNbake

I really love the new Z. I’d skip the “Fairlady” edition and upgrade the current Z with the performance package and save yourself a lot of dough.

10/15, 11:46 AM

posted by:

03T4R

I say we ignore NMOFGM in the future, he clearly wants attention and doesn’t know how to spell. The correct form of “your” is “you’re”….dumb*ss.

“what a joke, 40 years of bad reliability, sh1tty quality, and miserable ownership costs is not a legacy worth celebrating. 40th anniversary for a POS japcrap car, you might as well celebrate Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor while YOUR at it.”

10/15, 11:56 AM

posted by:

JakeK66

American_Cars_Crap – You’re the reason I hate people who buy these types of cars. They are indeed good cars, but boasting on how great he is because he’s a vegetarian? Really? I hope you live in California, because it just gives me one more reason to never move there.

So how much are manicures for men going these days? How much do you spend on a haircut? Jack@sss.

10/15, 12:46 PM

posted by:

idrinorbarsaku

nissan released a nismo 350z with a V8! It came to be known as just the “Fairlady Z” with only fairlady z badges and no 350z badges. The v8 engine was brought from nissans racing team and detuned. As some of mentioned about a v8 not fitting……you obviously don’t know a 350z…it’s engine bay was enormous and easily fit many different v8 engine conversions!

10/15, 12:49 PM

posted by:

SoTXFord

Yep, the Fairlady title was dropped when the original was brought to the States because Nissan/Datsun at the time felt that it was too soft of an image for the US market. Nowdays every fan boy puts Fairlady on Zs and Skyline on G35/37s.

That being said, the 370 is an amazing machine, but IMHO the visability is awful and I was not a big fan of that whole rev matching thing either. I dont think Id like it as a daily driver. That and the price played a major decision in me buying a Bullitt Mustang over the Z.

10/15, 1:00 PM

posted by:

FSVT_ROCK

Man, I love came on here see ya argue with each other, that is so funny.

For the first time even Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R smoked Covette, during the testing over Japan 15 years ago and R33 only has 2.6L, inline 6, with twin turbo charge produce 320hp. That’s why GM stop making the Covette, and rethink what they can do to beat super car like Skyline.

between 240Z to 370Z it was a wonderful little Japanese muscle car, that used to be affortable and fast too. Nissan has no plan to make a V8 for their Z series, because it is not traditional for the Z. Fairlady name has been since 1969, and it has been great for everyone. Big problem for a Japanese company is that they start running out idea after 1999 and most sports car in Japan like Nissan Z series, Mitsubishi 3000 GT / GT VR-4, Toyota Supra and Honda NSX has been dis-continue. That also happen to many good American Muscle cars, and sports cars too.

240Z – S30 code name
280ZX – S130 code name
300ZX – Z31 code name (1983-1988)
300ZX – Z32 code name (1989 – 1999)
350Z – Z33 Code name
370Z – Z34 code name

10/15, 1:13 PM

posted by:

KarLoveBoy88

This car is definitely a legend and deserves to be commemorated with a 40th anniversary edition. If I had the money right now, I’d definitely pre-order one. One would arguably agree that this is the Japanese Corvette. I think the 90’s model Z was the best model in my opinion. Due to the fact that it featured a twin turbo charged V6, it provided V8 power with great gas efficiency.

10/15, 1:13 PM

posted by:

PerformanceGuy

Awesome, I want one in the Metal Gray color!

10/15, 2:09 PM

posted by:

zeegone

The 1996 twin-turbo 300zx was an incredible machine and remains to be one of the best looking sports cars of all time but when it comes to price……..wow was it up there when loaded with turbos. That car still makes my head turn when I see one going down the street (wish I could say the same about a similiar year vette NMOFGM but no way!)

The 370z is not cheap but it brings a lot to the table. As far as price and power is concerned it’s most direct competitor is the mustang GT which although has 2 more seats is still outgunned and easily outhandled by a Z. It just comes down to preference. Obviously I’ll always take the Z but that’s just me! They’re sitll both great sports cars.

@idrinorbarsaku- you are right about the V8, there are Z’s out there will V8 with the badass 4.5L engine but it is racing only, not for the streets.

@FSVT-Rock- what are the points in your previous unconjugated statements? The Z is still affordable and fast and those other companies are still making good sports cars, they just all happen to have 4 doors.

10/15, 2:12 PM

posted by:

zfenderguy

As a 240Z owner and former owner of other Z’s, this story warms my heart. I wish the anniversary model had seats with the old pattern in them, and maybe the diamond pattern transmission tunnel, luggage riser and wheel arch trim. That would be classy if done in a modern way. They should have done this model in the old canary yellow and orange colors too. That might have done me in, and forced me to consider a stupidly large line of credit. BTW, NMOFGM, my 240 is on the road and running strong after 38 years! Fock you!

10/15, 3:32 PM

posted by:

Auto X

In response to NMOFGM

This car would be more fun to drive then anything GM has ever made

10/15, 5:45 PM

posted by:

aesir

@03T4R most of the smart members already do. I ignore any post that has NMOFG in the the text and I never read anything he has to say as soon as I see his name.

10/15, 6:40 PM

posted by:

FSVT_ROCK

@ Zeegone – My point to make is that NMOFGM always telling people how good GM vehicle are and no one can bet them, however Nissan did long time ago and they will keep doing it. Since after 1999 to 2002 has been a slow 3 years for sports cars. Remember Supra, NSX, 3000 GT, and 300ZX has been dis-continue for 3 years, however Nissan come back with 350Z in 2003, but not Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi.

There are too many things about some of these company we don’t see it in the US market, I have seen some excellent Nissan that is better then Covette and Camaro or any GM vehicle. Plus some of the vehicle specially Buick will be build from China now, haha.

Personally I have droved Nissan Skyline sedan, R32, R33, and R34, Silvia S13, S14 and S15, 280Z, 300Z and 350Z. They are all better then any GM vehicle I have test drive before, people has miss leading on these sports cars and people like NMOFGM does not agree with this, because it is the truth.

10/15, 7:33 PM

posted by:

beatusmongous

FSVT, you skipped the 260Z and 280Z. I had a 280Z, not the ZX, though, and it was a fun little car. I sure miss it. I lost it to a flood, and although the car limed home, it didn’t survive. But I didn’t scrap it. Instead, I sold it to someone who had more time to restore it, and when I see it, I sure do wish I still had it. Great cars.

10/15, 7:33 PM

posted by:

beatusmongous

*limped. Dammit.

10/16, 12:00 AM

posted by:

LunaticRider

sweet car u got to say

10/16, 8:52 AM

posted by:

zeegone

@FSVT_Rock- good points

10/17, 3:28 AM

posted by:

AZhitman

Looks like a lot of the posters here need to get on a Nissan forum and do some homework…

At any rate, we staged some historic photographs to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Z… Hope you all enjoy:

http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/456714-how-nicoclub-celebrates-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-z

10/20, 2:41 PM

posted by:

Noah

This is as bad as BM offering the vette gran sport. What a POS and waste of money

 
 
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