Nissan went out of business around the year 2000. After the 300ZX was taken off the market in 1997, the company didn’t have a flagship car that people wanted to buy, and the GT-R still needed to be a worldwide hit. The Senior Vice President of Design at Nissan, Alfonso Albaisa, told The Drive at the Japan Mobility Show that the company has “lost its soul.” Albaisa says the 350Z helped his team find it again. “At the time, we were in terrible shape and trying to figure out who we were.” Albaisa asked, “Why are we here?” We were surprised to learn that even going back in time can help us find examples of great work. The story starts in 1999 after the Renault-Nissan Alliance was formed. There is a Z program here. The boss says that Nissan has a problem. Albaisa told them, “You must make a Z.” At the time, Albaisa was an associate design director at Nissan Design America and got to work with his team on two different Z concepts. One had a retro look and looked like a Datsun 240Z, one of the best-designed coupes ever. The other one was more up-to-date and cutting-edge. It was the car that became known as the 350Z, and it was clear that top management liked it the most.”There are 12 executives who vote in favor of going, including one who is the boss, and the vote was unanimous [in favor of the modern concept] 12-to-0.” Albaisa is talking about the 1999 Z Concept, which was shown for the first time at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that year and looked like a 240Z with Y2K themes. It was a beautiful car that I would have loved to see Nissan make, even though its fender wheel spacing was extremely wide. But in the end, those longings for the past were satisfied. Yes, in a way. Nissan management decided not to return the Z brand after the 13th birthday of the old Nissan 370Z, which was just an improved 350Z. “The flip happened this time,” Albaisa said about the new Nissan Z’s shape. We had one that was contemporary and modern and cared more about the future than the past. That being said, the present Z is a “best of” study that includes both the 240 and the 300. This time, the other way is 12 to 0. Things change over time, but it’s still the same company. The new Z is still a beautiful coupe, but it’s too bad it hasn’t become as famous as the 350Z did back in the day. Albaisa wasn’t joking; it’s a collection of Nissan’s best-selling Z models over the years. The latest model, on the other hand, doesn’t save Nissan’s soul as much as the 350Z did in the 2000s; its retro look isn’t selling well. Bringing down the price of the Nismo would be a good idea. Just an idea.
