DATSUN 280ZX: The Definitive History

The S30 was always going to be a tough act for the company to follow. Nissan sold over half a million of them since its introduction in 1970. It appealed to pretty much everyone. General buyers appreciated its unparalleled ergonomics and practicality in the segment while enthusiasts enjoyed the Zs class-leading power and low base price.

Despite its shortcomings, the motoring press took to it quite well. No other offering in the Zs segment could keep up with it, and this remained the case throughout the decade. While strangling safety and emissions regulations cast a shadow over the sports car world, the S30 managed to get by relatively unscathed. It showed an uncanny ability to adapt to ever-changing conditions.

Nissan couldn’t keep the car on the market forever, though. Fuel crises, environmental regulations, and safety guidelines negatively affected performance and styling. The S30, as resilient as it proved to be, was not designed with these conditions in mind. Nissan needed a car for the 80s.

It isn’t enough for automotive designers to possess artistic mastery and strong interpersonal skills. They also need to be clairvoyant and know what people will want before they even know they want it. Nissan’s product planners were faced with the issue of figuring out what the Z of the future would look like. Development work can be traced all the way back to 1974. Surveying existing customers seemed like the best place to start.

Nissan Global

Z owners used their cars for everyday tasks such as commuting and shopping. They noted that its use cases weren’t that far removed from that of a sedan. This was hardly surprising to Nissan, seeing as how the S30 was designed in the vein of a daily driver. People also had a certain expectation of the qualities that a sports car should possess. They wanted a fast, nimble machine even though they’d probably rarely push the machine to its limits, if ever. The image of a sports car was a huge factor for them. It also needed to appeal to American sensibilities since the company predicted that 70 percent of production would go to that country.

The early ideation phase began in two phases. At first, designers were encouraged to explore ideas without adhering to the Z legacy. Even though the drawings were relatively loose, there were a few elements that were all but guaranteed to make the cut. A long hood and short overhangs were expected of a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe. Many of the drawings also featured a kick in the window that emphasized the rear wheel. Designers clashed over the finer details, though. The B-pillar, for instance, saw a wide variety of executions.

Another came up in the second sketching phase, which was more grounded in comparison to the first. One of the most contentious issues was the execution of the front grille. The old S30 had a wide opening that was bisected by the bumper. While it’s certainly iconic, it also wasn’t the most elegant solution, and this definitely showed in the late model 260Z and 280Z. Designers tried to modernize this element with a more integrated solution. It wasn’t until they stepped into the wind tunnel that they settled on a direction. Sealing off the opening above the bumper and sending the air into the lower intake proved to be the better solution. A front-end spoiler channeled more cooling into this area and had the added benefit of reducing front-end lift.

Datsun 280ZX by Fotosleuth is licensed under cc by 2.0

The headlights were also up in the air. The sugar scoop headlights were another defining characteristic of the old car. Retractable headlights were in vogue during this time, but in the end, the company decided to stick with traditional housings. To them, it was far more important to reinforce the Z identity than to conform to styling trends. Engineers also found that they provided more aerodynamic benefits than pop-up units.

After a lengthy design process, the company found itself with a pair of proposals. They were similar in many ways, with the main differences lying in the front bumper and B-pillar. The first had a front-end signature that wasn’t too far removed from the old 240ZG. The window support also blended in the with surrounding glass, creating a sleeker overall look. The second bid featured an angular bumper as well as a more ornate B-pillar. In the end, they decided to go with the second proposal.

Styling wasn’t the only fact that they needed to consider. Nissan had to ensure that it could excel as a daily driver. Safety, usability, and NVH were all prime considerations. In terms of crash protection, the IP was designed to collapse and absorb the impact if the driver were thrown against it in the event of an accident. Interior controls were also adjusted to make them as safe and usable as possible. Hard or protruding items that could prove hazardous during an impact were replaced with large and soft touch points. The 2-passenger and 2+2 body styles used different seats. The high-backed bucket seats from the 280Z were updated and carried over into the former, as they suited its more sporting character. 2+2 models were equipped with more comfortable low-backed models that increased visibility for occupants in the rear.

Visibility was also an important factor in this regard. Smaller A-pillars resulted in a three percent improvement in frontal sight lines. Nissan measured this by using a fish eye lens to replicate the perspective of the driver. While visibility out of the rear was more or less the same, the back window was significantly larger. This brought more light into the interior and made the cockpit more inviting overall. The urethane bumpers at the front and rear of the car are a more unified structure. Additionally, marked for the US and Canada were equipped with shock absorbers.

Overall interior volume increased dramatically. The S30 had 57 cubic feet of space. The S130, meanwhile, had about 73 cubic feet of space. Luggage capacity increased 37 perfectly from 7.47 cubic feet to 12.61 cubic feet. This was thanks in part to the use of a space-saver tire in the cargo compartment. Not every market would see this benefit, though. That kind of rubber was illegal in Britain at this point in time. Nissan had no choice but to use a full-size tire in the boot. This was to the dismay of Motorsport Magazine, which aired out its grievances in May of 1980. The tester couldn’t even fit a suitcase back there without removing the cargo cover. Porsche seemed to get around this issue by issuing a disclaimer as well as providing membership to a car recovery club. The publication was at a loss as to why Nissan couldn’t take the same approach.

After three years of work, 200 prototypes, and tens of thousands of test miles, the Datsun 280ZX entered production in July of 1978. Exports to the United States began in October while sales officially kicked off the following month. Its push upmarket was most evident in its $9,899 base price. The 2.8-liter engine should’ve looked pretty familiar to Americans. It was the same engine that was in the market-exclusive 280Z. Japanese buyers also had the option of a 2-liter variant that made 130 horsepower.

Journalists got a chance to check out the car at an event at Portland International Speedway, and they were instantly able to discern the differences between the S130 and its predecessor. The headline in Car and Driver said it all: 1979 Datsun 280ZX Evolves Into a Personal Luxury Car. Patrick Bedard remarked that it resembled something that Buick would put out if they ever decided to enter this segment. It was well-behaved at lower speeds, with the magazine stating that it was “more along the lines of a luxury car than a sporting machine.”

It did not inspire much confidence under hard driving. The rear end was far too eager to come out. A bit of this can contribute to a more engaging driving experience, but the S130 continually spiraled out of their control. It drew unfavorable comparisons to the Porsche 911. While skilled drivers could rein that car in those situations, the Datsun seemed to be beyond help. The 2+2 was a bit more stable, though they weren’t very fond of that car’s dynamics, either.

Whatever ground was lost here was made up in the interior. The driving position and instrument placement earned high marks. Bedard said that it was more luxurious than offerings from Mazda, Triumph, and even Mazda. The seats struck a balance between comfort and support and we’re endlessly configurable. Its host of features also impressed them. Cruise control, power steering, and a central warning system were just a few of the extras that came with the top-of-the-line Grand Luxury trim. The driver’s side window could also be lowered completely with a simple press of a button. The article stated that no one, not even the likes of Cadillac, had a feature like that.

It also had a dual fuel gauge. The main part goes from full to empty like normal. Right under this is a secondary display that essentially puts the last quarter under a microscope. It might seem like a silly detail nowadays, but it probably appealed to those living in the fuel-starved 70s. In the end, they found that the new Z was a compelling offering as long as it wasn’t pushed outside of its comfort zone. While they lamented the car’s change in scope, they could at least appreciate the car that was in front of them.

The S30 led the pack the moment it was released, but the scene had changed drastically since 1970. Competition was stronger than ever. Would the S130 see the same dominance? A 1979 Motor Trend comparison illustrated just how level the playing field had become. The magazine matched it up against its closest rival in the Toyota Celica Supra. It equaled the Datsun in terms of smoothness, performance, and fuel economy. The Supra was also over $4,000 cheaper. While they had reservations about the exterior styling, Motor Trend staff concluded that the Supra was the superior car in many ways.

A 1981 Car and Driver test put the 2-seater model up against the other premier sports cars of the day. While some of them weren’t exactly in the same vein as the Z, they did show how varied the sports car market had become. The Alfa Romeo and Fiat were holdovers from the previous decade and were among the last of a dying breed. Porsche’s 924 was their attempt at a relatively affordable sports coupe. The rotary-powered RX-7 was shaping up to be the S30 of the 80s. And while the Corvette was overdue for a replacement, it still offered plenty of raw thrills. With all of these cars and approaches, the Z was sure to stand out in its own way, right?

The first leg of their journey saw them travel from Los Angeles to Santa Maria. The trip included boundless freeways and twisty mountain passes. The roadsters excelled in the hills with their roofs stowed away. Cars of that sort were a dying breed, and the Italians left the writers wondering why that was the case. The wind and noise became a bit much after a while, but the cars still stood out in their own way. Conversely, the Mazda and Porsche were sophisticated machines that handled everything thrown their way with ease. Even the Corvette managed to charm them in its own unique way. The Z was the odd one out. While it was a decent enough straight-line cruiser, the numb driving dynamics were, in their eyes, totally unbefitting of a sports car.

Things remained the same the following day when they arrived at Willow Springs Raceway. The 924 was right at home on the track while the RX7 wasn’t very far behind. The Spiders weren’t the tarmac scalpels that the aforementioned cars were, though they were still able to have a bit of fun with them. Chevrolet’s offering actually had the fastest lap time out of the bunch. The Z was simply out of its element here, as the issues that cropped up during the road test were only accentuated here. When the scorecards were added up, the Z finished in fifth place, just ahead of the Fiat.

These sentiments were shared across the automotive press. Motor praised the smooth and quiet engine but stated that it “did not arouse great enthusiasm as a driving machine from any of our group testers.” Road Test magazine placed it third in a triple threat with an RX7 and Chevrolet Corvette. Don Fuller referred to the Z as a penalty box because it handled so poorly when compared to the other two.

They were clearly missing the old model and bemoaned its new direction. It was exactly what Nissan set out to build. No longer was it a homely, affordable runabout. It was evolving into a touring car that carried the burden of representing the entire company. The transition wasn’t complete quite yet, but the changes were already turning people’s idea of a Z car on its head. Whether or not enthusiasts took to it didn’t matter much. The market had spoken.

64,459 Z cars were sold in its first year on the market, though both generations were on sale concurrently. Brian Long notes that the vast majority of them were S30s. The S130 more than picked up the slack in 1979, where nearly 72,000 of them found buyers. It was also named Motor Trends’ Import Car of the Year.

Car enthusiasts were in for a treat at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show. The company unveiled the 280ZX 2+2 TT. The first T represented its T-bar roof while the second T hinted at a turbocharged engine. Let’s start with the new roof. Nissan planned on equipping the car with a full-on targa top, but time constraints and rigidity concerns led them to the present solution. The world would have to wait a bit longer for a traditional convertible Z. The panels could be had on the 2-seater as well as the 2+2. They struck a middle ground between open-air motoring and structural stability. Owners could store them in a vinyl pouch in the boot, but even when in place they let in sunlight and made the interior feel more open overall. It became available in the United States in 1980 and in Europe the year after.

Datsun 280ZX IMG 5211 by Alexander Migl is licensed under CC by sa 4.0

The more pertinent addition to the lineup was the turbocharger. It went on sale in April of 1981 with a few caveats. in the first model year, buyers could only get it in the 2-seater T-top body style and equipped with an automatic transmission. Nissan didn’t put a manual inside to start partly because they didn’t think their in-house manual could take the extra power. The slushbox that was available needed to be reinforced as well. A stick could be had later in the year while the 2+2 became available the following year. The 280ZX Turbo hit the scene at a price of $17,000. This would equate to $54,731.96 in today’s money.

The Garrett AiResearch turbocharger bumped its already respectable horsepower figure of 145(?) to a whopping 180. For comparison’s sake, the L81 Corvette of the same vintage had 190 horsepower. That was the most powerful American production car that year. An off-center NACA duct on the hood and twin exhaust tips at the rear were not-so-subtle visual cues. On paper, it completely changed the character of the car from a cruiser to an outright rocket (relatively speaking).

The turbo made its way to the Japanese market late in 1982, but only the 2-liter variant would receive forced induction. The L20ET engine made 145 BHP and 152 lb-ft.

Back in America, Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. For the early 1980s, this was seriously impressive. It then declared that it was “the quickest automatic transmission machine in the country.

This drastic increase in power and price placed it among entirely new competition. In the December 1981 edition of Car and Driver, it squared off against the Porsche 911, Ferrari 308GTS, DeLorean DMC-12, and Chevrolet Corvette.

The particular ZX used in the comparison was actually a prototype equipped with a manual transmission. Fit and finish weren’t quite on the level as the others, but it still managed to keep pace with them. In terms of straight-line acceleration, only the Porsche was faster. It also lost out on the top-speed crown to the Ferrari. The. magazine placed it third, which was impressive enough on its own. When price is considered, then they’re downright shocking. The 280ZX had the second lowest base price out of them all. The Corvette started at $16,250, but the test car cost about $19,000. The other three cars were priced from $25,000 to over $56,000. Nissan could take solace in the fact that it was in the mix with those other cars to begin with.

It went from a bit of a disappointment to a car that punched well above its weight. Nissan thought that it bolster already strong sales of the Z. Instead, they fell to about 63,000 in 1981, and then to about 57,000 in 1982. Thankfully, Nissan had an update in the works that they hoped would give the model line a shot in the arm.

The S130 Z would only be on the market for about five years. Nissan was already hard at work on its follow-up, internally dubbed the Z31. It wouldn’t be an entirely new car. Engineers used a modified version of the S130s chassis. The ensuing changes resulted in an improved coefficient of drag, from .385 to .30. It also featured 80s-ified sugar scoop headlights, which were more in line with the car’s angular lines. They also allowed Japanese owners to flash oncoming traffic in their retracted position.

The significant changes came inside the engine bay. The old power plants were retired from the Z line and replaced with a line of V6 engines. Markets outside of Japan only had the naturally aspirated VG30E and turbocharged VG30ET 3-liter engines. The former made 160 horsepower and 173 lb-ft while the latter produced 200 horsepower and 227 lb-ft. In Europe. This engine made something closer to 230 horsepower and 242 lb-ft.

The situation was a bit different in Japan. Here, the VG30ET made its full power rating until October 1986. After this, it was dethroned to 195 horsepower and 227 lb-ft. Buyers out here could also have their car with a 2-liter motor. The 170-horsepower VG20ET was available until 1986. This is when the RB20DET in-line six was introduced. It made 10 more horsepower than the engine that it replaced. The turbocharger made use of a turbine rotor made from ceramic. This reduced its moment of inertia by a whopping 45 percent, reducing turbo lag and increasing engine responsiveness. It was developed in collaboration with NGK and earned Nissan a prize from the Japan Gas Turbine Academic Society in 1986.

1987 saw the introduction of the VG30DE. This was a naturally-aspirated four-valve DOHC V6 engine that gave the car a different character, as Jack Yamaguchi explains:

“The twin-cam engine delivers a rare combination of a flat torque up curve low in the rev range and a willingness to wind instantly to the 7,000 RPM limit.”

Late-model domestic Z31s can be picked out based on their names. Cars that are powered by the RB20DET are referred to as the 200ZR. The 200ZR-I is equipped with a standard roof while the 200ZR-II has a T-bar roof. VE30DE-powered cars go by 300ZR. Lastly, VG30ET-equipped cars went by 300ZX. All of the 3-liter cars had a T-bar roof.

The Z31 went on sale in the United States in October 1983. The base 2-seater was priced at $15,800 while the turbo began at about $18,200. A base model that would’ve been priced from about $13,000 was not offered in the US due to voluntary import quotas. It came out just as the Datsun brand was being phased out worldwide. The S130 was officially badged “Datsun 280ZX by Nissan”, but the new car had no Datsun badging on it whatsoever.

Road and Track said that it was “the same-only more so” before going on to state that fans of the 280ZX would be fond of this car as well. Of course, it was also unlikely to win over its critics. It did have superior handling to its predecessor, but overall, it was seen as a mild revision.

In 1984, Nissan released the 300ZX Turbo 50th anniversary to commemorate the company’s half-centenary. There were a host of exclusive features, including silver over black paintwork, color-keyed bummers, gold-inlaid wheels, unique seat emblems, and a set of gold keys. Mechanical changes included a new front air dam and stiffer springs. There were no options aside from the choice of either a manual or automatic. They were priced at $26,000 and allocations were limited. Nissan shipped just 5,148 examples to the US and another 300 to Canada.

Sales surged upon the Z31s introduction. About 71,000 were sold in 1983 and just over 73,000 were sold in 1984. And then numbers declined to about 67,000 in ‘85.

A mild update in 1986 introduced a redesigned front end, flared wheel arches, and more aggressive side skirts. The off-center hood scoop present on turbo models was also deleted. This previewed a more comprehensive facelift in 1987. Nissan’s North American design studio in San Diego developed this revision. Nissan Design International was established in 1979 and began doing business in 1983. This was an important project for the emerging satellite studio.

It featured yet another redesigned front end, thinner tail lights, new wheels, a tweaked suspension setup, and larger brake calipers. This did nothing to help with free-falling Z sales. 1987 saw Nissan move just 33,000 of them. In ‘88, they dipped below the 20,000 mark. The writing was on the wall for the Z31. It was time for a replacement. 414,628 S130s and 328,599 Z31s were produced during their respective runs in the market. While they kept the Z relevant throughout the late 70s and early 80s, neither car had the cultural impact of the original. This changed in the 90s.