New York show: Nissan outs 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition

NISSAN’S has uncovered a Peter Brock-inspired 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition coupe at this year’s New York motor show to celebrate half a century of Z-badged sportscars, which will hit Australia showrooms later this year.

Based on the entry-level 370Z, the commemorative sportscar wears the livery of the original #46 Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) Datsun 240Z race car, including a bonnet, boot, side mirrors, A-pillars and signature dual stripes on the car’s flanks finished in either red or black, contrasting with a white and silver duco respectively.

Meanwhile, the 50th Anniversary Edition also sports a new style line connect the headlights with the rear hatch – a throwback to a design cue of the Datsun 240Z that kicked off the Z nameplate and was in production from 1969 to 1973.

Red-accented 19-inch Rays forged aluminium alloy wheels, a unique front fender decal and 50th Anniversary rear badging complete the exterior look of the special 370Z.

Inside, the new models gains a bespoke Alcantara steering wheel with a centre stripe, exclusive seat logos and dark chrome kick plates, while the centre-stack gauges, monochromatic driver display and 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen return.

Motivating the 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition is the same 3.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6 as before, producing 247kW of power at 7000rpm and 366Nm of torque from 5200rpm.

Outputs are fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox with rev-matching technology or a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters, while braking performance is handled by four-piston callipers and 14-inch discs up front, and two-pot/13.8-inch vented rotors in the rear.

Pricing is yet to be determined, but the current Nissan Australia 370Z range kicks off at $49,990 before on-roads for the manual coupe, extending to $63,990 for the fixed-roof, automatic Nismo variant.

Last year Nissan Australia also released 50 examples of the 370Z N-Sport, based on the Heritage Edition revealed at 2017’s New York motor show, priced at $48,490 and $50,990 for the manual and automatic respectively.