Nissan Skyline GT-R’s iconic feature brought back on special edition sports car
Nissan has invoked the spirit of the Skyline GT-R for its latest special edition model, with a new rare version of the Z coupe coming to Australia.
The Nissan Z has been given a 1990s-flavoured retro treatment, as the brand’s Australian division has finally confirmed the Z Heritage Edition for sale locally.
Revealed for the US in September last year, the Z Heritage Edition pays tribute to the Skyline GT-R of the mid-late 1990s, as well as celebrating the lineage of the Z family.
Nissan has added its famed Midnight Purple paintwork to the Z Heritage Edition, marking the first time the iconic colour has been officially used on anything other than a Skyline GT-R or R35 GT-R.
First introduced on the R33 Skyline GT-R in 1995 before later becoming available on the R34 Skyline GT-R, while the R35 GT-R also received the colour late in its production run.
A set of bronze 19-inch Rays wheels also feature, with their colour contrasting against the bright red brake calipers.
However, Australian versions of the Z Heritage Edition miss out on a number of key features from US examples of the limited-run sports coupe.
These include a carbon fibre spoiler with ‘Twin Turbo’ graphics - with the decals also featuring on the sides running from the back side of the front wheel to the rear of the door - as well as a gold wreath graphic around its rear three-quarter badges, unique door kick plates, and exclusive floor mats.
Limited to just 10 examples in Australia, the Z Heritage Edition is priced from $77,410 before on-road costs, a $1250 premium over the standard Z coupe.
Pricing is identical for both the a six-speed manual and nine-speed automatic transmission-equipped versions of the Z and Heritage Edition, both of which produce 298kW and 475Nm from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.
It’s the second time a former Nissan Skyline GT-R colour has been made available on the Z in Australia, after the R34’s iconic Bayside Blue arrived in July last year.
A facelift to the Nissan Z was revealed in January - alongside a manual transmission for the flagship Z Nismo - however these are yet to be locked in for an Australian launch.
