Nissan Z fan promises to do what the carmaker won’t
It’s been 30 years since Nissan last sold a ‘Z’ car with removable ‘T-tops’, and one man wants to rectify that.
We’re approaching five years since Nissan revealed the ‘RZ34’-generation Z sports coupe, continuing its long Z-car family lineage.
Like its direct predecessors in the 350Z and 370Z, the Nissan Z has continued on being a two-seat, two-door coupe, with a fixed roof providing rigidity on top, at the cost of open-air motoring.
You’ve got to go back to when the Z32-generation 300ZX left production in 1996 to find the last member of the Z family to wear a T-top roof, with the removable panels dating back to the 280SX of the late 1970s, but not seen since.
Though Nissan appears to be showing no signs of changing this, one US Nissan fan is taking matters into his own hands, announcing plans to build his own T-top Z.
Nick Scherr, best known online as Nismo Nick, is planning to bring out his T-top Z in 2027, with the aim of producing “modern interpretation of what a factory-inspired T-top Nissan Z could look like in 2027”.
“Inspired by the iconic Z-cars of the past that helped define generations of enthusiasts, this project brings the open-air experience back to Nissan’s newest sports car.
“T-tops became one of the most recognizable features of classic Z models, helping create some of the most memorable Z cars ever built.”
Like all previous T-top Zs, Scherr’s car will feature a central beam connecting the windscreen and rear window, to which the two removal roof panels will slot into and out of.
Time will tell about how long it takes to complete and at what cost.
Jordan Mulach
