Nissan’s one-off Z Kaze concept pairs a custom T-top roof with Pacific Teal paint, restored NISMO LMGT2 wheels, carbon-fiber bodywork and GReddy engine upgrades.
Nissan is going to bring back a feature of their older Z cars, which many people will recognize, in their new sports car. Nissan Z Kaze was a single-time concept created with a custom T-top roof; this allowed them to create an open-top version of the modern Z. This is reminiscent of the 280ZX and 300ZX.
The Nissan Z Kaze was introduced by Nissan on September 23rd in Phoenix, Arizona at ZCON. As an annual gathering of Nissan Z sports car owners and fans, ZCON is a natural setting for a project based nearly entirely upon the history of the nameplate.
Nissan added to the concept of the T-top in many ways; the T-top is a very obvious feature. Beyond the T-top, Nissan equipped the vehicle with a Pacific Teal paint finish, a carbon fiber hood featuring vents, broader fender flares, and a bespoke aerodynamic kit made of carbon fiber.
The inside of the Nissan Z Kaze is equipped with white leather seating surfaces as well as carbon fiber accents and Bose Personal Plus headrest speakers. In addition to the interior enhancements, the vehicle is fitted with NISMO suspension components and various GReddy components on the Twin Turbocharged V-6 engine.
The Nissan Z Kaze Brings the T-Top Back to the Z
The roof is what separates the Nissan Z Kaze from the regular Z.
Instead of the fixed roof used by the current Z, Nissan engineered a T-top with two removable glass panels. The center section remains in place, creating the familiar T-shaped structure associated with older Z models.
The thought process of this concept is rooted in the previous 280ZX and subsequently the 300ZX which were both produced by Nissan for many years. Both models had a T-Top option available as an open-air version; therefore, the Kaze represents a clear visual connection to that aspect of Nissan’s past.
Both roof panels have glass sections, so the cabin remains open and bright even when the panels are installed.
The name also ties into the roof design. Nissan says “kaze” means “wind” in Japanese, referring to the open-air experience the company wanted the concept to deliver.
Nissan’s design and product-planning teams developed the car as a passion project. The idea was centered around the experience of driving a Z along California’s Pacific Coast Highway with the roof panels removed.
That focus explains why Nissan did not stop at simply cutting the roof open. The rest of the car was designed around the same combination of heritage and modern performance hardware.
Pacific Teal Gives the Z a 1990s Tuner-Car Look
The Nissan Z Kaze is finished in a color Nissan calls Pacific Teal. The bright blue-green shade was chosen to fit the concept’s connection with 1990s sports-car and tuner culture.
The bodywork has also been changed substantially.
There is a lightweight, ventilated carbon fiber hood on the front of this vehicle. Nissan has also extended the width of the Z car with carbon-fiber fender flares that wrap over each wheel.
In addition to these parts, Nissan created an aero kit for this concept car in carbon fiber as well.
This package features a front-mounted splitter equipped with winglets on the exterior corners, side rocker panels featuring fins situated in front of the back tires, and a rear-end diffuser.
These parts give the car a wider, more aggressive appearance without changing the basic shape of the current Z.
The Nissan Z Kaze also gets a different wheel setup from the regular production car.
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NISMO LMGT2 Wheels Return for the Z Kaze
The wheels are probably among the most intriguing elements of this vehicle. Nissan installed genuine 18 inch NISMO LMGT2 forged, multi-piece wheels on the Nissan Z Kaze. Since these wheels have not been made in quite some time, Nissan was forced to find a used original set of wheels, then restore and rebuild them to use in the concept.
Regarding the dimensions of the wheels, the forward pair measures 10 inches in width, whereas the back pair spans 11 inches. This wheel width complements the Z Kaze’s wider fender treatment and provides a stance for the concept that would have been very typical in the Japanese performance car scene of the 1990s.
NISMO’s connection to the wheels is also important. The LMGT2 name comes from a period when lightweight forged wheels and motorsport-derived hardware were closely associated with Nissan’s performance image.
Rather than designing a modern wheel that only looked retro, Nissan used an actual older NISMO wheel and brought it back for this project.
The Interior Trades Dark Trim for White Leather
Inside the Nissan Z Kaze, Nissan chose an entirely different design. The interior of the car has custom white leather on the seats, as well as on sections of the lower dash and inside of each door panel. Carbon fiber trim was used to create contrast and help connect the interior to the exterior.
With the T-top panels off, the white interior is even more apparent. Nissan wanted the interior to be an extension of the overall open-air experience of driving this vehicle, rather than having just a normal Z interior underneath a modified roof.
There is another change that makes sense specifically for the T-top design.
The Bose Personal Plus speaker system is built into the headrest of each seat. When the roof panels are taken off, the Bose Personal Plus speaker system helps the people riding inside hear the music better by being closer to the source of the music (the speakers) and not having to rely solely on speakers located in other areas of the cabin.
It is a small detail, but it shows how the concept was developed around the T-top rather than treating the roof as an isolated styling exercise.
GReddy Parts Modify the Z’s Twin-Turbo V-6
Nissan also made changes beneath the Nissan Z Kaze.
The current Z’s 3.Although the 3.0-liter V-6 engine with twin turbochargers continues to serve as the primary power source, this prototype incorporates various parts provided by the Japanese aftermarket firm GReddy.
According to Nissan, the mechanical upgrades feature a GReddy SUPREME SP exhaust setup, a front-mounted air-to-air intercooler package, and an Airinx air filtration system.
The company has not released a revised horsepower or torque figure for the Z Kaze.
That means the engine modifications should not be treated as evidence of a specific power increase. Nissan has confirmed the hardware used on the concept, but it has not published a final output figure for this particular car.
The suspension receives a more direct NISMO treatment. Nissan says the Nissan Z Kaze has been fitted with NISMO suspension components as part of the mechanical changes.
The result is a concept that combines parts from two very different sides of Japanese performance culture: NISMO hardware from Nissan’s performance division and GReddy components associated with the aftermarket tuning scene.
Nissan Z Kaze Is Still a Concept
Despite the production-style finish, the Nissan Z Kaze is currently a concept vehicle and is not available for purchase.
Nissan describes the project as a passion project developed by its product planners and designers. The company has not announced a production version of the T-top Z.
That makes the roof one of the most interesting parts of the project from a product standpoint. The concept demonstrates that Nissan has engineered a T-top arrangement for the current-generation Z, but Nissan has not said that the design will become a regular production option.
The company is, however, putting the car directly in front of its Z enthusiast community.
The Nissan Z Kaze is scheduled to be shown at ZCON in Phoenix until September 26. Subsequent to this occasion, Nissan intends to display the Kaze during the Japanese Classic Car Show occurring in Long Beach, California, on October 3.
These two events provide enthusiasts with an additional chance to view the T-top Z in person.
The T-Top Returns to the Z After Decades
The removable panels are only one reason why people like the Nissan Z Kaze.
Nissan has always combined its sports car performance with unique bodies for each version of the Z car. Both the 280ZX and 300ZX helped make the T-top an integral part of the Z image. While the most recent generations have returned to the styling of previous generations; they have not brought back the roof design.
The Z Kaze connects those two periods.
The modern Z already uses design references from older Nissan sports cars. Its exterior draws from several generations of the Z family, while the Kaze adds a feature that was once physically part of those cars.
The Pacific Teal paint, restored LMGT2 wheels, wider bodywork and GReddy components take the idea further by adding the visual language of 1990s Japanese tuning.
That combination is what makes the Nissan Z Kaze different from a simple roof modification.
It is a complete theme built around a particular period of Nissan’s history.
Nissan Has Not Confirmed Production Plans for the Z Kaze
Nissan has said that the Nissan Z Kaze is just a concept car. The company has given no indication that they intend to build this vehicle in mass production.
Therefore, there is no official production date, cost, or availability stated by the company. Also, there are currently no specifications officially released for a T-top Z.
That leaves the Kaze as an enthusiast-focused project rather than a new Z variant that buyers can order.
Still, the concept provides a clear look at what a T-top version of the current Z could look like. Nissan has already done the engineering work for the concept, including the custom roof, and has combined it with suspension and powertrain-related hardware from NISMO and GReddy.
Whether that work leads to a production car will depend on Nissan’s future product decisions.
For the moment, the Nissan Z Kaze does exactly what a good enthusiast concept should do: it takes a familiar idea from the Z’s past and applies it to the current car without turning the result into a simple retro exercise.
The T-top returns, the NISMO LMGT2 wheels are back on a Z, and the Pacific Teal paint gives the car a distinctly 1990s personality. Underneath, modern Z hardware remains, joined by NISMO suspension components and GReddy engine parts.
Nissan has not promised that this combination will reach showrooms. But as a one-off concept, the Nissan Z Kaze gives the current Z a version of the open-air character that disappeared from the lineup decades ago.
