This year marks 55 laps around the sun since the Datsun 240Z introduced the Z car to the world. (Nissan originally marketed its cars under the Datsun brand name and began calling them Nissans in 1984.) While the Z has not been in continuous production since 1969, Nissan is nonetheless celebrating this anniversary with a limited-production Heritage Edition.
The 2024 Nissan Z’s squared-off grille is already an homage to that first Z, known to Nissan faithful by its S30 chassis code. But the Heritage Edition wears a unique front end with a bisected grille, with the thin upper rectangle more closely mimicking the S30’s narrow opening, and fender extensions at each corner recall the riveted overfenders that are still popular on the OG Z. New Sight Orange paint harkens back to one of the 1969 Datsun’s signature hues, accented by asymmetrical matte-black stripes running from the hood to the trunk lid and along the car’s flanks. Unique black 19-inch wheels and Heritage Edition decals over the rear fenders
The Heritage Edition is a mid-level Nissan Z Performance trim. Positioned above the base variant but below the range-topping NISMO, the Z Performance features upgraded brakes with red calipers, a limited-slip differential and rear lip spoiler. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine makes 400 horsepower and 350 pounds-feet of torque, which it routes to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission. The Performance — and therefore the Heritage Edition — also includes heated, power-adjustable leather seats, navigation and an eight-speaker Bose audio system.
The 2024 Nissan Z Heritage Edition goes on sale this summer. At a base price of $60,275 (including $1,140 destination), it carries a premium of nearly $6,200 over the Performance trim on which it’s based.
