I remember very clearly when Nissan finally decided to take the wraps off its new Z sports car back in 2020. The car world seemed to love it, save for one thing: The grille. The big, black-colored rectangular opening in the bumper cover drew lots of controversy when it was revealed on the prototype, and criticism continued when it went to production.
Nissan heard people’s complaints. In 2023, it released a Heritage Edition model, which placed a body-colored piece of trim through the middle of the black grille area, effectively splitting it into two openings. Today, the company revealed a refreshed version of the Z that revamps the grille entirely, making the lower portion body color and drastically changing the front end’s styling.
The thing is, Nissan had it right the first time. The big grille was excellent, and I’m sad it’s going away.
Pure And Simple, Just Like The Original
Huge grille openings were all the rage back in 2020. BMW famously revealed its current M3 and M4—the cars with some of the biggest, gaudiest grilles on the planet—that same year. So it wasn’t very surprising to see Nissan go down that same path.
While I don’t very much like BMW’s approach, I’ve always been fond of the Nissan design. It was first revealed on the Z Proto, a near-production prototype that, for the most part, showed off the road-ready version that would enter production two years later, virtually unchanged. While many were upset Nissan didn’t address their complaints, I was happy the big grille made it through unscathed.
Explaining why I prefer the Z’s original grille compared to either of its updated versions is like trying to explain why I love mint-flavored chocolate candies, while other people don’t (if you like York Peppermint Patties, shout out to you). To me, the uninterrupted black rectangle seems to fit best against the bright yellow paint, without being too busy. It’s bold, simple, and uncompromised.
That grille design was also an accurate homage to the original Nissan/Datsun S30, known domestically as the 240Z. The car was very obviously designed to be a retro callback to that original coupe, with a similar headlight design and sloping roofline. The big grille is just another design piece to harken back to the S30. People don’t really remember the original Datsun having such a big grille, since it was blocked by ugly bumpers:
It’s much more obvious when you look at an original Z without its front bumper:
It’s Only Gone Downhill From Here
My opinion shouldn’t carry much weight, of course. I’m a lowly car writer who will never be able to afford a brand-new Z. That means I’m not a part of the buyer demographic. But when I have an opinion, I feel compelled to share it here. And in my opinion, Nissan’s attempts to satiate buyers complaining about the grille have only made things worse. Just look at this:
What you’re looking at is the Nissan Z Heritage Edition, an orange-only special edition model that debuted in 2023. Even if you think it’s not as brash as the original design, you have to admit, it’s still awkward-looking. I’m sure there will be some of you who will defend this, as it also calls back on the original 240Z’s fascia, which, as I mentioned before, is cut through the middle with a bumper beam.
That’s a fair argument, and one that my colleague Jason Torchinsky made back when this car came out. But I still prefer the original. It’s cleaner and delivers more of a statement, while staying true to the car’s most pure design aspects (those aspects being the grille without any bumper). An orange piece of plastic going down the middle feels like a compromise.
The newly refreshed Fairlady Z—the name for the Japan-market Z—was revealed today at the Tokyo Auto Salon. It takes the Heritage Edition’s changes one step further. Again, we get a body-colored beam cutting through the middle of the bumper, and it’s accompanied by a resculpted lower chin area, with a reshaped lower opening.
While I do appreciate the new color and the new wheels, I worry this new bumper will look just as strange on cars with brighter paint jobs. It is more cohesive than the orange car’s setup, I’ll admit, but all of this separation a the front just seems pointless, and only serves to muddy up the once-iconic front end. If Nissan removed that central beam but kept that lower chin update, I’d be really into it.
I’m sad the original grille design will be going away for good. Nissan confirmed to The Drive earlier today that the design will also be making it Stateside in the near future, which means that weirdos like me will only have a limited amount of time before pre-refresh models disappear from dealer lots for good.
Top graphic images: Nissan
Wait, they are actually able to sell these?
The design of the current Z is a jumbled scattershot of different styling cues from multiple generations of the Z, and that’s not a good thing. While a grill opening that nods to the first Z is understandable in theory, it doesn’t work when the styling of the rest of the car takes a different direction. The taillights are an obvious nod to the 300ZX from the 90s, which again, cool in isolation, but disjointed with all the other design choices made on the car.
It’s not an ugly car, but it’s not a successful bit of design, IMO.
A rattle can of BBQ paint, and Bob’s your mother’s brother.
Or how about a chrome cap and a big round pair of foglights in the center?
Respectful counterpoint: the update is an improvement.
1: We no longer have the Domo-mouth grille, which is an improvement.
2: The headlights no longer look like they have bags under the “eyes” of the car.
3: That greeeeeeeeen looks fantastic.
I still wouldn’t buy one, but at least Nissan is responding to feedback. Maybe they’ll redesign the roof line so a human can fit. Even better one wearing a racing helmet. That was one of the big advantages of the G35/37 coupe over the 350/370Z was that it had the longer roof and actual room for adults in at least the front.
The designers didn’t just cave to the criticisms on the latest version, they actually fixed it so it’s not just reminiscent of the early Z but more integrated into the overall design.
It’s still too expensive to justify buying one….