This week marks the 38th annual ZCON, an international gathering of Nissan’s six-cylinder rear-wheel-drive sports cars. It’s the sort of grassroots thing that you might not expect an automaker to pay official attention to an allocate real resources towards, but Nissan is going a different route. It’s unveiled a customized one-off called the Z Kaze specifically for the event, and there’s one thing on this car that rules harder than everything else.
See, ‘Kaze’ is Japanese for wind, and you certainly aren’t feeling the breeze through your coif in a slicktop coupe. Even with the windows open, it’s more sideburn exposure than anything. At the same time, a full-on convertible would be a huge fabrication task, and previous FM-platform drop-top Zs have felt a bit like bathtubs. The solution Nissan posits is throwing things back to the late 20th century with hair metal’s official roof arrangement. Oh yes, I’m talking about T-tops.
The premise behind T-tops is simple, in that they sort of split a targa roof down the middle. A fixed center support adds some modicum of structural rigidity and provides a fixed point for both sides of the removable roof to mount to, and individual removable roof halves allow for easier storage and more flexibility – if you want some sky but your passenger doesn’t, for instance. Sadly, proper T-tops are endangered these days. They’re on the GMC Hummer EV and that’s about it.
Guess what? They look excellent on the Z, and this converted concept really seems to have a sense of visual quality to it. The weatherstripping’s nice, the jambs where the T-tops mount look nice, it wouldn’t be that hard to imagine the roof treatment as a complete and finished saleable product.
Of course, Nissan didn’t stop with the roof, instead deciding to give the Z Kaze the full tuner treatment. We’re talking enormous carbon fiber fender flares filled by Nismo LMGT2 wheels, an iconic ’90s alloy that commands a serious second-hand premium. There’s a carbon fiber lip kit too, along with white leather upholstery, headrest speakers, and a host of Greddy bolt-ons. Exhaust system, intercooler, filter, job done.
Finishing it all off is a captivating hue called Pacific Teal, a unique color that just seems to glow in the sun. It might not have quite as much green in it as you’d expect from a teal, but it’s a damn good color. Nissan, if you’re listening, make this a regular production option. We need more cheery paints out on the roads.
So, is this a sign that Nissan is preparing to launch a T-topped Z? Probably not, because getting this alteration to production would come with some significant hurdles. T-tops represent a major structural modification, one that would almost certainly require re-homologation. However, if there’s a business case to be made here, a T-top Z would give Nissan’s sports car the X-factor it needs to stand out.
Top graphic image: Nissan
Maybe modern technology would solve the problems that kept Oldsmobile from selling the power retractable T-top-equipped Toronado XSR that made it all the way to inclusion in the 1977 brochures. (The XS had a sunroof instead, but kept the wire-bent wraparound rear glass that definitely desert to be revived.)
Now this is a ‘Hell yea, sibling’ car if ever there was one.
T-Tops are exactly what the Z needs….and hey, that car looks friggin’ awesome with them.
If Nissan were to go this route, I’d absolutely buy one.
T-Tops in the 80s/90s were super cool until you forgot them at home (California) and it started raining (18, didn’t pay attention to forecasts). I’m not sure I want them Ion my own car again, but they sure look fantastic on this Z. I wouldn’t say no to this car.
That is why I throw mine in the bags when driving the 89 or 79 Formula’s. Though 4th gens had the best way to store them vs 2nd and turds.
I had an 88 Mustang GT 5.0 with t-tops. They leaked a bit but otherwise were amazing. Never should have sold that car.
I think the ZBreeze Z is the best looking one I’ve seen since the 240 and the 260. I’ve not been a fan ever since, but this one looks great!
T-Tops. Never cared for them and never will. I know I’m all alone here. Except for the color everything else is hideous, especially those cartoon fender flares. This turns a lovely young woman into a street whore.
Cool! Shame about the rest of it…
“if you want some sky but your passenger doesn’t, for instance”
That’s what the ejector seat button is for.
Using the ejector seat button for your passenger would give them a lot of sky, however briefly.
As the owner of a third-gen Firebird, I approve of this heartily. (where’s Harvey?)
I can only imagine, per a commenter below, that advances in structural rigidity and weatherstripping technology today would make T-tops a much better proposition than they did in the 80’s.
Regardless, having the tops off is pretty damn awesome. When the ’89 was my daily, I had them off as much as possible. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Give it a try and you’ll love it.
Hey Matt, I am here. I may or may not have been pulling my turd gen out of a ditch earlier because I may or may not have given it to much beans going into a turn and was facing the opposite direction on the left lane of route 30 and then thought I had enough turning radius to turn back around and not end up in the ditch (luckily nothing seems damaged), Been a while since I had done something like that last time was during a stray rain storm (which I avoid driving in because yeah 400-500hp in a turd gen in the rain normally doesn’t end well haha)
Also, I approve of this also was talking to a guy at work today about t-tops and why they have fallen out of grace and it is pretty much due to regulations or lack of that is. Because T-tops were being brought around as they thought convertibles would go the way of the dodo because of safety standards which never happened. Which sucks because T-tops and Targa’s have went the way of the dodo and I think they are much cooler looking then a soft top.
Lastly same I have my t-tops off as much as I can which has led to some situations of rushing home because it became a chilly night and I am to lazy to pull over and put them back on or a stray rain shower that wasn’t in the forecast shows up when you are on the interstate and you really don’t want to pull over on the shoulder because you are 5mins from home haha.
Paint the fender flares body color and make the wheels 1″ larger and I’m in.
Yay T-Tops are fun 😀
Not having T-tops is also why the new Camaros failed. They lacked the core distinguishing feature they had. Camaro? Yeah, the car with the T-Tops 😛
Also, the early 90s NX was the F-Body Done Right! Twice the size on the inside, half the size on the outside LOL
It’s beautiful. *chef’s kiss*
Neat, but I’ve owned enough cars with T-tops to not have any desire to own more cars with T-tops. All of them leaked at some point, and while I did use them occasionally, I did so almost out of spite because I paid to have them so I felt an obligation to utilize them. Still, I like the idea, though I think I’d prefer a targa over T-tops on the new Z.
I like it.
Reminds me of the early ’90s Z28s.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/attachments/auto-detailing-appearance/406733-post-your-teal-camaros-92-1.jpg
I grew up riding in Zs with T-tops. T-tops are complete crap. Would I buy a new Z with T-tops? Absolutely. Especially in the color pictured.
There’s really no comparison in body rigidity today vs then. Sealing and everything else has also gotten better. I don’t see why these would leak like they did on cars that were often known for being flexible 40 years ago.
I would have liked to see them lean into the 280ZX Black Gold aesthetic as long as they were doing T-tops.
Agreed, my 83 ZX has T-tops and they leak, but so awesome in that car. Mine isn’t the Black Gold, but Black with gold stripes
that teal is beautiful! and I love t-tops, this looks great, except for the fact that front grill box is still as hideous as ever.
Love the teal. Would look even better with a SOLO Jazz print on it.
Love the T-tops and the color (more turquoise than teal, which seems to be the case 90% of the time I see something referred to as “teal”), but the goofy tuner nonsense distracts and detracts from it. (What no “stance”?) I hate that stuff normally, but on the new Z it looks particularly bad, making it appear bloated and heavier on a car where there’s already a bit too much lower visual weight and the chassis has too much actual weight. The bathtub look is a big reason I never liked the 350Z. The new one had done a good job looking decent again and then someone goes and does this.
MORE TEAL CARS!
I’m more of a tube top fan, myself. True, there’s no way these have enough structural integrity to keep occupants from spilling out in any sort of collision, but damn, that’s half the fun!
PS: that is a handsome car and color. Very 80s vibe, but better.
Tube tops don’t have enough structural rigidity to keep occupants from falling out in a collision either.
That’s ALL the fun!
I had a Camaro with T-Tops, took them out exactly once. It had started to rain after I left, had to pull over and take them out, put them in bags, in the hatch. Never again.
But they look cool as hell. Rad even.
Hey there TK-421, doesn’t your AT-ST Scout Walker have T-tops for eyes? Would they be called T-fronts or T-lids?
I had a huge manual sunroof that had to be removed and replaced similar to T-tops. I used it all the time.
ZCON Where the sounds of butt trumpets ring out for miles and miles
“Nissan didn’t stop with the roof”
I think they should have stopped with the roof.
But dude, Temu had so many things on sale that day
Temu. Because eBay is just a little too snooty.
Obviously