1996 Nissan 300ZX Review

What does an automaker do when a car has been around so long that few consider buying it?

One approach is to hire one of the growing number of auto ``tuners'' to make the car more zestful. That's exactly what Nissan did to drum up interest in its faltering $35,419-$42,659 300ZX Grand Touring (GT) car, which comes with two or four seats.

Nissan hired California's Steve Millen Design to come up with a modified version of the twin-turbocharged, $41,959 300ZX Turbo two-seat model. The modified auto, which I tested, is called the SMZ. It's made visually distinctive mostly by the addition of a big, trunk-mounted air spoiler that, curiously, resembles the one on the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona muscle car.

The SMZ, available at Nissan dealers, officially is being made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nissan's ``Z'' model, which debuted in 1970 as the now-classic 240Z.

But the real reason for the SMZ is to help boost sales of the regular, unchanged-for-1996 300ZX, which debuted in 1989 and has become a slow seller due to age, higher prices and a soft market for GT and sports cars.

Analysts say it's doubtful that the 300ZX will be built in its impractical form beyond 1996, but Nissan wants to sell as many as it can in the new model year.

And Steve Millen Design is a good choice to modify a car that Nissan hopes will draw attention to standard 300ZX models in showrooms. The outfit is headed by successful racer Steve Millen, who also is a noted auto tuner. A tuner is someone--often recognized by major automakers--who modifies a car to make it go faster and handle and brake better.

Tuners have been active in Europe for decades, even working with major automakers such as Mercedes-Benz. But, with few exceptions, such as Texan Carroll Shelby, they've become popular in America only in recent years.

Besides visually modifying the 300ZX Turbo to help make it an SMZ, Steve Millen Design added a claimed 65 horsepower to the standard car's 300-horsepower V-6. Engine modifications include higher turbocharger boost pressure, high-flow air intake system and a free-flow exhaust system.

To handle the extra power, cross-drilled brakes from Nissan's Skyline GT-R race cars are added, along with progressive rate coil springs to lower the already-low 300ZX Turbo. The SMZ also has huge Yokohama AVS performance alloy wheels and high-speed-rated tires.

Unique interior additions include sterile-looking carbon fiber door and dashboard trim and drilled magnesium aluminum pedal pads for a non-slip surface to help if you're driving fast with wet, slippery shoes.

The SMZ carries ``SMZ'' emblems, which might be recognized by one in a million people, and each car is serialized by vehicle number and model year--and entered into a Steve Millen Design registry.

Oh, and SMZ buyers also are presented with a ``beautiful Steve Millen Design embroidered leather and wool jacket featuring the special (300ZX) 25th Anniversary crest on the back.''

The cost of all this to an SMZ buyer? Steve Millen Design says an SMZ, which will be offered throughout the 1996 model year, sells for ``$55,000-$57,000.''

Whew. That's a lot of bucks, considering that the standard 300ZX Turbo looks plenty sharp and delivers exceptional performance--far more than one can prudently use on public roads.

While the standard model does 0-60 m.p.h. in 5.5 seconds, the SMZ does it in 5.4 seconds and is a bit faster during a quarter-mile run (105 m.p.h. vs. 102 m.p.h. for the 300ZX Turbo).

No big deal, especially for those added bucks. However, the SMZ feels as if it has slightly faster mid-range acceleration while passing on highways, and steering and handling seem a bit sharper.

Thank goodness the SMZ retains the stock 300ZX Turbo's electronic adjustable suspension, which takes a lot of ``chop'' from the race-style SMZ's ride when in the ``touring'' mode.

While Steve Millen Design has done a professional job with the SMZ, the car really isn't worth the extra money to most buyers. And it remains to be seen if it draws more people to standard 300ZX models. On the street, kids loved it. But they don't buy cars.