Nissan has revealed the Z Kaze concept, a custom open-top prototype based on the 2027 Nissan Z, at ZCON, the annual enthusiast convention of the Z Car Club Association. The car is built around a custom-engineered T-top roof that Nissan says "unlocks the wind-in-the-hair feeling beloved by driving enthusiasts." The company describes the concept as "designed around nostalgia, heritage and driving enjoyment for Nissan's seven generations of Z sports cars," and says it "dramatically lifts the lid on the Nissan Z."
The Z lineage dates to the 1969 Nissan Fairlady Z, sold abroad as the Datsun 240Z, and has produced seven generations, many with devoted followings. The current RZ34 Z already draws on 240Z styling cues; the Kaze concept pushes that retro-modern direction further while explicitly referencing 1990s tuner culture.
Design, trim and mechanical details
The concept carries a Pacific Teal paint finish intended to evoke the period and to support the design brief of "a vision of an exhilarating drive along California's Pacific Coast Highway on a perfect summer day." Beyond the T-top, the exterior features a vented carbon fiber hood, widened fender flares and a bespoke carbon fiber aerodynamic body kit that mirror modifications popular in the import tuner scene of the 1990s. The car rolls on restored 18-inch Nismo LMGT2 wheels described by Nissan as the "legendary forged, multi-piece wheels revered by enthusiasts for their strength and motorsports lineage."
Inside, the Z Kaze concept pairs white leather-appointed seats with carbon fiber trim elements and Bose Personal Plus headrest speakers. The suspension has been upgraded with Nismo components, and the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 is fitted with parts from tuning company GReddy, including a Supreme SP exhaust system, a front-mount air-to-air intercooler kit and an Airinx air filter kit.
The T-top roof itself refers to a two-panel removable design that leaves a central roof bar in place, a layout the team used here to revive the open-top character of earlier Z cars while keeping structural elements intact.
The Nissan Z Kaze concept is on display at ZCON in Phoenix, Arizona, through Saturday, September 26, and Nissan says the car will next appear at the Japanese Classic Car Show on Saturday, October 3, at Marina Green Park in Long Beach, California.
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