Nissan 300 ZX (Z32). Red version with tuning
The Z32 was a new design, approved in final form by Nissan management on October 1, 1986, and designed by Isao Sono and Toshio Yamashita. The body was wider with a rounder profile and fewer hard edges. It had a marginally increased drag coefficient of .31 compared to the Z31’s .30.
Unchanged from the previous generation 300ZX was the displacement of the 2,960 cc (3.0 L) VG30 V6 engine, now with DOHC and variable valve timing (N-VCT), producing 222 bhp (225 PS; 166 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 198 lb⋅ft (268 N⋅m) at 4,800 rpm in naturally aspirated (NA) form.
The twin turbocharged (TT) variant was upgraded with Garrett AiResearch parallel twin-turbochargers and dual intercoolers producing 300 bhp (304 PS; 224 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 283 lb⋅ft (384 N⋅m) of torque at 3,600 rpm.
The Z32 was the first car to be marketed following the introduction of the 280 PS (206 kW) power ceiling imposed by JAMA that remained until 2004. Performance varied from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) times of 5.0-6.0 seconds depending on the source, and a governed top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h).
Twin Turbocharged Z32s also featured adjustable two mode suspension and the four-wheel steering systems called “Super HICAS” (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering), first introduced on the R31 Nissan Skyline. Nissan utilized the Cray-2 supercomputer to design the new Z32 with a form of CAD software making it one of the first production cars to utilize this tool.
