Nissan has two reasons to celebrate a nifty fifty
Nissan seized a golden opportunity last week, celebrating not one, but two models' 50th anniversaries. Both the iconic GT-R and the Datsun 240Z (the predecessor to today's Z) were first introduced in 1969.
To commemorate both sports cars' five decades, special anniversary packages were unveiled at the 2019 New York International Auto Show.
The 2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition will be hard to miss, sporting three heritage-era, two-tone exterior color combinations. Each mimics the liveries worn by GT-Rs competing in the Japan GP race series, in which the GT-R was initially built to compete.
There's the super popular but long-retired Bayside Blue with a white racing stripe, Pearl White with red stripes and Super Silver with white stripes.
No matter what color, all of the car's wheels will get blue accents on the spokes.
Inside the car's cabin, a gray interior color scheme is used, along with unique steering wheel and shift knob trim, special embossed seats and an Alcantara-wrapped headliner and sun visors.
Like the rest of the GT-R's lineup, the special edition gets a 3.8-liter V-6 that makes 565 horsepower. A cool touch out back is a new titanium exhaust system, highlighted with burnished blue tips.
The 2020 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition has a look that echoes those of spunky vintage Datsun race cars from the early 1970s. In particular, it throws back to a retro 240Z campaigned by Brock Racing Enterprises that did quite well in SCCA competition.
This modern Z boasts similar exterior treatments, getting two hallmark hash marks on the doors. The car's paint can be had in white with red accents or silver with black accents.
There's special badging on the front fenders and rear panel as well as special 19-inch alloy wheels with red accents.
Inside, there's an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and special logos on the embossed backrests in the seats and on the tachometer. Another unique touch is synthetic suede door panel inserts. A Bose audio system, active noise cancellation and active sound enhancement systems are standard on this 50th anniversary model.
The engine doesn't receive any upgrades and is Nissan's 3.7-liter V-6. It can be paired to a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic.
Pricing hasn't been announced for either of these cosmetic-focused models, nor has production figures.
Contact Matt Avery at auto@dailyherald.com or visit COPOthebook.com.