Photo: karg_z / salas.emsa / Instagram
While constantly shrinking, the fashionable sports car sector is still cool enough to be appropriately noticeable – including in CUV-, SUV-, and truck-loving regions like North America.
Disregarding the base and top sides, where stuff like the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 and Mazda MX-5 or Ferrari plus Lambo plus the Corvette Z06 and E-Ray reside, the mid-tier roster is still enticing enough for anyone willing to put up with the confines of using just two doors instead of four. There, 'native' Americans are the dying Chevy Camaro, the transforming Dodge Challenger, or the all-new 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost and Coyote V8s (S650).
But there are also intruders like the fifth generation GR Supra, co-developed by Toyota and BMW alongside the G29 iteration of the BMW Z4 roadster and produced in Austria by Magna Steyr. And there is also the equally iconic Nissan Z-series, which came to life in late 1969 as the Nissan Fairlady Z at home in Japan, but initially spread the affordable yet nimble sports car word through the Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z monikers. When it finally turned into a Nissan, it was too famous for changing the entire nameplate, so it continued as the Z31 and Z32 Nissan 300ZX, plus the Nissan 350Z and 370Z.
Nowadays, though, the Japanese automaker has returned to simpler times, and the seventh generation was dubbed Nissan Z – in honor of its long-lasting heritage. Primarily directed at nostalgic fans that want their modern rides to look like contemporary versions of their childhood dream cars, the latest iteration is a show of force from the company designers and engineers. It still uses the ubiquitous 3.0-liter VR30DDTT engine, and the twin-turbo mill helps the two-door fastback coupe achieve impressive performance thanks to a stable of 400 ponies.
Naturally, ever since it was first teased, the all-new Nissan Z attracted much attention – both in the real world and across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. And it seems the hype has not vaned, especially across the parallel universes of virtual reality. But there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent example stemming from the minds and souls of two young pixel masters.
United Kingdom-based Peter Kevin Kargbo, the 18-year-old tucked behind the karg_z account on social media, united his forces with Mexico's E. Maximiliano Salas (aka salas.emsa), who is a like-minded CGI expert of the same age. And, better late than never, together they created 'Arkangel,' which is not a machine per se, but rather a widebody aerodynamic kit for the 2023 Nissan Z in the same vein as the ones from VeilSide, BoMex, and Rocket Bunny or Liberty Walk.
By the way, we have already seen many attempts at making the Japanese sports car even more remarkable than it really is – both in the real world and across the vast CGI expanses. And most of them had something to do with making the two-door even wider and tucking it closer to the ground. But none of them was radical enough to get noticed in any crowd and subtle enough (at the same time) to make folks pensive about the details, like the added fog lights or the Porsche-style ducktail rear wing adorning the entire backside. As for the blue-purple quadruple exhaust system, well, you might still need to shock someone, right?
But there are also intruders like the fifth generation GR Supra, co-developed by Toyota and BMW alongside the G29 iteration of the BMW Z4 roadster and produced in Austria by Magna Steyr. And there is also the equally iconic Nissan Z-series, which came to life in late 1969 as the Nissan Fairlady Z at home in Japan, but initially spread the affordable yet nimble sports car word through the Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z monikers. When it finally turned into a Nissan, it was too famous for changing the entire nameplate, so it continued as the Z31 and Z32 Nissan 300ZX, plus the Nissan 350Z and 370Z.
Nowadays, though, the Japanese automaker has returned to simpler times, and the seventh generation was dubbed Nissan Z – in honor of its long-lasting heritage. Primarily directed at nostalgic fans that want their modern rides to look like contemporary versions of their childhood dream cars, the latest iteration is a show of force from the company designers and engineers. It still uses the ubiquitous 3.0-liter VR30DDTT engine, and the twin-turbo mill helps the two-door fastback coupe achieve impressive performance thanks to a stable of 400 ponies.
Naturally, ever since it was first teased, the all-new Nissan Z attracted much attention – both in the real world and across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. And it seems the hype has not vaned, especially across the parallel universes of virtual reality. But there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent example stemming from the minds and souls of two young pixel masters.
United Kingdom-based Peter Kevin Kargbo, the 18-year-old tucked behind the karg_z account on social media, united his forces with Mexico's E. Maximiliano Salas (aka salas.emsa), who is a like-minded CGI expert of the same age. And, better late than never, together they created 'Arkangel,' which is not a machine per se, but rather a widebody aerodynamic kit for the 2023 Nissan Z in the same vein as the ones from VeilSide, BoMex, and Rocket Bunny or Liberty Walk.
By the way, we have already seen many attempts at making the Japanese sports car even more remarkable than it really is – both in the real world and across the vast CGI expanses. And most of them had something to do with making the two-door even wider and tucking it closer to the ground. But none of them was radical enough to get noticed in any crowd and subtle enough (at the same time) to make folks pensive about the details, like the added fog lights or the Porsche-style ducktail rear wing adorning the entire backside. As for the blue-purple quadruple exhaust system, well, you might still need to shock someone, right?
Google News