Nissan’s Z Kaze Concept Is The T-Top Z We Never Got

Nissan has brought a little ’90s tuning attitude to the Z, and the result is the one-off Z Kaze concept. Revealed at ZCON, the international Z car convention, the custom sports car brings back the T-top roof while adding a mix of carbon-fiber bodywork, classic Nismo wheels, and upgraded hardware.

Kaze means “wind” in Japanese, and the name fits the concept’s removable roof. The custom T-top uses two glass panels with a central support beam, giving the Z an open-air setup that looks close to something Nissan could have offered from the factory.

The Pacific Teal body also gets a ventilated carbon-fiber hood, extended carbon-fiber fender flares and a matching aero kit with a front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and large rear spoiler.

The retro tuning theme continues with a set of restored 18-inch Nismo LMGT2 forged wheels. The wheels measure 10 inches wide at the front and 11 inches at the rear, and Nissan says they were carefully rebuilt specifically for the concept.

Inside, the Nissan Z Kaze Concept keeps its familiar layout but swaps in white leather upholstery with black accents and carbon-fiber trim. The seats also feature integrated Bose speakers in the headrests, which should make open-top cruising a little more fun.

Nissan does not give the Z Kaze a power figure, but the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 gets a selection of GReddy upgrades, including an air-to-air intercooler kit, Airinx air filter and Supreme SP exhaust. The suspension also receives Nismo components. For reference, the regular Z produces 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, while the Z Nismo makes 420 hp and 384 lb-ft.

Nissan Americas chief product and planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira says the Kaze combines the brand’s open-top sports-car heritage with the ’90s tuning culture that helped shape Nissan and Nismo. For now, it remains a one-off project, but it gets another public appearance at the Japanese Classic Car Show on October 3.