Page 173 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

The Z32 convertible was a base model car but was priced at $36,570, just $520 less than the turbo coupe.
Nissan fans never lost faith. In the decades since its production, the 300ZX has grown in the estimation of collectors. Prices for the twin-turbo Z32 models reflect the car’s desirability, but naturally aspirated models remain well within reach of the budget collector.
THE DRIVE
In its era, the 300ZX offered a very good to great driving experience. Power was more than adequate and handling was quick and certain, especially compared to competitors like the new fourth generation Chevrolet Corvette. The Z31 was more of an adult’s grand touring car than the lightweight rotary-powered Mazda RX-7, and that continued into the Z32 era when compared against Mazda’s lightweight Miata. But as a six-cylinder sports car, the 300ZX never really competed directly against the low- powered four-cylinder or the V8-powered options. It’s most appropriate to stack the 300ZX up against the 2 + 2 Mustangs and Camaros of the day. Against those popular choices, the 300ZX was vastly more expensive, but also more luxurious and technologically advanced.
Sliding behind the wheel of any model year 300ZX, you’d see the latest technology on display. In those days that often amounted to an amber-toned digital dashboard and the rather silly automated voice system that would tell you “the door is ajar.” That quickly became a running joke, but the 300ZX was always a respectable ride, especially if you had one of the high- performance turbo models.
300ZX turbo’s 300-horsepower V6 could hit 60 mph in less than 6 seconds.
Nissan 300ZX
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