JDM · JDM legends · Nissan
300ZX Twin Turbo Z32 · 1990–1996
3.0-liter twin-turbo VG30DETT V6, 300 hp (US manual), 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, rear-drive. Non-turbo: 222 hp.
Motor Trend named the 300ZX its 1990 Import Car of the Year.
Car and Driver put the Z32 on its Ten Best list for seven years in a row, every model year it was sold in the US.
A Cunningham-prepared 300ZX won the 1994 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. At Le Mans that year, Steve Millen, Johnny O’Connell and John Morton won the IMSA GTS class and finished fifth overall. Millen and Nissan took the 1994 IMSA GTS drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles.
Nissan used a Cray-2 supercomputer to design the Z32, which Wikipedia calls one of the first production cars designed with CAD software.
Ridley Scott directed a 300ZX Twin Turbo ad for the 1990 Super Bowl. It aired only once before Nissan pulled it, reportedly over fears it promoted street racing.
Sold new in the US. Sold new in the US for model years 1990 to 1996, as the non-turbo 300ZX and the 300ZX Twin Turbo. The last 300 US cars included a Commemorative Edition. In Japan it was sold as the Fairlady Z until 2000.
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Z32 300ZX · 1990–1996
2-seat coupe / 2+2 coupe / convertible, 1990–1996. 0–60 times are magazine tests where we have one, otherwise the maker's figure.
300 hpat 6,400 rpm with the 5-speed manual; 280 hp with the automatic
Twin turbos with twin intercoolers, Super HICAS four-wheel steering, an adjustable two-mode suspension and thicker brake discs than the non-turbo car.
222 hpat 6,400 rpm
The non-turbo car, with the same body. It came as a two-seater and a 2+2, and a convertible joined the range in 1993.
276 hp280 PS (206 kW) at 6,400 rpm, Nissan’s figure under Japan’s gentlemen’s agreement (JDM)
The Japanese car, badged Fairlady Z and rated at 280 PS. Hagerty UK says the turbo really made about 300 bhp wherever it was sold.
3.0-liter V6, twin-turbo
Engine's YouTube owner tone 44/100 (videos about the Nissan VG30DETT in every car that uses it, so it differs from this car's own tone below)
Nissan VG30DETT engine page →SlashGear, citing Car and Driver, says the turbo seals can start leaking between 60,000 and 80,000 miles. Writing on Jalopnik about his own car, Peter Monshizadeh found a seized turbo and says the engine bay is so cramped that the easiest way to replace the turbos is to pull the engine.
Jalopnik’s owner found two dead fuel injectors during his rebuild, and another failed about 3,000 miles later. He says the old-style injectors don’t like ethanol fuel. SlashGear, citing Autocar, says injectors can stick and cause misfires, and Hagerty UK says to listen for a ticking from the coils or injectors.
8 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (1990–1996)Hagerty UK says a new timing belt is needed every 60,000 miles, and to judge it on age as well as mileage. Jalopnik gives 60,000 miles or four years, whichever comes first. Hagerty UK also says to check for oil leaks at the cam end seals.
Fix: Replace the timing belt every 60,000 miles or four years.
1 owner complaint to NHTSA mentions it (1990–1996)Hagerty UK says this engine runs hot as standard, so the cooling system must be perfect, and that the heat can damage the wiring loom. Jalopnik’s owner found the rubber brake-booster vacuum hoses old and cracked, and says the many plenum vacuum hoses are hard to refit.
2 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (1990–1996)Share of the 177 most-watched 300ZX videos that praise or criticize each topic (a praise or trouble word near it in the title or transcript).
NHTSA files every 300ZX under 300ZX, turbo and non-turbo alike, so these counts include the non-turbo cars. They are the Z32 model years 1990–1996 only.
No Lemon Index for the 300ZX: the index is complaints per car sold, and sales by trim aren't published. These are raw counts.
56 complaints for 1990–1996.
No recalls on file for these years.
Source: NHTSA (api.nhtsa.gov). Check a VIN for open recalls on one car.
The Z32 300ZX Twin Turbo makes 300 hp and 283 lb-ft. Car and Driver measured 0–60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Top speed: 155 mph (electronically limited).
The Z32 300ZX (1990–1996) uses the Nissan VG30DETT, a 3.0-liter V6, twin-turbo.
Import Car of the Year: Motor Trend named the 300ZX its 1990 Import Car of the Year. Seven years on the 10Best list: Car and Driver put the Z32 on its Ten Best list for seven years in a row, every model year it was sold in the US. Daytona and Le Mans winner: A Cunningham-prepared 300ZX won the 1994 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. At Le Mans that year, Steve Millen, Johnny O’Connell and John Morton won the IMSA GTS class and finished fifth overall. Millen and Nissan took the 1994 IMSA GTS drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles.
Yes. Sold new in the US for model years 1990 to 1996, as the non-turbo 300ZX and the 300ZX Twin Turbo. The last 300 US cars included a Commemorative Edition. In Japan it was sold as the Fairlady Z until 2000.
The Lemon Index
