1989 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo Review (Z32) – Oh So ‘90s Goodness – GT Sport | Reviews By Gil

A twin turbocharged 2+2 coupe from the ‘90s that still looks futuristic in 2019 is something we all need to appreciate. How does this premium product from Japan stack up to today’s performance standards? Quite well actually…

1989 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

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Exterior

The 1989 Nissan 300ZX is quite a pretty machine. 30 years later the Z32 is still able to turn heads outside of your favorite Italian restaurant. It's big headlight eyes stare back at you with an intensity only matched by your greatest love. It’s quite handsome with soft curves that give off a very sleek vibe. There are little accents here and there around the bumpers but nothing too angular. Even the deck lid spoiler is subtle. Serious performers don’t have to flaunt about their skills. They would much rather show you.

Interior

Every time I drive a Japanese sports car from the 90's I'm reminded of what a simpler time it was. Everything here is purposeful. However, there is one detail that caught my eye. The radio and air vents are in the middle of the cabin as they should be. The only stalk on the steering wheel controls your indicators. Where are the controls for your other accessories? These would be present on the two blocks of controls sat on both sides of the instrument cluster. Yes, they really look like blocks. I imagine they did this to keep all the controls near the driver, and to keep the center console design clean. However, they're so square that they look like afterthoughts. It's almost as if they forgot the hazard lights, headlights, and wiper controls and just decided to stick them on the side like a bowl of tomato soup. Air conditioning controls are also on the square panel complete with a digital display showing the temperature. Only the 300ZX gives you climate control at its finest.

Power

You get 300-hp from the twin-turbocharged V6 engine which even matches some sport cars of today. It has a very healthy pull and is enjoyable to ring out all the way to the limiter. Hearing a bit of turbo spool from a late 90's engine is always a delight. The induction noise is something you lust after like the last cookie on the plate. Look farther than the turbo noise; however, and you may be a little disappointed. The engine itself sounds like someone turbocharged a vacuum cleaner. It's a bit muted and dull, but it'll still get from 0-60 in the 5-second range.

1989 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

How does it drive?

The '90s was a spectacular era for Japanese cars. Us car enthusiasts consider this era of sports cars as the holy grail, and there's a good reason for that. The build quality of these machines was so much above what most of America had to offer back then. What really stands out is the balance that the 300ZX has to offer. It rotates with the ease of a figure skater. Turn in hard and the back comes around. The steering is so communicative that you can hold your 300ZX at exactly the angle you so desire. You can drive the Nissan with the precision of a surgical blade if you so choose. The brakes hold up well on the track too. Some say the 300ZX was purely a grand tourer and wasn't too capable in the corners. I think the contrary. There's no doubt that the 89' 300ZX was a true sports car that could dance with the best of them.

Value

Naturally aspirated examples of the 1989 Nissan 300ZX can be found on Autotrader for as low as $4000. Subtracting the turbochargers from the V6 still results in 222-hp and would be more than enough to get around town if all you care about is this gorgeous body shape. If you want a twin turbo example, you'll have to spend at least $10,000. That's still acceptable for a 300-hp twin turbo 2+2 coupe. However, prices weren't so acceptable back in 1989. The original MSRP was listed at $33,000. Adjusted for inflation that's equal to around $66,000 as of December 2018. That was Corvette money, so we know the 300ZX wasn't playing around. Plus, it's difficult to put a price on Japanese build quality.

Should You Buy One?

I certainly tried at one point, but it was difficult to find one that hadn't been thoroughly modified. Some may say these are unreliable but finding one with less than 100,000 miles on the clock is proving to be difficult. In fact, many of these examples have over 150,000 miles on the clock. So maybe it's not so unreliable after all? $4000 is quite a bargain if you can live with the 222-hp version and a few miles. Even $10,000 for a twin turbo example sounds like a good deal. Factor in a few extra pennies for potential repairs and this could be quite a tasteful daily driver.

1989 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

Conclusion

The 1989 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is a fun, attainable daily driver that loves to go sideways. Today, its looks would still win beauty pageants around the world. The 300ZX had a front row seat in one of the greatest eras of our lifetime.

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