Currently reading: 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z

Japan gets commemorative model, but no decision on a European sale has been taken

Nissan is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its iconic Z cars with the launch of a special edition 370Z – but it’s unlikely to come to the UK this year.

The first Z car to go on-sale was the Datsun 240Z in October 1969, and the new Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition commemorates the history of one of Japan’s first sports cars.

See the hi-res Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition picsHistory of the Nissan Z cars in picsNissan 370Z road test

The new model gets the same 3.7-litre V6 as the standard car that’s mated to a manual ‘box. It is also equipped with the Sport Package, which includes the clever SynchroRev Match system (a manual gearbox which blips the throttle automatically on downshifts), new front and rear spoilers, a limited-slip differential and upgraded Nissan Sport Brakes.

Completing the look is 19-inch Rays forged aluminium-alloy wheels, a “40th Quartz” exterior paint job and an exclusive red leather interior.

Despite it being the 40th anniversary this year, the model is not likely to go-on sale in the UK until 2010 at the earliest.

A Nissan source told Autocar: “Nothing has been confirmed or decided yet. It’s a possibility we could it or something similar over here, but we have a habit in Europe of getting things much later than Japan.”

The source said Nissan was keen to see the model on-sale in the UK, and a decision was expected to be taken on its future soon. The car will be on display at the Tokyo motor show next week.

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