• Nissan has revealed the Z Kaze concept, a customized version of its sports car with a T-top roof.
• The Z Kaze also features a carbon-fiber aerodynamic body kit, carbon-fiber wheel arches, and carbon-fiber vents in the hood.
• Inside, there’s white leather and carbon-fiber trim, while the suspension has been modified by NISMO and the engine has been tuned by GReddy.

The current Nissan Z sports car, which arrived in 2023, already wears a retro-themed design, from the Y-shaped hood bulge that echoes the 240Z to the LED taillights that mimic the oval lamps from the 300ZX. Now, Nissan is taking the nostalgic look even further with the Z Kaze concept, designed for ZCON, a convention hosted by the Z Car Club Association for enthusiasts of Nissan’s long-running sports car line.

The Z Kaze’s throwback style is immediately obvious, with the coupe trading its traditional roof for a T-top, recalling the 280ZX and 300ZX of the ’80s and ’90s. The open-roof experience inspired the concept’s name, kaze, which is the Japanese word for wind. Both T-top panels feature a glass center section, making the cabin feel airy even when the roof is in place.

The roof wasn’t the only thing Nissan changed. The hood now wears a pair of carbon-fiber vents, and carbon-fiber fender flares give the Z a more aggressive stance. Carbon-fiber is also used for an aerodynamic body kit, adding a front splitter with fins at the outer edges, side skirts with fins just ahead of the rear wheels, and a matching rear diffuser.

The Z Kaze is painted in a vivid hue called Pacific Teal that has a decidedly ’90s feel. That vibe is continued by the white 18-inch NISMO LMGT2 wheels, a much-sought-after set of wheels that have been out of production for years, with Nissan’s team sourcing an original set and having the wheels refurbished for the concept.

Inside, Nissan wrapped the seats in a custom white leather, which also extends to the lower dashboard and door panels. There’s even more carbon fiber too, with the trim highlighting the Z’s performance-focused mission. Nissan also added Bose speakers to the headrest to make it easier to hear your favorite tunes with the roof panels removed.

Nissan didn’t just dress up the Z Kaze in fancy clothes; it also upgraded the mechanical bits. Without providing specifics, Nissan says the suspension has been reworked with pieces from NISMO, while the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 has been modified with components from tuner GReddy, including an air-to-air intercooler kit, an Airinx air filter, and a Supreme SP exhaust.

The Z Kaze will be shown at ZCON in Phoenix, Arizona, until this Saturday, when it will then move to the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, California, on October 31. While the Z Kaze is just a concept for now, a Nissan executive told The Drive that with enough positive feedback from fans, it could get greenlit for production.