CarDomain Blog » 300ZX

Interesting Piece of JDM x Italian Supercar History

Ben Schaffer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:36:02 +0000

During my past trip to Japan I had dinner with one of my friends who is a famous aero parts designer. In the course of the evening’s conversation on design he schooled me on something that I should have known but never did…and it blew my mind!

Did you all know that the Lamborghini Diablo uses Z32 300ZX (Fairlady Z) headlights? I consider myself to be a bit of a car nerd and I had no idea of this fascinating fact, which looking back is quite an embarrassment because I should know things like this!!!

Continue reading after the jump!

Anyway, its a pretty fascinating story. The Lambo uses the exact OEM Nissan headlight with no modifications. The headlight even says Nissan on it, although Lamborghini put a carbon fiber strip over the Nissan markings to save face with Lamborghini clientele who just paid a hell of a lot of money for Z32 parts bin headlights.

Our discussion reached this topic when we were discussing just how expensive it is to produce custom headlights. The example given to me was that even well established car companies like Lamborghini often will use existing products to keep development costs reasonable on their cars.

Another example he gave me was the Lotus Esprit using AE86 Corolla/Levin tail lights. I’ve later found that the Saleen S7 and Pagani Zonda use the same tail lights. I suspect there are dozens of stories like this, so feel free to share if you have more to add!

I apologize to those of you who already knew this, but IMO this is must know information for any car nut out there. I wish someone would have told me these cool facts earlier! I was truly in disbelief at the idea of a Lamborghini using Z32 headlights, its amazing they pulled it off without getting more heat from the press and their customers!

A Well Dunn Passat

Antonio Alvendia — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:42 +0000

From compact commuter cars and SUVs, to GTs and supercars, most in our “scene” have seen just about every imaginable car “upgraded”- with the possible exception (in my case) of Zach Dunn’s 2007 Volkswagen Passat. I must admit that I had yet to see one of these cars done right. And, since I seem to be in the mood for confession, I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been the greatest fan of VWs. However, the more I see of them (especially this one), the more they’re starting to grow on me. Zach’s 2007 Passat was the first I’d seen that had been slammed and enhanced with superior fitment – and that made all the difference in the world. Continue reading and view more photos on MotorMavens!

Showoff of the Week: Sonia’s Nissan 300ZX

cdeditor — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:00:00 +0000

By John Coyle

Editor

Nissan’s 300ZX is a modern classic, and Sonia has done a killer job with this one. From the custom paint, to the bodykit, to the engine bay, it looks wicked! And with the upgraded turbos, this baby has got to go like hell. Congrats!

eBay Find: Dodge Challenger Wagon

cdeditor — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:22:18 +0000

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

This wacky conversion happened back in 1973, so as the seller states, "get over it." The Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser roof definitely gives it a funky P1800 wagon vibe, and you know it would be fun to piss off purists at shows. Still, the auction ended with no bids, so maybe it will take a while for this weird Mopar to find a home. In another shot after the jump, it looks like it had a Daytona-style nose on at one point, which almost managed to make it look like a 300ZX.