history lesson

[salem1oliver]

hey did you guys know that the 300zx Z32 made Car and Drivers 10 Best List every year that it existed from 1990 to 1996. I was just browsing on the internet and found this out. Thought that it was pretty cool

[k3smostwanted]

yeah...great stuff huh?

[probehtr300]

how many times can toyota say their supra did that

[freakonaleash1187]

yeah, i think i said that a while ago, great accomplishment. also, 3 out of 4 editors of "Sports Cars International" rated the Z32 in the top 10 sports cars of the '90s. one of the editors named it the best sports car of the '90s.and there is ferrari's, the mclaren f1, porsches in the lists. here is the thread of it from 300zxclub.

Their latest issue has the "Ten Best Sports Cars of the 90's" as their headline article... just thought I'd give a few snippets...

Peter Brock's List:
1. McLaren F1
2. Porsche 911 (993)
3. Mazda Miata
4. Ferrari 550 Maranello
5. Nissan 300ZX
6. Ferrari Testarossa
7. Chevrolet Corvette (C5)
8. Superformance Cobra
9. Porsche Boxter
10. Subaru SVX

"He gives similarly high marks [in comparison to the Miata] to the Nissan 300ZX: 'Aesthetically, it's probablythe best automotive design to ever come out of Japan. The ZX, like its great forebear the 240Z, is a completely unappreciated classic that will go down in history as one of the great buys of the century.'"

Ian Kuah's List:
1. Mazda Miata
2. Porsche Boxter
3. Lotus Elise
4. Ferrari F50
5. Porsche 911 Turbo (993)
6. Porsche 911 Carrera RS (993)
7. Lamborghini Diablo
8. Ferrari F355
9. Nissan 300ZX
10. Dodge Viper

"Ian's description of the Nissan 300ZX echoes Peter's comments: 'The 90's reincarnation of the 240Z, the second 300ZX was a good car but never quite became the legend its predecessor was. It did show, however, what Nissan could achieve when it tried.'"

Del Coates's List:
1. Nissan 300ZX
2. Mazda RX-7
3. Porsche Boxter
4. Mercedes-Benz SLK
5. Mazda Miata
6. Acura NSX
7. Chevrolet Corvette (C5)
8. Ferrari 550 Maranello
9. Jaguar XJ220
10. BMW M3 (E36)

"In the interest of full disclosure, we must state that Design Editor Del Coates is the owner of a Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. But even this proud papa has some solid reasons for putting it at the top of his list: 'I based my rankings on aesthetics, performance, significance, and affordability. The Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo scores highly on all four fronts. This was the most original (least derivative) and most beautiful sports car of the 1990s. It introduced 'cab-forward' design two years before Chrysler made it a big deal. With a bulletproof engine belting out 100 hp/liter and no hint of turbo lag, 4-wheel steering, ABS brakes, 1-g cornering and great seats, it was - and still is - a delight to drive.'"

The 300ZX didn't make it onto Michael T. Lynch's list, which consisted of:
1. Ferrari 550 Maranello
2. Porsche Boxter
3. Mazda Miata
4. Porsche 911 (996)
5. Ferrari F355
6. Acura NSX
7. Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
8. BMW Z3
9. Dodge Viper
10. Lamborghini Diablo VT

Overall, the Z32 placed 8th, but the Miata took 1st and the McLaren took 4th, so I think they're ratings are a little askew. Yeah, the Miata started a whole trend of affordable sports cars, but the Z32 started a trend of affordable supercars, and the McLaren is just too badass to take anything lower than 1st or 2nd IMO.

They also have a reader's opinions page with this stuff.... 1 guy put the 300ZX at 6th, 2 put it at 9th, and one put it at 2nd. One of the 9th placers and the 2nd placer put it behind the Supra for the reason that the Supra "continuously emerged victorious" when they were compared... neglecting the fact that the MKIV Supra wouldn't exist without the Z32... That was out of 12 published lists, btw, and the readers opinions do, amusingly, show how uninformed, infantile, and opinionated the readers are.

-Jared