The other day, my husband came home from work and said as soon as he walked in the door:

“I bought a Fairlady Z.”

Wha—what!?

I asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be at work today?”

He said he had visited a client for work but finished early, so he thought, “I wonder if I can actually buy a Fairlady Z?” He called the Nissan dealer, stopped by, and ended up buying it.

(laughs) He wrote an article about the whole story, so if you’re interested, please read on below.

My Feelings Toward the Fairlady Z

The catchphrase for the Z32 Fairlady Z was ‘I want to drive a sports car.’

I remember seeing that ad when I was about a middle schooler. It left a strong impression and sparked my admiration. Even now, seeing that ad still gives me chills.

Soon after, the tutor at the cram school I attended bought that Fairlady Z. Occasionally, he would drive it to class, and all the students would swarm around the Z, gazing at it with envy.

By the time the next generation Z33 was released, I was already working. I went to a Nissan dealer intending to buy one and remember receiving a catalog and a promotional VHS tape.

In the end, I ended up buying an Audi TT instead, so I never got the Z.

This time, with the release of the new Fairlady Z, I had been very interested for a while. However, I hesitated because the front end looked too square and flat, lacking a three-dimensional feel.

Then, in July, many test drive reviews started appearing on YouTube. Watching the new Z from various angles in motion, it looked very cool, and depending on the color, it appeared quite three-dimensional. My concerns about the design seemed unfounded. The price also felt reasonable for a modern 400-hp-class sports car.

Visiting the Nissan Dealer…

Amid all this, news came that orders for the Fairlady Z would be temporarily suspended at the end of July 2022. So one day after work, I called a Nissan dealer to hear more about the new Fairlady Z and stopped by.

There are two Nissan dealers near our home, each from different groups.

One dealer (let’s call it Dealer O) had taken care of maintenance for our previous NISMO Note e-POWER, but this time I decided to visit Dealer H, which had a large, beautiful showroom that had caught my eye.

The salesman I spoke to on the phone said, “He won’t be here at that time, so someone else will assist you.” But when I arrived, the assigned person didn’t show up for a while.

After waiting, a middle-aged man appeared, introduced himself in a barely audible voice, and silently placed a catalog on the desk.

We just stared at each other through the acrylic partition for a few seconds, both stunned.

Growing impatient, I said, “I’m considering buying the new Z, so please tell me about the car and the procedures.” Only then did the salesman start talking about grades and options.

After a while, a younger salesman came in holding the middle-aged man’s business card. The middle-aged man hadn’t even brought his own card to the meeting.

The younger man handed me the card, and I was stunned again but kept listening.

When I asked, “What are the specific purchase procedures?” I was told, “The new Z is treated as a special vehicle, so you need to pay the full amount upfront when placing the order, or you can take out a loan.”

I was stunned again. Nowadays, even ultra-luxury import brands don’t require full payment at order, I thought, and I started feeling I didn’t want to buy from this dealer or this person. So I decided to take some time and ended the conversation there.

I then called Dealer O, where we had previously done maintenance. Their response was excellent. Even their phone manners were very polite.

When I said, “I’m coming over right now,” they replied, “We’ll be waiting for you.”

That day, I jumped into the 992 Carrera Cabriolet I was using for transportation, hit the accelerator in sport mode, and quickly left Dealer H behind. Then I headed straight to Dealer O.

Dealer O’s showroom is a bit older but the staff are warm and welcoming. The salesman who helped me was great at conversation, skillfully gathering information about me and my car life while discussing the Fairlady Z.

When I asked about the ordering process, he apologized and said, “If you could just pay the estimated fees portion first…”

Everything was completely different from the previous dealer.

Right then and there, I said, “Okay, I’ll buy it, please!” I always value not only the price and appeal of the car but also the charm of the dealer and the salesperson.

Even though they sell the same product, some dealers lose customers while others gain them.

I’m the type who’s already ready to open my wallet when I walk into a store, yet some dealers still can’t make the sale. What’s going on there?

The next day, I received an SMS from Dealer H asking, “How is your consideration going?” I replied, “Sorry, but I will pass this time.” Since then, no response at all.

That confirmed my impression of that dealer and person. I made the right choice not to buy there.

My Chosen Specifications for the New Fairlady Z

Grade: Version T
Transmission: AT
Exterior Color: Burgundy
Interior Color: Black

First, I chose the automatic transmission.

The reason is that I already own other manual cars and don’t plan to drive the Fairlady Z aggressively. Also, unlike in the past, the latest 9-speed AT offers overwhelmingly better performance.

Also, after watching test drive videos on YouTube, I was concerned about vibrations transmitted through the shift knob, which was another reason I chose AT.

Next, regarding the grade, I liked the ‘Fairlady Z’ slanted logo on the grade without the rear spoiler. The spoiler looked like an afterthought in terms of design, so I considered the spoiler-less grade.

I also wanted the active sound control and active noise control features to enjoy the (fake) engine sound, so I chose the mid-level Version T grade (T stands for Touring), which comes with BOSE.

At first, I considered Ikazuchi Yellow, but since it’s a somewhat fluorescent, expanding color, the front lip’s folded shape didn’t look three-dimensional, giving me a flat impression. Also, with a two-tone color, the unity from the rear hatch to the tail felt broken, so I decided to go with a single color.

That led me to Burgundy, which seems to pay homage to the first-generation Z (S30). It looked very mature and cool.

This color also suits the 18-inch wheels, which give a classic vibe, and I felt I could drive it casually as a daily Z.

What About Delivery Time?

I heard some dealers have switched to a lottery system instead of first-come, first-served, but so far my dealer hasn’t mentioned that. It seems to still be first-come, first-served. When I asked, they said it’s unlikely to take one or two years, but the delivery time is completely undecided at this point.

Since I’m not in a hurry, I plan to wait patiently. I’m really looking forward to finally driving the Z I’ve admired since childhood.