Incomplete Tribute: The 2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition

Fifty years ago, Datsun showed New York that Japan was perfectly capable of producing a sporting automobile that offered everything drivers wanted, without breaking the bank. It may not have been cutting edge, but the 240Z was a GT car well worth coveting. Somewhere between the nimble, although sometimes underpowered, European roadsters and clumsy but savage American muscle cars, Datsun’s Z provided a well-balanced package for enthusiasts and racing teams alike.

This week, Nissan’s paying tribute to the vehicle that launched the Z line with the 2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition. Painted to resemble the No. 46 BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises) 240Z that helped John Morton win back-to-back SCCA National Championships in the 1970s, the Anniversary Edition is the upside of living in the past.

“It’s no secret that the Datsun 240Z started the ball rolling for Japanese sports cars in the U.S.,” said Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s corporate vice president of global product strategy and planning, in a statement. “Almost as well known in Z history is how Peter Brock’s competition-tuned 240Z changed the American motorsports landscape. After the BRE 240Z debuted in 1970, Nissan/Datsun became one of the most successful companies in American motorsports — with thousands of victories over the past five decades.”

Unfortunately, the liveried 370Z is little more than an appearance package the manufacturer can mark up a bit. This is a common problem with anniversary cars. While not consistently egregious, we typically feel a little shortchanged by them.

The 370Z has been around since 2009, and still fills a familiar role between American muscle and agility-focused imports, but it’s grown dated. It’s still a good platform and a fun car, it’s just old. While that may not have been a major issue for Nissan a few years ago, the reintroduction of the Toyota Supra and America’s latest horsepower race has changed things.

However, as much as we’d have liked to see the manufacturer incorporate a suspension upgrade or powertrain enhancements on the 50th Anniversary Edition, we get why it went with the racing livery — it’ll make the company more money. Z nostalgia is big right now and Nissan can cash in by borrowing the BRE paint scheme. Yet even this gambit is somewhat incomplete. We didn’t expect the automaker to slap on Champion or Valvoline decals to create a near-perfect recreation, but we did expect red and blue stripes. Instead, we only have red-on-white or an alternative silver-and-black scheme.

Additional exterior changes include a spoiler delete and 50th Anniversary badging and a set of 19-inch, forged wheels from Rays. On the inside, customers can expect a premium Bose audio system, more anniversary logos, an Alcantara steering wheel, and some unique accents/stitching.

Based on the 370Z Sport, everything else is standard fare for that particular trim. The car receives the same 3.7-liter V6 making 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, sent through the same rev-matching six-speed manual transmission (or seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters) and limited-slip differential. Brakes are also unchanged, with four-piston 14-inch units up front and 13.8-inch two-piston jobs in the rear.

If all Nissan wanted to do was offer a limited-edition paint scheme dripping with nostalgia, we’d have preferred something aping the Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition’s black-and-gold coating (above). It’s at least as iconic as the BRE cars, would have been easier to do correctly, and the automaker just highlighted it in a corporate posting that foreshadowed the 50th Anniversary Edition’s debut.

Maybe we’ll get lucky with the 60th anniversary. Meanwhile, 2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition should start arriving at dealerships later this month. Pricing has yet to be announced.

[Images: Nissan]