Japanese car brands seem to always have a hero model in their lineup. Whether it’s the product of their engineers’ passion and vision or an answer to the clamor of the brand’s loyal customers, the “halo car” has always been the pinnacle of technology and design for the brand at the time they are launched in the market.
Nissan is fortunate enough to have had two nameplates that not only endured and evolved in the past 54 years, but have also represented the brand as true halo cars. The Nissan GT-R and the all-new Nissan Z aren’t just flights of fancy of top company executives, they are also shining examples of what a company can do to push the envelope of design and engineering.
When I worked at Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. back in 2008, the Nissan GT-R had just launched globally a year earlier. Envisioned by then Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn as a supercar for everyone, the GT-R put Nissan squarely back on the automotive performance map. It dared to go against the Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis of that era.
The GT-R is a direct descendant of the Prince Skyline sedan of the 1950s, with the early model Nissan GT-Rs making use of the Skyline name after Nissan acquired the Prince Motor Company in 1966.
Continuing the legacy of the Nissan Skyline GT-R models before it, the GT-R became the ultimate symbol of Japanese car performance. A title it continues to hold on to today.
The Nissan Z also has a similar storyline. The original Nissan Fairlady Z was introduced in 1969 as well. With Nissan’s merger with the Prince Motor Company in 1966, it also gained access to Prince’s engineers and development team. This allowed Nissan to work on a sportscar concept that would eventually become the Nissan Fairlady Z in Japan and the Datsun 240Z in the US market.
And like the GT-R, the Nissan Z would become a shining beacon of sportscar design that would see it go head-to-head with the Toyota Celica, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Mazda RX-7 over the years.
Today, both cars represent the pinnacle of Japanese automotive know-how. While the GT-R hasn’t changed much in looks since 2007, it still showcases technologies that make it superior to most Japanese sports cars on the road today. The ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering, and even the hand-built 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood make this front-engined all-wheel drive monster deserving of its Godzilla tag, a monicker it earned after devouring much of the competition on the racetrack.
The Nissan Z, on the other hand, has evolved into a proper Grand Tourer with its latest iteration. As a dedicated sportscar, it still retains its two-seat configuration but has grown in size ang capability. Now, with 383 PS from its twin-turbo V6, the rear-wheel drive Z relives the original concept of its predecessors in a more modern and refined package.
Both models, in 2024 trim levels, were at the Clark International Speedway last week. Nissan Philippines allowed motoring scribes to sample the handling and power of the two cars and even let its employees ride and experience both models in celebration of NPI’s 10th year anniversary.
While both cars are offered by NPI, the company sees demand for the Z outpace its supply. In fact, Nissan Philippines president Juan Manual Hoyos announced a further deferment of the start of reservations for the Nissan Z.
According to Hoyos, NPI wants to give its customers a fair chance to acquire the model by putting up a queuing system that would prevent opportunists from buying out stocks and reselling them at higher-than-SRP prices. He said that the company is working with the Department of Trade and Industry to have this order tracking system in place before it receives reservations for the Z.
With only Brunei and the Philippines having access to the all-new Z in the region, Nissan Philippines is working hard to ensure it gets more allocation for the highly sought-after model, as it knows it has another icon in the making.
And if the driving experience was anything to go by, the Nissan Z, along with the GT-R, will surely rake in the aspirational desire for the brand and its models. After all, that’s what halo models are for.
