The Nissan Z Kaze Concept is a one-off sports-car study created to celebrate the open-air heritage of the Nissan Z while revisiting the Japanese tuning culture that helped shape the model's image in the 1990s. Revealed at ZCON 2026, the Z Kaze takes the current Nissan Z and gives it a custom-engineered T-top roof, Pacific Teal paint, restored NISMO LMGT2 wheels, a bespoke white-leather interior and a series of NISMO and GReddy upgrades.
The name “Kaze” means “wind” in Japanese, which captures the core idea behind the project. Nissan's designers wanted the wind-in-the-hair character associated with earlier open-top Z cars without simply creating a conventional convertible. The result is a Nissan Z T-top concept that combines modern Z proportions with clear references to older generations of the sports car.
Nissan Z Kaze Concept overview
The Nissan Z Kaze Concept was conceived and developed by Nissan product planners and designers as a passion project. Nissan says the team imagined an exhilarating drive along California's Pacific Coast Highway on a perfect summer day. That vision became the basis for a car focused on nostalgia, driving enjoyment and the heritage of all seven generations of the Nissan Z.
This is not a new production trim and it is not a confirmed preview of a Nissan Z convertible. Nissan explicitly describes the Z Kaze as a concept vehicle that is not available for purchase. For anyone searching for Nissan Z Kaze price, release date or production plans, there is no retail price, order book or confirmed production schedule.
Custom T-top roof and open-air design
The defining feature of the Nissan Z Kaze exterior is its custom-engineered T-top roof. Instead of removing the entire roof structure, the concept uses removable roof panels to create an open-air driving experience while preserving the visual identity and basic form of the Nissan Z coupe.
T-top layouts are closely associated with earlier eras of Japanese and American sports cars, which makes the solution especially appropriate for a project built around nostalgia. On the Z Kaze, the roof treatment is integrated with the modern Nissan Z body rather than presented as a retro replica.
Pacific Teal paint and 1990s tuner inspiration
Nissan finished the Z Kaze Concept in Pacific Teal, a color chosen to reflect the spirit of 1990s sports-car culture. The exterior is further changed with a lightweight vented carbon-fiber hood, fender flares and a custom carbon-fiber aerodynamic body kit.
Nissan says these modifications were designed to balance the recognizable Z silhouette with a more aggressive, higher-performance stance. The concept therefore mixes Nissan Z heritage with the visual language of the import-tuner scene instead of simply reproducing one historic model.
NISMO LMGT2 wheels
One of the most distinctive details is the wheel choice. The Nissan Z Kaze Concept uses authentic restored 18-inch NISMO LMGT2 wheels, a forged multi-piece design revered among Nissan and Japanese-performance enthusiasts.
The LMGT2 is long out of production, so Nissan's team sourced an original set and had the wheels restored and rebuilt for the concept. They measure 10 inches wide at the front and 11 inches wide at the rear. That staggered setup contributes to the wider stance created by the fender flares and reinforces the concept's connection with Nissan and NISMO tuning history.
Twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 and GReddy upgrades
Under the hood, the Z Kaze uses the modern Nissan Z's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 architecture and adds selected components from GReddy. Nissan lists a GReddy SUPREME SP exhaust system, a front-mount air-to-air intercooler kit and an Airinx air-filter kit among the modifications.
Nissan has not published a separate official horsepower figure for the Z Kaze Concept. For that reason, this article does not assign the car a power number that the manufacturer has not confirmed. What Nissan does confirm is the combination of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with these GReddy breathing and cooling upgrades.
NISMO suspension
The Nissan Z Kaze suspension is thoroughly upgraded with NISMO components. Nissan does not publish a complete spring-rate, damper or alignment specification in the official release, but the chassis work shows that the concept is more than a visual roof-and-body conversion.
For enthusiasts researching Nissan Z Kaze specs, the confirmed technical story includes real suspension, intake, intercooler and exhaust changes. Where Nissan has not issued a specific number, NewAutoDrive leaves that figure unclaimed rather than filling the gap with an estimate.
Nissan Z Kaze interior
The Nissan Z Kaze interior deliberately avoids the dark treatment often used in performance concepts. Nissan created custom white leather-appointed seating to make the cabin stand out when the T-top panels are removed. Carbon-fiber interior accent trim ties the cabin visually to the exterior body kit and performance theme.
Nissan describes the result as mature and sophisticated rather than excessively track-focused. That suits the concept's original idea: an enjoyable, open-air sports car for a scenic road rather than a stripped-out competition machine.
Bose Personal Plus headrest speakers
Because the Z Kaze is designed to be driven with the roof panels removed, Nissan also addressed the audio experience. The seats incorporate Bose Personal Plus headrest speakers, placing the sound source close to the occupants instead of relying only on conventional cabin speakers.
This feature makes particular sense in an open-air car, where wind and road noise can reduce the effectiveness of a normal audio system. The Bose headrest arrangement is therefore both an interior design detail and a functional part of the Nissan Z Kaze T-top experience.
ZCON 2026 debut
Nissan revealed the Z Kaze Concept on September 23, 2026 at ZCON, the annual enthusiast convention of the Z Car Club Association. The unveiling places the project directly in front of an audience already familiar with Nissan Z history, NISMO parts and Japanese tuning culture.
Nissan said the concept would remain on display at ZCON in Phoenix, Arizona through September 26 before continuing to the Japanese Classic Car Show on October 3. Those appearances reinforce the idea that this is an enthusiast-focused celebration of Z-car culture rather than a conventional new-model launch.
Is the Nissan Z Kaze Concept going into production?
No production version has been announced. Nissan's official release states that the Z Kaze is a concept vehicle and is not available for purchase. There is therefore no official Nissan Z Kaze price, dealer release date or production volume.
The concept can still be significant without a production plan. It shows how a T-top Nissan Z, heritage-focused styling and period-inspired tuner details can work with the latest-generation sports car. It also gives Nissan a direct way to gauge enthusiast reaction to an open-air Z concept.
Nissan Z Kaze Concept specifications and confirmed details
| Vehicle | Nissan Z Kaze Concept |
|---|---|
| Status | One-off concept; not available for purchase |
| Debut | ZCON, September 23, 2026 |
| Body style | Two-door Nissan Z sports coupe with custom T-top roof |
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 |
| GReddy components | SUPREME SP exhaust, front-mount air-to-air intercooler kit, Airinx air-filter kit |
| Suspension | Upgraded with NISMO components |
| Wheels | Restored 18-inch NISMO LMGT2 |
| Front wheel width | 10 inches |
| Rear wheel width | 11 inches |
| Exterior color | Pacific Teal |
| Body upgrades | Vented carbon-fiber hood, fender flares, custom carbon-fiber aero body kit |
| Interior | Custom white leather-appointed seating and carbon-fiber accents |
| Audio | Bose Personal Plus headrest speakers |
Why the Nissan Z Kaze matters
The Nissan Z Kaze Concept combines several themes that have long been part of the Z story: open-air driving, tuner culture, NISMO performance parts and enthusiast-focused design. The custom T-top is the headline feature, but the restored NISMO LMGT2 wheels, Pacific Teal paint, white interior and GReddy hardware make the project more than a simple roof conversion.
For anyone researching the Nissan Z Kaze Concept, Nissan Z T-top, Nissan Z Kaze interior, twin-turbo V6, NISMO suspension, GReddy upgrades, NISMO LMGT2 wheels, ZCON 2026 or official Nissan Z Kaze photos, the key point is that this remains a carefully developed concept rather than a production model. The exterior and interior galleries below preserve the exact filename order from the folders used for this NewAutoDrive post.
Exterior
Interior
Photo credits: Nissan Motor Co..