Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

Datsun 240z

The Datsun 240Z from 1970-1973 is the car that put Japanese sports cars on the American radar. Perhaps the best word to describe the Datsun is “amalgam,” meaning that the car was designed to handle a lot of different things. Yes, it was a sports car, but it also got more than 20 mph fuel economy. It had a 2.4-liter inline six-cylinder engine that was smaller than most American sports cars, but could easily reach a top speed of 130 mph.

The danger of a vehicle designed to be a “jack-of-all-trades” is that it may end up trying to do so many things that it ends up being mediocre at each one (and at worst, an all-around failure). Those enterprising car designers who would like so see a proper do-it-all car need only study the Datsun 240Z. The inline-six engine produces 151 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. When compared to modern vehicles, these figures seem modest, but when combined with a classic car that only weighs 2,323 pounds, incredible things happen. A standing quarter mile takes 16.5 seconds, with a top speed of 84 mph, very impressive considering both the time it came out and the fuel economy it delivers.