Love for the Z is strong in Northern California as hundreds of enthusiasts visit Z Car Garage to see the 2023 Nissan Z.
Z Car Garage opened our shop to the public to see the new Nissan Z sports car on 10/23. This was the first public showing of the new Z in Northern California since its 9/17 Global Reveal in New York.
ZCG had several vintage Z cars on display to celebrate the lineage. A representative from Nissan was present to answer questions and it was the perfect opportunity for photography of the new Z. Enjoy our report from the event with plenty of photos and video below.
Two DayZ With The New Z
Although the event was officially on 10/23, we were given the opportunity to spend time with the Z beginning on Friday 10/22. The itinerary:
Friday 1-4pm: Nissan held a media slot with high-profile automotive journalists including Jason Cammisa:
Friday 4-6pm: ZCG shop team got to spend some alone-time with the new Z
Friday 6-9pm: Private viewing of new Z…
An Intimate Setting With the New Z
Photo: Lane Skelton
On Friday evening from 6pm to 9pm we hosted a private viewing of the new Z. Close friends, family and clients of Z Car Garage were able to sit inside the Z and enjoy it without security ropes. We had light refreshments, our famous popcorn machine running and plenty of time to hangout.
This was our way of showing gratitude to our clients—while alleviating foot traffic and crowding for the following day’s public viewing. We wanted everyone to have chance to see the Z without wading through a sea of people. Mission accomplished.
A Display For Enthusiasts to Enjoy
The New Z was the center of attention but make no mistake we wanted give everyone a chance to explore our shop and see some really cool Nissans and Datsuns. More than “just a viewing”…inside the shop we staged our client cars to show a range of old to new. Surrounding the 2023 Z were historically significant Datsun racing 240Z’s, Z32 300ZX’s (tail light inspiration for the new Z), R32 and R35 GT-Rs, S30 VIN# 193 and James’ turbocharged L-Series 240z:
IMSA GTU Corner!
These two Datsun 240Z race cars are historically significant. The #49 IMSA GTU Z was built and raced by our friend, the late Joel Anderson and the #47 Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU Z was raced by Brad Frisselle (currently owned by Randy Jaffe). Both cars will be racing at the Velocity Invitational Nov. 11-14 at Laguna Seca. Rob Fuller is eager to be in the driver seat again behind the wheel of the #49 IMSA GTU Z. (Below) The BRE Datsun 240Z, also owned by Randy Jaffe:
Venturing to the back of the shop, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, and more were on display:
The Big Day: Meet The New Z!
Saturday’s 10am to 4pm public showing of the Z was a huge success. We had a steady flow of people throughout the day with 400+ attendees enjoying the company of fellow enthusiasts inside and outside the shop.
Huge thanks to Nissan for making Z Car Garage the premier venue for sharing the new Z. It really gave us some 2008 vibes when our shop was chosen to host the first stop on the “Follow The Z” Tour of the then-new 2009 Nissan 370Z:
It is hard to capture the energy and vibe of the two-day event so I made this video showing a few highlights: from loading the new Z into the shop, private event, preparing for the public event, parking lots gems and more. Enjoy!
Parking Lot Gems
While the spotlight was on the new Z inside the shop there was a constant rotation of cool Nissans and Datsuns outside. We had VIP parking for our clients and anyone with a Nissan or Datsun. A few notables:
Gary’s Datsunworks KN20-powered 240Z:
Alex’s Datsun 510 Wagon. This LSX V8-powered Dime will be dyno tuned this week at ZCG! CJ’s 240Z getting our Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles:
Jeremy’s ’73 G-Nose 240Z with long-time clients Lou (R32 GT-R) and Craig K (350Z):
Rob J’s Series 1 and Jeff B’s 240Z. Jeff recently got some TE37V wheels, full report on this LS-powered Z soon!
With the shop lot full it made us happy to see attendees finding nearby street parking. Check out this Datsun Violet 710!
If parking was difficult to find we had an overflow lot provided by Bay 101 Casino just a short walk away. The lot turned out to be quite useful, though it was only at 30% capacity. We even spotted some Z’s and a B210 in the parking lot!
More pictures in the gallery!
New and Old Friends
It’s been so long since we could gather in public and mingle with fellow enthusiasts. We treasure our relationships built over the years through Z Car Garage. Many long-time clients visited us and we also met new Z-car fans, all with stories we love to hear.
Speaking of friends, fellow racer and client Glenn Chiou and I could not resist taking some photos of our Datsuns next to the new Z 🙂
Long Live The Passion
The 6hr long event came and went too soon! Just before 6pm we were loading up the shop and sending the new Z off when the most amazing thing happened to Rob. You may have seen the motto on our ZCG license plate frames “Performance with Passion”… It’s the passion of enthusiasts that drives us. Jose Magana had just got off work when he heard about our event. He knew he as going to miss it but he took a chance and stopped by the shop anyway. He was lucky as the new Z was still outside, staging to leave:
Jose greeted Rob and began telling us all how he got his Datsun 240Z…
“You may not remember me but YOU are the reason why I have this Z! In 2013 I visited your shop with my Dad. I didn’t even have a Z at the time but I remember you were so humble and kind to us. You even let me sit in your race car.”
Rob, listening to Jose tell him this story said let’s go inside, and showed him the very same race car that Jose sat it in, the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Z. It was a special moment for Rob, myself, Meghan and Jose. We had to take a picture with Jose. He continued:
“It because of you I saved up enough money to buy my own Datsun Z, and I had to tell you this and how you inspired me, even if I couldn’t make the event on time, so thank you!”
We were so overwhelmed with joy. Thank you Jose for your passion and giving us some wonderful inspiration on top of an already incredible weekend.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone that made the trip down to Z Car Garage to spend some time with the 2023 Nissan Z. The outpouring of love on social media about our event and your thoughts on the new Z mean so much to us. We appreciate it deeply.
Thanks to Nissan for letting ZCG host the new Z and hanging with us for event. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the help of our small, but invaluable ZCG team including Joshua Corwin, Nick Filip, Rob and Meghan Fuller. The event was an overwhelming success, thoughtfully planned and executed.
Please continue to share your thoughts and love for the new Z…it’s a homerun from Nissan and we are excited to see them in the hands of current and next generation Z-car enthusiasts. Don’t forget the photo gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
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