Do You Prefer The Nissan Z Customized Proto’s Split Grille Over The Standard Model?

With the unveiling the Fairlady Z for Japan, Nissan has shown off the Fairlady Z Customized Proto, which massages the design of the attractive sports car and adds design cues that harken back to one of the brand’s legends.

A concept for now, the Z Customized Proto was build to show off a bevy of aftermarket parts that could be produced in the future, most notably, a new front bumper that addresses one of the most divisive styling features of the Z, the gaping front grille by splitting it into two separate sections.

That’s not all, as the car dons orange paint, black accents, and split grille, all of which are nods to the famed Z432R. The only Fairlady Z equipped with the twin-cam 2.0-liter inline-six S20 engine shared by the first-gen Skyline GT-R, the name was a reference to its four valves per cylinder, its three carbs, and its dual camshafts.

A homologation special, all were painted orange with a black hood and received black aluminum wheels. As you can imagine, that has made them sought after among Japanese enthusiasts, and early last year, one sold for a record ¥88.55 million, the equivalent of more than $800,000 at the time, per Road & Track.

The similarities are clear to see, then, with this model’s black aluminum wheels and the black hood bulge. Additionally, it gets a black stripe down the side, a black roof, black mirror caps, a bigger spoiler, fender flares, and a new grille.

The body-color line in the middle of the grille is vaguely reminiscent of the way the chrome bumper cut across the classic Fairlady Z’s grille. It’s also interesting to see Nissan reworking one of the new Z’s most controversial styling features. Although the design of the car has been widely applauded, its grille has been the focus of some criticism, mainly for being too tall.

Nissan will look to customer feedback to see if it should make a production version of the Fairlady Z Customized Proto, according to CEO Makoto Uchida, who told journalists that, “it’s a concept with aftermarket parts installed, but its release has not been decided yet.”

What do you think? Is the modified grille an improvement?

Check out our full coverage of the Tokyo Auto Salon here.