It’s always nice when there is a company, specializing in restoring and reimagining a certain model. In this case, it’s the team from MZR Roadsports, and their choice of car is the Datsun 240Z – a Japanese icon with a global fan base. What the U.K.-based outfit is doing can best be described as a classic car with a modern twist. It’s safe to say, MZR Roadsports is for Datsun 240Z, what Singer is for Porsche 911, and this is the company’s take on what the perfect 240Z should be.

2022 Datsun 240Z "The Lion's Rock Commission" By MZR Roadsports

Specifications
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  • Model: 2022 Datsun 240Z "The Lion's Rock Commission" By MZR Roadsports
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Powertrain & Performance

MZR Roadsports owner, Rahail Tariq, explains how the 240Zs they make have a focus on drivability. The Datsun 240Z was already ahead of its time, in the 1970s, with an almost perfect 50:50 weight distribution, rear-wheel drive, manual gearbox, and an inline-six engine with 150 horsepower. With that said, the people at MZR have achieved the almost impossible task of reimagining the classic Japanese sports car without compromising its identity.

All Datsun 240Z, built by MZR feature rebuilt engines. The company still relies on the L-series inline-six family and offers a couple of variants, ranging from a 2.8 to 3.1-liters. MZR is also working on an Evolution package, which includes a custom, 3.2-liter unit with around 340 horsepower, and later a Nissan DOHC, inline-six will also be introduced, which could be an RB-based unit. All MZR engine builds are normally-aspirated and feature independent throttle bodies.

Power still goes to the rear wheels, but now there’s an upgraded, five-speed manual and a limited-slip differential. The fuel system, fuel tank, exhausts, brakes, and other aspects of the car are all bespoke. There’s also a half-cage behind the seats, for improved rigidity and safety.

Exterior

MZR Roadsports is all about the small details. Looking at a base car and an MZR build side by side, you’d have to take a closer look, in order to appreciate the fine details.\ and craftsmanship. As Tariq explains, “the whole process starts with sourcing the cars for the clients. We only use west-coast, California cars, because they are the most solid base of cars to use”.

While rust is one of the main issues with a 240Z, cars that have been residing in California are much more rust-free than examples from Japan or the U.K. “Once the car goes back to bare metal, that’s when you really know, you’ve made the right decision for using a California car”.

Each car is, first, restored to a very high specification, which is why Rahail explains that “using a “virgin shell” (one that hasn’t been restored prior) is much more preferable. After a lot of fabrication and body-prep steps, all of which done the “old-fashioned way” and take many hours.

MZR Roadsports recreates every original body panel from carbon fiber in order to add lightness. This also extends to the interior of the car, including the dashboard and seats. The exterior is body-colored so much of the craftsmanship is unseen. The look is finished by custom wheels and subtle decals with “240Z” inscriptions. As Rahail Tariq explains that when glancing over the car “It’s a nice-looking 240Z, nothing too brash, nothing too in your face, but the differences are there for the client to choose”

Interior

The interior of the MZR Roadsports Datsun 240Z is as highly-finished as the exterior, without compromising the car’s identity. To call MZR’s work resto-modding will not do it any justice, as the attention to detail goes way beyond just modernizing the classic car. The interior is an upscale version of the original.

Japanese interiors are synonymous with being plasticky and dark, and MZR hasn’t detracted from that. What the U.K.-based outfit has done is add panache and luxury. This is, essentially, a Datsun 240Z interior 2.0. Like the exterior, the interior has been completely revised, without deviating much from the original. The seats have carbon-fiber shells and are finished in Nappa leather, similar to Ferrari and Porsche cars.

Conclusion

The Datsun 240Z by MZR Roadsports is still, very much, a 1970s Japanese sports car. However, it has been rejuvenated by 50 years, by the subtle incorporation of modern technology and modern engineering. Rahail Tariq explains, “you got the nostalgic essence of the 1970s, it feels like a 70s sports car, you’re wrapped in luxury, you got the hint of modern technology, as you start the car, but it’s still a Nissan…”

Its inline-six engine is still carbureted and makes all the correct classic sounds, especially with the independent throttle bodies and central dual exhaust. It’s a reimagined classic, made to be driven at any speed while retaining the lightweight characteristics of a Japanese sports car.