24/09/2026
Nissan Z Kaze Concept Blends Z Heritage With Seibon Carbon
Nissan has unveiled the Z Kaze concept, a one off celebration of Z heritage, open air driving, and the tuner culture of the 1990s. Revealed at ZCON 2026, the project also features a Seibon Carbon GT-Style Carbon FibrE Hood as part of its performance inspired exterior.
Developed by a team of Nissan product planners and designers, the Z Kaze was created around nostalgia, heritage, and driving enjoyment across all seven generations of the Nissan Z. Nissan says the team imagined the feeling of driving California’s Pacific Coast Highway on a perfect summer day while developing the concept.
The name Kaze comes from the Japanese word for “wind,” which fits the defining feature of the concept.
Nissan custom engineered a T-top roof for the current generation Z, bringing back an open air configuration closely associated with earlier generations of the car. The project was designed to celebrate Nissan’s open top sports car history while also recognizing the tuner culture that helped shape enthusiasm for Nissan and NISMO during the 1990s.
That influence continues throughout the exterior.
The Z Kaze is finished in Pacific Teal, a colour chosen to capture the personality of the era. Nissan paired the colour with fender flares, carbon fibre aerodynamic bodywork, and a more aggressive overall stance while keeping the recognizable lines of the modern Z intact.
At the front of the Z Kaze is a Seibon Carbon GT-Style Carbon Fibre Bonnet.
Rather than leaving the entire bonnet in exposed carbon fibre, Nissan incorporated it into the Pacific Teal exterior. The painted finish allows the carbon fiber around the GT-Style vent openings to remain visible, giving the car a clean, OEM inspired appearance while still highlighting the material and performance focused design.
It is a detail that works especially well with the concept behind the Z Kaze.
Carbon fibre bonnets became an unmistakable part of Japanese tuner culture, and the GT-Style hood brings that influence into a modern Nissan concept without overwhelming the original design of the car. The exposed carbon around the vents adds just enough contrast against the Pacific Teal finish.
With the Z Kaze drawing so much inspiration from ’90s tuner culture, the Seibon Carbon GT-Style Carbon Fibre Hood fits naturally into the overall direction of the build.
Nissan also reached into its performance history for one of the most recognisable details on the build.
The Z Kaze rides on a restored set of 18 inch NISMO LMGT2 wheels. The forged multi piece wheels have been out of production for years, so Nissan sourced an original set and had them restored and rebuilt specifically for the concept.
The wheels measure 10 inches wide in the front and 11 inches wide in the rear, helping give the Z Kaze its wider and more aggressive stance.
The combination of classic NISMO wheels, modern carbon fibre, Pacific Teal paint, and the T-top configuration gives the car a look that feels familiar to anyone who remembers the import scene of the era while still clearly being a current generation Nissan Z.
Nissan carried the same approach into the interior.
Instead of the darker cabin treatment commonly seen in performance concepts, the Z Kaze features custom white leather appointed seating. The lighter interior puts more emphasis on the open air configuration and creates a strong contrast with the Pacific Teal exterior.
Carbon fibre interior accents continue the performance theme, while Bose Personal Plus speakers integrated into the headrests are designed to keep the audio experience immersive even with the roof panels removed.
The Z Kaze is not limited to styling changes.
Nissan upgraded the suspension with NISMO components and paired the Z’s twin turbocharged 3.0 litre V6 with several components from GReddy.
Those upgrades include a GReddy SUPREME SP exhaust system, front mount air to air intercooler kit, and Airinx air filter kit. The combination continues the concept’s connection to the tuning culture that inspired the entire project.
The Nissan Z Kaze brings together several different eras of Z history in one build.
The T-top looks back at earlier generations of Nissan sports cars. The restored NISMO LMGT2 wheels and GReddy components represent the tuning culture that surrounded them. Modern carbon fibre and the Seibon Carbon GT-Style Carbon Fibre Bonnet bring that same philosophy into the newest generation of the Z.
The result is a concept that celebrates where the Nissan Z came from while showing how those influences can still work on a modern performance car.
The Nissan Z Kaze will be displayed at ZCON in Phoenix, Arizona through September 26, followed by an appearance at the Japanese Classic Car Show on October 3.
Want to bring some of that carbon fiber styling to your own Z? Check out the full lineup of Seibon Carbon components available for the Nissan Z and find the right pieces for your build.
