Nissan Z split grille rumored for production in Japan

Japanese Nostalgic Car says Nissan Z fans are about to have another request fulfilled — in Japan, at least. At last year's Tokyo Auto Salon, Nissan showed a concept called the Fairlady Z Customized Proto (pictured) adorned with edgy add-ons. The one that got everyone's attention was the split grille, part of a more pointed and far crisper front fascia than was affixed to the production car. At this year's Tokyo Auto Salon, Nissan trucked in a more refined version of the Fairlady Z Customized Proto lacking the bits such as the two-tone hood, fender flares, and white letter tires. It still sported the split grille, though, which Nostalgic Car tells us is headed for production. The fascia will become a dealer-installed option in Japan about midway through this year. There's no word on the mod making it here, a U.S. Nissan spokesperson telling several outlets some version of, 'We haven't said anything about anything.'

We anticipate some version of split grille here, we're just not sure when and on what. Spy shots from last July show a Z prototype with a camouflaged front end fitted with a split grille that looks similar to the unit on the Customized Proto, but it seems to be fitted with a upper element the Proto lacks, while it's missing the deep creases in the lower fascia of the Proto. A short video of a fleet of prototypes testing the same month showed one car wearing what looked to be the same grille. Spy shots from December, however, presented another take on the split grille, one assumed to be destined for the Nismo Z. We can't be certain because of the camouflage, but it appears to turn the standard Z's large rectangular opening into a slit above a narrower lower rectangular opening.

The question is whether the camo'ed unit from July is a heavily disguised version of the Proto grille or the Nismo grille, or another, secret third grille. We're also wondering if Nissan is testing the accessory for Japan, or for the U.S. as well. If Japanese Nostalgic Car is correct, we should start to get answers in March when Japanese owners begin getting their new front ends installed.

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