Datsun 240Z “KIWIE”: The Rising Star Art Car

PLEASE NOTE: We have no connection with the seller. This car was chosen purely because we thought it was interesting. Please carry out your own checks before buying.

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All the following images are courtesy of The Auto Lounge where this stunning vehicle is for sale at £37490.

To contact The Auto Lounge, please telephone 01224 905111

Dream Garage | Rebuilt | 2.8 turbo | Reportedly 320hp | LHD | Registered 1973

Some cars are restored. Some are modified. And once in a while, one gets turned into a rolling work of art.

This 1973-registered Datsun 240Z is that car. It’s finished in a hand-painted red and blue rising star livery by Latvian artist KIWIE. Under the weathered, patinated paint it has a rebuilt turbocharged heart, sticky tyres and a cabin trimmed in blue diamond stitching.

The Car That Changed Everything

Before we get to this one, a quick history lesson.

When Nissan launched the Datsun 240Z in October 1969 at New York’s Pierre Hotel (Fairlady Z in Japan), it did something rare. It offered sports car looks, a smooth straight-six and a price ordinary buyers could afford. Rivals charged far more for far less.

The recipe was brilliant:

• A 2.4-litre straight-six (the L24) with around 150hp in export form
• A long-nose, short-tail fastback coupe shape, often compared to far pricier European GTs
• Independent suspension all round
• Rear-wheel drive and a proper manual gearbox

It sold in huge numbers, particularly in America, and it proved on the track and in rallying that a Japanese sports car could win. The 240Z took victory in the gruelling 1971 East African Safari Rally, and it launched a family of Z cars that is still going today.

The original is now a bona fide classic, with values climbing year after year.

Not Your Average 240Z

This particular car takes the formula in a very different direction.

The engine room

• A rebuilt 2.8-litre single-turbo straight-six, reportedly making 320hp
• Sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed Nissan S12 manual
• Backed by a Subaru 4.44 limited-slip differential, so all that power has somewhere useful to go

The stance and handling

• Bronze 17-inch eight-spoke alloys with upgraded brakes
• Toyo Proxes R888 R tyres
• Adjustable BC Racing suspension and a BC Racing rear strut bar

The cabin

• Black vinyl trim lifted with blue diamond stitching on the door cards and headlining
• A carbon-fibre-look dashboard panel
• A three-spoke steering wheel, air conditioning, a Caliber stereo and a Pioneer Bass Sound Creator
• A battery master switch and an ECU Master PMU-16 power unit

The Art

The standout feature is KIWIE’s paintwork. The red and blue Japanese rising star design is a nod to the car’s heritage, in bold sunburst rays across the body. The weathered finish gives it the look of a machine that’s lived a life, even though the odometer shows only around 500km. (The total mileage is unknown.)

It’s a rare mix: a period-correct shape, modern turbo performance and one-off street art, and it’s registered as a 1973 car. Left-hand drive, with one key supplied.

Dream Garage Verdict

Plenty of 240Zs are beautiful. A few are fast. This one manages to be both, and it looks like nothing else on the road.

Would you keep it as art, or drive it like you stole it? Let us know in the comments.

PLEASE NOTE: We have no connection with the seller. This car was chosen purely because we thought it was interesting. Please carry out your own checks before buying.