Nissan Z Kaze Brings T-Tops Back, Plus a 300-HP Sentra Spec-V
Nissan is heading to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas with a love letter to the tuner crowd, and the star of the show, for me, has T-tops. The Nissan Z Kaze concept brings removable glass roof panels back to the Z for the first time in decades, wrapped in Pacific Teal paint and a carbon-fiber body kit straight out of the ’90s import scene. Alongside it, Nissan is bringing a 300-horsepower Sentra Spec-V concept, an employee-built SCCA race car, and a Datsun S30 restomod, so the booth leans hard into enthusiast culture this year.
All of these builds will be on display at Nissan booth #21521 in Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center from Nov. 3 through Nov. 6. Nissan also says its SEMA truck and SUV concepts will be revealed later.
The Nissan Z Kaze Brings Back the T-Top
Kaze means “wind” in Japanese, and that is the whole idea. Built on the 2027 Nissan Z, the concept swaps the fixed roof for two removable glass panels split by a central support beam. Pop them out, and you get open-air driving without giving up the coupe’s structure.
It is also a nod to Z history. T-tops were part of the Z story starting with the Datsun 280ZX, and the tradition ended when the 300ZX left the U.S. market after 1996. Nissan first showed the Z Kaze to Z diehards at ZCON in Phoenix this fall, and SEMA gives it a much bigger stage. Nissan says the build honors its open-top sports cars and the ’90s tuning culture that helped make Nissan and NISMO famous.
A ’90s Tuner Build With Modern Z Power
Power comes from the Z’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, which makes 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque in the production car. Nissan has not released output figures for the concept, but it did give the engine some classic tuner upgrades.
Here are the highlights from the Z Kaze build:
- Two removable glass T-top panels with a central support beam
- Pacific Teal paint
- Carbon-fiber vented hood, front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, and spoiler
- Extended carbon-fiber fender flares
- 18-inch, two-piece forged NISMO LMGT2 wheels, 10 inches wide up front and 11 inches out back
- GReddy air-to-air intercooler kit, Airinx air filter kit, and Supreme SP exhaust
- NISMO suspension upgrades
- White leather upholstery, carbon-fiber dash and console trim, and Bose speakers built into the headrests
The white leather cabin is a smart touch for a car built to drive with the roof open, and the headrest speakers should help the music cut through the wind noise.
Sentra Spec-V Concept Revives the SE-R Spirit
The Sentra SE-R arrived in North America 35 years ago, and Nissan built this concept to celebrate the fans who turned it into a star of the import car scene. In other words, it is a birthday present for the tuner generation.
Of course, the Sentra in your driveway is a very different car. The current lineup is built around comfort and value, and we recently covered the 2027 Nissan Sentra Midnight Edition, which is about as close as the showroom gets to this kind of attitude.
Under the hood, the Nissan Sentra Spec-V concept uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine rated at 300 horsepower. Nissan’s build sheet lists that figure as wheel horsepower, and the engine gets Carrillo rods, JE pistons, and a Garrett turbocharger. Power goes through an upgraded six-speed manual borrowed from the Juke NISMO RS, complete with a helical limited-slip differential.
And here is what makes the Sentra Spec-V tick:
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 300 horsepower
- Modified six-speed manual from the Juke NISMO RS with a helical limited-slip differential
- GT-R NISMO Brembo brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers
- Custom NISMO coilovers and anti-roll bars
- GT-R NISMO Recaro front seats
- NISMO LM-RS1 19-inch forged wheels on Yokohama ADVAN NEOVA tires
- Widebody kit, vented hood, side-exit exhaust, and a GT-R NISMO rear spoiler
Project NAT2: A Race-Ready Z Built by Nissan Employees
The second build comes from inside Nissan. The Nissan Acceleration Team, an all-volunteer group of employees who race in their free time, turned a Z into an SCCA Touring 2 race car called Project NAT2.
Meanwhile, the upgrades focus on the engine, suspension, and brakes, using a mix of NISMO and aftermarket parts. Inside, the cabin has been stripped and fitted with a roll cage and competition safety gear, plus a lap timer and data logger.
Chris Forsberg Puts Modern Z Power in a Datsun S30
Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg built the third concept, a restomod-style Datsun S30. It pairs the shape of the original Z with the twin-turbo V6 from today’s Nissan Z, so two generations of the nameplate share one car.
In addition, Forsberg and his team upgraded the engine with NISMO parts, swapped key body panels for lightweight carbon fiber, and added custom suspension and brakes. The car wears Nissan Seiran Blue paint and shifts through a Nissan Z six-speed manual.
Can You Buy Any of These Builds?
No, at least not as shown. Nissan says these are SEMA concepts and not for sale, and that includes the Z Kaze. However, the brand points out that ideas from past SEMA builds have reached showrooms before, including the Rock Creek versions of the Rogue, Kicks, and Pathfinder.
Some of the Nissan and NISMO accessory parts on these cars may also be available through Nissan dealers. If the Spec-V has you shopping, you can build your own Sentra on NissanUSA.com. For another look at how automakers use SEMA to preview real packages, check out the 2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition we covered earlier.
Our Take on the Nissan Z Kaze
The Sentra Spec-V is a great reminder of why so many of us gearheads fell for imports in the first place, and a warmer Sentra with a few of these NISMO parts would get my attention. But the build I keep coming back to is the Z Kaze.
The reason is simple: it has T-tops. I have loved T-tops for as long as I can remember, and growing up I desperately wanted a fourth-generation Camaro with the glass panels pulled out and stashed in the back. Seeing Nissan bring that feeling back on a modern Z hits me right in the nostalgia. I’m not holding my breath for a production version, but if Nissan ever offers T-tops on the Z again, I’ll be first in line, and our car-crazy son will be riding shotgun.
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