Datsun 240Z as you’ve never seen it: MZR Roadsports Evolution | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- For this episode of The Driver’s Seat, Henry Catchpole walks around the city of Bradford looking pensive until he stumbles upon a garage with a secret. MZR Roadsports is a gem of a company that is producing some beautiful restomods based on the Datsun 240Z (also known as the Nissan Fairlady Z). Since Singer Vehicle Design set the internet alight with its reimagining of the Porsche 911, there has been a vibrant market for subtly (and wildly) updated classics and although the S30 Datsun is an unusual basis for a restomod made in the UK, the result is fascinating.
With a full carbon fibre body and a larger, 3.2-litre straight-six engine, this is the first example of the company’s latest Evolution model - the Caraba commission. It sounds glorious, with hints of BMW, Jaguar and even Ferrari in the soundtrack, and it has 275bhp which is sent to the rear wheels through a modern, six-speed manual gearbox. The whole car is light, too, weighing in at just 1079kg (2379lb), wet.
Inside, there are bespoke carbon seats covered in wonderfully soft Spinneybeck leather and the dashboard is a voluptuous redesign of the original with similarities to a Lamborghini Miura. Despite being a relatively diminutive two-seater sports car designed in the 1960s, there is a surprising amount of room in the cabin, which makes you instantly imagine setting off on a road trip. It’s all topped off with a gear-lever that has something of the Atari CX40 joystick about it - in a good way. And the price for an Evolution? A remarkably reasonable £200k, including the donor car.
If all that isn’t enough to get you clicking on the film, just know that if you don’t then you’ll be missing out Glenn Winhall’s inspired idea to bring a smoke machine and multiple fluorescent tubes into the MZR workshop. The resultant slightly spooky disco vibe is a visual feast. We hope you enjoy the video - perhaps let us know in the comments which other restomods you’d like to see Henry review in the future.
Links:
/ mzr_roadsports
mzrroadsports....
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#HenryCatchpole #TheDriversSeatWithHenryCatchpole #NeverStopDriving #MZRroadsports
I’m so proud of my dad being a part of such an amazing company! MZR is making history! 🎉 - brilliant review!
You should, magnificent effort 👏
If possible, please congratulate him on behalf of all enthusiasts around the world. 😎👍🏻
Probably an overused word by now, but this is a masterpiece! 👏🏻😃
Give that man a hug for me!! He's doing god's work!
After I'm done saving the world, I'd love to work in this shop. Would be a dream.
What they’re doing really is something special.
You boys are gonna need a bigger factory after this video. Singer levels of desire. Magnificent.
Especially at the price, absolutely awesome stuff
Definitely
We're gonna need a bigger boat.
@@tiki_trash ha ha
In a world where the number of 911 restomods surpasses the amount of 911's ever built by Porsche, this is a breath of fresh air.
Amen Sir!!
That doesn't make sense
@@ArtVandelayOfficial yes it does
@@ArtVandelayOfficial Agree, and when you are in import export you need to know your numbers :D
Yes, defo not another whiff of Porsche this-Porsche that flatulence.
My mom had a 280Z when I was in high school. She used to race against Corvettes and Jaguars regularly. I had it out a few times myself. That is still one of my favorite cars even today. Seeing someone put the effort into bringing back the 240s at this level is awesome.
It's sad that so many 240z 260 etc were junked back in the days. They were everywhere in the 80s cause they were inexpensive small economy 70s cars. So one broke down / wrecked , junk it buy another. Find one now and they are pretty pricey.
Cool mum
Wish my mum is cool as yours
One of the cleanest, smartest resto mod builds I've seen, and I've seen many of them. Makes me wanna skip across the big pond and go visit them.
Yes, super clean!
That dash and console are simply gorgeous and don't overpower the build by trying to be too modern. What a gorgeous car. I had no idea how fortunate we are in America to have nearly 90% of the original Z cars here. Kudos to the builders and the UK owners!
I am loving this. This company in the U.K. found the perfect balance between performance, originality and tastefulness with the old Z. They went and made it into something an owner would’ve loved back then when they were new, as well as something that could be loved equally as much by an owner today. It really is something special.
I've been waiting for someone to review this car from this amazing company for absolutely ages now!! Cheers Henry, you've made my week mate!
Knew I wasn’t the only one coming here to comment this. Made my day too. Now to get saving up!!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.
Such good writing, Henry - "soften the suspense just to let the car breathe with the road a little more". Take a bow! 🙏
I am fortunate to a 240Z with a Rebello engine that makes similar power to the engine in the video, with Recaro seats, upgraded suspension, and modern brakes from Z Car Garage in San Jose, California. The look, sound, and driving experience are simply amazing.
Long live the Z
240z! My heart! I had 3 of them as a kid. Used to do SCCA solo stuff in them with my Dad. Man I wish I still had those cars. Great memories.
I love it when someone gets to experience a well put together Z for the first time. Yes it is a wonderful drivers car and MZR seems to have done a great job.
It makes me proud to still own and enjoy a 240Z
The only car I’ve ever wanted was a 240z, and I’ve just recently discovered your channel. This is heaven.
And just like that the prices doubled 🎉 - Lovely restomod!
They have been rising for years and aren't about to stop.
As I child in the 70's I can easily remember the 1st time I saw a Z. It was loaded on a car carrier and tilted so you almost had an overhead view.
Quite impactful.
Henry's reviews are top-notch, but we know that already. The consistency though is something else, such a poetic approach in every video that makes you feel like you're watching a high-end (production-wise) movie that never gets old.
Congratulations once again Henry, mesmerizing work!!
Absolutely awesome video, well done Henry and well done Rahail & the team
Now form an orderly queue ❤
Thank you for bringing attention to the people, the cars and the businesses like MZR . Those 240s put out by MZR are absolute works of art. Just beautiful.
Careful, there's scammers floating about in this comment section... 😂
@@danielbrealey2924 did I miss something?
Edit: I just saw that other post. It didn't show up until I went back to the posted comments. Your reply showed up in my notifications, the scammer didn't.
Perfection. It is a work of art. Simply beautiful in its simplicity and the attention to detail.
❤ one of my very first true sports cars (following a bunch of American small blocks, a handful of Mazda Rotary’s, and enough British sheet metal to hail Lucas: The Inventors of Dark). My many 240, 260 and 280Z’s are still loving memories. Wish I had the foresight to have garaged them back in the day. I could retire on those alone.
I just swooped up a ‘78 280z three months ago. It’s in great shape and has the 5 speed transmission. I’m grateful.
Absolutely phenomenal! The love I have for these will never go away.
What a cool little company ❤
So good to see Henry back at what he does best. Making lovely to watch videos. I hope there are more to come.
Man I can't wait to finish my 240z
You are one lucky, lucky man Mr. Catchpole. What a car. Nearly perfect for our North American roads - fast, nimble, sounds amazing, but not so absurdly rapid that you can't use it on public roads without losing your license. I love it.
Really enjoyed this piece, a little garage in Bradford knocking out cars like that brings a big smile to my face. I’ve no doubt they’ve had a few more phone calls since this release
MZR will come to be known as the Singer of the Z community. Exquisite craftsmanship and pure dedication to tasteful enhancements that embody the S30 in its perfect form. I can only hope to restore and modify my 260z to this level. Simply outstanding.
The color palette that MZR chooses for their cars is perfect.
Yes, do you know the name of the color by any chance?
I love my 280z, and I love this video. Driving a MZR car is goals for sure
The production quality is amazing. Of the car and the video. Thanks
A beautiful product. For me, as a long time Z owner, I see the MZR as a retirement toy later in life. Would LOVE to see a reimagining of a 300ZX too.
Yes, 100% with you. I own 3 Z's and my 300ZX is by far my favourite car to drive . there is something special in the way that car was put together.
I've always loved the 240Z, it's an absolute classic and a great story about a miniscule company in Bradford. Well done guys. I just wish I could afford one.
An amazing chassis, reimagined in the best way possible.
Your staff at MZR, HAVE NO PEARS, Absolute Benchmark!!!!
Outstanding Craftsmanship!!!
The 240Z is still one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Back in the 1980’s you could pick them up for almost nothing and now they’re like gold, as with many other classics. What a machine!
I love that!!! As always impeccable Review from wonderful talented journalist Evo Magazine
what a magnificent resto. the slight body modifications are done so tastefully and are what i would look to do if i had a 240Z myself.
I had a green racing Corgi 240z about 35 years ago. I loved that car.
Henry Catchpole is the GOAT. Your level of quality and dedication to these videos is superb. Thank you!
henry, rory, chris harris, and steve sutcliffe. all you need.
Imagine a 240Z restomod with Nismo GT-R R35 engine in it. That would be epic!
Beautiful car, amazing cinematography, and Catchpole's insightful commentary. This channel has some of the best quality auto content on youtube.
Must say, This is really a very impressive work!
Congratulations to the builder.
What a beautiful car, very tastefully done.
And better than the new Z in every way possible. The dealer mark up on a new Z is insane and I rather have something lighter and unique.
@@brarautorepairs Not in every way, safety is certainly better than the original but nowhere near the modern day production car :) But yeah, it‘s a thing of beauty, the lines, simplicity and the character of the original but with amazing quality parts. Warms my heart to see people still put in the work to create things like that.
@@Random_Banshee Even safety wise, I see it as an upgrade from the factory. New cars have more safety features but from a driver's perspective, the old Z would be fun to drive
Brilliant film, folks. My dad was a 240Z owner and even though he got rid of his Z when us kids came a long we’ve always appreciated them in my family. I love that Evo unit. Amazing sound and gorgeous looks too!
My wife had just bought a new 73 240Z / automatic when we met. Great handling little car. A lot of maintenance. Even the dealer couldn't keep it running right because of the emissions and carbs. I was a truck mechanic and not real interested in fussing with it every month. I would do points and plugs every so often and that would improve it for a while. In 1990 we sold it for $3,000 and considering she'd paid
$5,500 for it that was a pretty good return. Bought a 5.0 hatchback. She drove it for a week and said either make this car handle like my 240Z or take it back. So, we did the subframes the shocks the whole deal. The mustang came with 273 gears we put 355s in it. She was happy then although I think the z would have still taken the mustang in the corners. But the mustang did have the muscle. We had the mustang for 24 years. She kept it showroom fresh! I still think the 240z is a beautiful car if I had one to redo today it would be the z. You can get past the emissions in the carbs and make the thing a runner. Just a stunning car.
I owned a 260z in 1989. When and if the time comes, I WILL come to MZR with my wish list of a true engineered resto mod 240. Beautiful work.
The people that restored this one, wow it's so BEAUTIFUL! Green and orange looks so good together. Green cars for life. Amazing video too, love watching it wind down British roads.
Always wanted a 240Z , my father had a Bluebird 411 four door back in the 60's.That little car flew on the open roads of Australia. Datsun was a brand that was very popular downunder.
I hope most people appreciate how much effort a production like this takes to pull off. Fantastic work.
I have wanted a 240 Z since I was 11 years old (1973) and was lucky enough to be able to buy an original RHD matching numbers UK car about 6 months ago. To say this was a watershed moment for me would be a massive understatement. The car is incredible to look at, to listen to and to drive and everyone who sees it loves it. I was aware of MZR from a few years ago but this review makes my mouth water with what they could do with our Z……!! Now I just have to persuade my brother to take trip to Bradford😊😊
I had a 370hp 240Z 10 years ago 😊 was a fantastic car.
What a beauty!!!
Nice one MZR! Well done. I wish you every success
Stunning
what a work of art. These mad lads will be the next Singer. Congrats Gents!!!!
Fantastic. I had a 240 a long long time ago in South Africa. Not the funds to fix it at the time. Amazing looking car.
My word. This car....looks absolutely AMAZING.....I'd love this car as a personal car. Epitomy of a restomod done right based on what I'm seeing. Given some roads in Jamaica, I'd definitely go a bit softer on the suspension, but oh my word this car is poetry and art in motion. Beautiful. Good job MZR.....well...amazing job is more fitting.....
Finally a 240z done right. I loved the original, I bought mine in April 1971, drove it and kept it nice for 20+ years. I even bought it back once before I let it go for good. While it was a wonderful drivers car back then I know it would feel and drive like a 50 year old car now. But these MZR’s are truly a 2022 interpretation of what the 240z was in the 70’s. Kudos to MZR.
Love this so damn much! Great video thanks so much for highlighting how amazing the work they do to create and accentuate these amazing cars!
This was so very well put together and the genuine love of these cars shows through.....
The 240Z was as a kid one of my favorite cars and even today it is timeless. fantastic looking car
It always was a beautiful car but these are stunning. Timeless.
Yes, I'm in California. Had lots of time in the seat of a 260Z with a buddy of mine. Glorious car.
cool classic man, love it
Brilliant car, absolutely breathtaking.
Loved the 240s. My older brother and my uncle had them. And my dad helped a friend install a smal block in one. Amazing cars. And I also found it very refreshing to watch an adult Hagerty car review, not the usual with the juvenile "jokes" and snide remarks. I hope to see more structured this was.
Love that you give the same attention to detail to these resto mods as the new and classic stuff you review. Awesome stuff as always, thank you!
Fantastic looking (and sounding) machines and as always Mr Catchpole - fantastically put together content
Damn, I would buy one in a heartbeat. I would just want one with a dark brown leather interior and more… performance-ish looking seats. Maybe even have it in black and have rims with a silver dish while the spokes bronze or gold-ish
For 100k?
@@Treaxvour If I had the money, hell yeah!
Beautiful. Really like these restomods.
7:20 omg!!! this is beautiful!!
This car started my car craze as a child.. my aunt had an early 80’s model and I was hooked every time she picked me up to go to her house.
Nice video. My father bought one the first year in the US and it was such an amazing car I even could grasp how special it was as a small child.
Quality of the work definitely comes through in the video. A friend had a 280Z he and his dad did up. Said that one reviewer of the car commented that the front of the car was nailed to the road, whereas the rear wasn't. He found that out exiting a roundabout and ended up going backwards into the barrier. More restoration work was then required...
My uncle had a yellow 240 back in about 76, it was the only custom z’s for miles around. In that time it was still a car that was not on most people’s radar, my uncles was a super up original 6 with flared fenders and a whale tail, it was beautifully odd then.
My Dad had three "Z's" back in the early 70's in the USA, he ordered 3 because you could order from Datsun, then sell the day after delivery for a profit. One was a very pale lime green, one white and one brown. He sold the Brown, planted the white one into a tree and kept the green one he loved so much!! RIP Dad.
The design brief was the front of an E-type, rear of an Aston and size of a 911, But these guys take a very special car and make it an truly awesome car.
Wow, wow, wow. That's completely epic. Looks amazing and it sounds incredible! What a magnificent car! Amazing work MKR! 👏
Thats a F*cking good looking car and LOVE Love love the subtle blown arches.
The 240Z is one of my all time favourites. Being a purist I am rarely impressed by resto-mods but this one is really nicely done. Wow.
Little slice of Tokyo in the middle of United Kingdoms. UK and Japan; both love motorsports. Both have royal families. Both used to have powerful navy. Both love their railroads during their industrialization. Both are island nations. Both are democracies. Both drive on the left side of the road. Both have castles. Both have historical sites.
The car looks amazing, never heard of this but so proud of amazing engineering coming out of Bradford. I wish you massive success
Another wonderful film by Henry and the team
Stunning work - Just beautiful !
Winner winner chicken dinner. If you can grab Mr Catchpole's attention, then you are doing something right. Great car. I want one.
Gosh you guys have stepped it up. Glorious cinematic production of a spectacular restomod 👏
the 240Z is such a beautiful car to begin with , it really does well as a blank canvas to modernize them. I own a 71 that I’ve restomodded yet left it looking close to the original design. I can’t drive it anywhere without people wanting to ask me about it or tell me their story of owning one. Kinda makes all the money and time I’ve spent on it worth it in the end😎
Incredible detail, and beautiful work.
I owned a 74 240Z w/a 260 motor which had been modified a bit by the previous owner. I was 21 and didn't know my ass from a hole in the ground when it came to driving or mechanical stuff but...I did love the car. It was so much fun to drive and it was beautiful. I traded my brother for a motorcycle and he sold it back to the guy I bought it from who regretted selling it. : )
What a craftsmanship
Best looking reimagined 240Z I've seen
I've never been a Japanese car fan, but there are a few.... The 240Z is one of them. I'd definitely own one of these.
So, Sooo good - The video, the presentation, and a simply glorious car...
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, to win the lottery. You could have one of these. An Alfaholics. An Eagle E Type. I’ve forgotten the name of the Range Rover Recreation. And an MST Escort. I absolutely adored this brilliant video, and it’s great to see these British businesses, showing such passion and ingenuity 😀
Absolutely brilliant video Henry as usual.
Glad to see this company getting some well deserved recognition, they seem to have been
working quietly underground for so long, but producing cars of this exceptional quality.
I would definitely be giving them a call if I ever won the Lotto, seeing the cars and how they are finished,
the price even seems like a sort of bargain.
Was I right in hearing Henry say that they are going to put a RB engine into a car?
That will be something else!!
Continued success to everyone involved.
Beautiful. I don't think there is anything in the world I would want more than one of these!
These restomods are what dreams are made of. Keep it up, Hags!
Absolutely gorgeous beautiful 240z,everything is just so right about it 😍