Datsun’s 240Z is ready to return!

The Datsun 240Z is back! This is the car that could point the way to a resurrection of Nissan’s legendary brand, 22 years after the last Datsun-badged model rolled off the production line.

Called the XLink, the four-door, four-seater coupé has been penned to capture the essence of Datsun if the marque was to be relaunched today. It’s the work of design student Benjamin Nawaka, who completed his project at the famous Yulon Nissan Design Centre in Taiwan.

Nawaka claims he drew inspiration for the newcomer’s looks from architecture and aviation, so it follows that the most prominent features are the ‘winglets’ – which are formed by the body panels overlapping the bonnet – and the rear flanks extending over the back screen.

Power comes from a diesel hybrid drivetrain, while there are 380 litres of boot space – s0 the car stays true to the Datsun philosophy of reliability and ease of use. Nissan insists that it’s simply a design concept at the moment, but watch this space to see if the XLink becomes a production reality.