Reverse-Mullet Nissan Z Wagon Is Party Up Front, Busyness in Rear

Wagon-ish sports cars are the sort of oddball enthusiast creation that gets a lot of attention—the ultimate weird niche for the real diehard car nerds. So a Nissan Z wagon gets our attention. But what you’re looking at is not, say, a new Nissan Z with a reworked rear end, in the vein of a "shooting brake." Instead, it’s a mashup of some perhaps unexpected components from various Nissan products. And the other student-made projects are equally interesting; one being weirder, and one being unexpectedly awesome.

The two ends of the Nissan Z Lealia, as the students at the Automobile Maintenance and Customization Department at Nissan Kyoto Automobile College call it, are somewhat recognizable. The front end is plainly a Z, and it’s well integrated, blending into the fenders and A-pillar cleanly. that’s as to be expected, as the second-generation Nissan Stagea that comprises the underlying base of the vehicle is based on the same venerable FM platform as the Z. Think of it, basically, as an Infiniti G37 wagon.

Aft of the rear doors, things get a little unusual. There’s an awkward kick-up at the beltline at the rear quarter panel, and strangely elliptical quarter windows, as the students attempted to integrate a hatchback assembly from a non-FM platform vehicle. If you ignore the Z taillights grafted on, you might be able to discern that it’s a … yes, a Nissan Leaf hatchback. Maybe keeping the bluff tail of the Stagea would have improved the lines? We’ll leave that for you to decide. It’s at least one idea of how the Z—which, for whatever else it is, is arguably the most handsome of the modern FM platform Z-cars—might spawn a broader family of body variants.

The second creation, also from students at the Kyoto campus, is inspired by the famous Kenmeri-generation of the Nissan Skyline that debuted in 1972. Inspired, sure, because it’s not merely a restomodded or modernized version of the original shape. In fact, it’s not really clear from the information what the underlying car is, but it sure seems like a V35 Skyline coupe based on the interior picture.

The front angle shot, and especially the wedgy rear fender opening, have a very Gandini feel. Did the students pin up a photo of a Maserati Shamal on their idea board? Seems likely. The overall shape is not unattractive, and with a little polishing—a more refined lower front fascia would help a lot—it could work as a neo-retro sort of EV, much like Hyundai’s Parametric Pixel nostalgia trip design language.

The rear, though is less successful. It flows backward to a simple, flat rear panel inset with C110-inspired taillights. The real C110 GT-Rs had a nice inset rear panel, smaller inner taillights, and that iconic ducktail rear spoiler … some of that is hinted at with this concept, called the “NEO SKYLINE,” but there’s something lost in translation. No reason the students, or Nissan’s own designers, couldn’t draw inspiration from the C110 for a redux of this idea, however.

The final student project comes from the Aichi branch of the college, and is based on an unusual and perhaps inspired choice. With so many iconic mid-1980s Nissans to choose from, the Aichi students picked the Bluebird Maxima—the first front-wheel-drive car to wear the Maxima name. With a VG-series V-6 up front, the Maxima was more advanced in many respects than the I-6-powered, rear-drive Toyota Cressida it competed with. And unlike the contemporary R31 Skyline, or even the S12 Silvia, the PU11 Maxima doesn’t have a high profile. That’s why seeing it with delightfully boxy flares—especially the faceted rears, which have relocated rear door handles on their widened flanks— and the blend of retro JDM modding subculture elements works well on this otherwise obscure sedan.

The students wanted to enhance the underlying attributes of the Maxima, mainly its blend of sporting pretense and luxurious features and appointments. The deep blue paint is called “Aurora Flare Blue Pearl.” We hope this student project inspires customizers to explore other less-popular chassis as, perhaps, cost-effective platforms for similarly compelling builds.