Old meets new: Just how retro is the Nissan Z Proto?

It's no secret that the Nissan Z Proto drew heavily from past designs for its retro-inspired look. By using design elements from previous Z cars, Nissan was able to make the old look new again.

But what old-school elements are seen in the Z Proto? Well, to find out if Nissan did, here is a little comparo to see where the Z Proto's classic cues come from.

The Proto Z's two-bar taillight design is a direct nod to the 300ZX's own. Even the sizable back window and liftback appear to have been inspired by the 300ZX's original design.

But not everything drew inspiration from fourth-generation Z. Keen-eyed viewers may have also noticed that the prototype has a 'Fairlady Z' script on the tailgate, as well as a 'Z' badge just above the rear quarter panels. These neat little touches pay tribute to the 240Z (aka S30Z), as these were also present in the past Z.

Speaking of the 240Z, the long hood, and round LED headlights on the Z Proto are taken from the first-generation Z. But if there's one section of the Z Proto that raised some eyebrows, it's the front grille. Some say that it looks too plain, while others say that it's just too big.

Also, the front grille seems inspired by the 240Z. If you remove the steel front bumper on the 240Z, the rectangular grille looks like the same one found on the Z Proto. Still, we're hoping Nissan will be able to modify the grille to please those that see it as bland or oversized.

With the Z Proto still a 'prototype', we expect to see some design changes made on the next-generation coupe. But based on the reception it received, Nissan may have already hit the mark in terms of design. In fact, some artists on social media have already made their own renderings of the Z Proto in NISMO trim, as well as the infamous Devil Z from Wangan Midnight.

What do you think of the retro design direction Nissan used for the Z Proto? Is it cool that Nissan actually used past design elements, or did Nissan use too much 'old school' hype? Chime in your comments below.