Dave Irwin's 1970 Nissan/Datsun 240Z
By: Dave Irwin and Mark Price
Intro by: Che Chou
11.16.06 // 15:55
Although it may not be the very first aspect of the game to grip your senses, audio is a crucial part of Forza Motorsport 2's simulation equation. The audio characteristics of each car in the game remains a fine point of detail you pick up after hours, days, weeks spent on the edge of grip in the world of Forza Motorsport. For the development of Forza Motorsport 2, we go through pains to record hundreds of cars to get that aspect of the game just right. In an effort to share with you some insight into how all of this game development voodoo works, we're pulling together a recurring series of features called the Turn 10 Dyno Spotlight that looks at a sampling of the most interesting cars we've gotten to record over the past year of Forza Motorsport 2 development.
Our sixth Dyno Spotlight article puts the focus on yet another important icon in the world of classic Japanese sports cars — the Datsun 240Z coupe. The 240Z Originally rolled off the Japanese assembly lines in 1969 under the graceful moniker "Fairlady Z," but when the car was brought Stateside by then-president of Nissan's American operations Yutaka Katayama the following year, the corporate concensus was that the name Fairlady was unsuitable for a western audience, and hence, the change to a more typical (and/or macho) numbers designation.
Underneath the car's elongated nose and hood was a 2.4 liter straight-6 wonder that pipped to the power of 150 hp to its rear wheels. Also notable for its time was the 240Z's four-wheel independent suspension which balanced the car on front and rear racing struts. With its competitive features at a reasonable price point, the 240Z became Nissan's (then called Datsun in the U.S.) first major success in North America.
Which is right about where this week's Dyno Spotlight contributor Dave Irwin comes into the picture, for he is a man who revels in Datsun's past glories. I met Dave on my first or second week on the job here at Turn 10 Studios and his cherry 240Z was actually my first dyno session experience. In talking to Dave in-between screaming dyno runs, I knew instantly what I had to do. Every car has a story, and every passionate car owner wants to tell it in his/her own way. I wanted to convey the knowledge and enthusiasm of the folks I was meeting who owned some of the most amazing cars I'd ever seen.
I got the sense at the session that Dave loved his car more than life itself, but after reading his story for this Dyno Spotlight, I definitely know now that conclusion probably wasn't too far from the truth. As well he should, as his 1970 240Z is one amazing ride full of intricate, one-of-a-kind, improvised solutions and modifications.
Anyway, enjoy his story and at the end of the article, be sure to check out our Dyno Spotlight Audio Quiz as we put your car knowledge to the test and ask you to pick out Dave's 240Z out of a line-up of six like-minded sports cars.
// Next: Early Datsun obsessions... //