The 2023 Nissan Z Proto is sold out, almost half of the customers in the queue could be lost

The new 2023 Nissan Z Proto edition, a limited edition launch model for the reborn version of the iconic sports car, sold out before the first customer deliveries began.

Nissan Australia has around 480 orders, but may only get 240 cars, meaning nearly half of all local Proto buyers could miss out, even though they’ve already put down a deposit.

Instead, they will be offered a refund of their deposit or placed at the front of the queue for the regular version.

There are two Nissan Z models at launch: the standard ‘Z Coupe’ priced at $73,300 plus highway costs, and the Proto priced at $80,700 plus highway costs.

Both are powered by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine (298kW/475Nm) mated to a nine-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

Compared to the standard model, the Proto gains unique 19-inch wheels with a bronze finish, yellow brake calipers, and black and yellow interior and exterior color schemes to match the 2020 Nissan Z Proto Concept.

Nissan says it is negotiating with the factory to secure enough vehicles for orders already placed.

Nissan Australia executives declined to say how many Proto orders it has received and how many cars will be built for our market.

However, a company representative said that about 40 percent of the 1,200 deposits received so far were for the Proto, while 60 percent were for the regular model.

Based on these estimates, 480 customers in Australia have invested money in a Proto. Now it seems that many may be lost.

The US and Japan each get 240 copies of the Z Proto edition. If Australia is allocated the same number of cars, it would mean that about half of the customers who placed an order could be lost.

In an interview on Saturday with Nissan Australia boss Adam Paterson during the media preview, which is under embargo until 7:00pm on September 1, 2022, the executive said he will not know how many Proto editions will be released. they will deliver locally “until they get on a ship” from Japan.

The Nissan Australia boss was cautious in providing an estimate of how many Proto cars will come due to changes in production forecasts.

“I think we’d like to wait until they get on a boat so we can confirm (the numbers),” Paterson told reporters during the briefing. “We don’t have a final number because production is still very volatile.”

When pressed on a volume estimate, Paterson said: “I know what the (maximum) ceiling is, I just don’t know if we’re going to get them.”

When asked again for a quote, Mr. Paterson said, “You’re asking for a number. We will return to you.”

When asked about the lead time on a normal Zed model for customers placing orders today, Mr. Paterson said, “The lead time depends exactly on how quickly they are built.

“The situation is very volatile, not only for this car, but for all of them. To quote a lead time, it means that I have to be absolutely confident about how many are going to be built each month. I don’t have that right now.”

However, Mr. Paterson noted, “All Z orders, with the exception of Proto, will eventually be filled.”

Asked if this meant some Proto customers could be lost, Mr Paterson said: “That’s correct. There are more orders than we had an initial estimate in terms of total availability.

“The distributor will work with (customers of canceled orders). Obviously, they can get their deposit back if we can’t fulfill the order, or the dealer will work with them to see if they’d like to move to a [standard] Coupe instead of a Proto.”