The Z31 On Screen: Movies, TV and Anime
The Z31 was everywhere in the 1980s, so it turns up in a lot of movies and TV shows. Most of the time it's parked in the background or belongs to a suspect or witness in a detective show, but a few Z31s got real screen time. Here are the ones worth knowing about, and the places you can spot one in the background.
The most complete list is the Internet Movie Cars Database (IMCDb) Z31 listing, which runs to about 12 pages with screenshots of every appearance.
Starring Roles
These are the Z31s that are a main character's car or get a lot of screen time.
| Title | Year | The Z31 |
|---|---|---|
| Wangan Midnight (manga and anime) | Manga 1990-2008, anime 2007-2008 | Akio Asakura's first car is a red Fairlady Z (Z31). He loses a race in it to Tatsuya Shima's Porsche, and that's what sends him looking for the S30 "Devil Z". Harada, in the Perfect GT-R story, also drives a Z31 that overheats chasing Reina's R32. Fan sources say the live-action movie used a Z32 for Akio's car instead. |
| Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya (Japanese TV) | 1988-1989 | The hero, Toha Yamaji, drives the "Black Saber", a black Fairlady Z 2+2 (Z31). An IMCDb commenter says it was called the "Ninja Car" before its Black Saber makeover. |
| City Hunter (anime) | 1987-1991 | A Japanese-market 1986 Fairlady Z 300ZR coupe, used in character scenes and a car chase across several episodes (including episode 36 of the first series). |
| Blind Date | 1987 | Bruce Willis's character drives a 300ZX 2+2 (IMCDb lists it as a 1986) for much of the movie, and it takes a beating. |
| Miami Vice | 1984-1989 | Several Z31s over the series, including a 1984 Turbo 50th Anniversary Edition in season 3. |
| Der Sommer des Samurai (German movie) | 1986 | A 1984 300ZX driven by the character Christiane Land. |
| Der Clown (German TV movie) | 1996 | A 1984 300ZX 2+2 used by a character. |
Also Seen In: TV Series
Smaller parts and background appearances.
| Title | Year | The Z31 |
|---|---|---|
| Bob's Burgers | 2011- | An animated Z31 in the scene where Bob teaches Tina to drive, from "Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks" (3.7). |
| Seinfeld | 1989-1998 | A 1986 300ZX on the street outside the bus boy's building in "The Bus Boy" (2.12), a 1984 300ZX Turbo in the street scenes of "The Watch" (4.6), and a dark Z31 that turns up in street shots across several seasons. |
| What We Do in the Shadows | 2019-2024 | A 1985 300ZX has its own page on the show's fan wiki. |
| Moonlighting | 1985-1989 | A 1986 300ZX 2+2, plus a 1987 in episode 3.11. |
| Alarm für Cobra 11 (German TV) | 1996- | A 1984 300ZX 2+2 in episode 3.04. |
| Magnum, P.I. | 1980-1988 | A 1984 300ZX used by a character. |
| Remington Steele | 1982-1987 | A 1984 300ZX. |
| Matt Houston | 1982-1985 | A 1984 300ZX in the background. |
| MacGyver | 1985-1992 | Z31 appearance. |
| Matlock | 1986-1995 | Z31 appearance. |
| Dallas | 1978-1991 | Z31 appearance. |
| The Transformers (animated) | 1984-1987 | A 1986 Z31 shows up in an episode. |
| Sabrina the Teenage Witch | 1996-2003 | Z31 appearance. |
| One On One | 2001-2006 | A 1987 300ZX. |
| One Tree Hill | 2003-2012 | Z31 appearance. |
| Prison Break | 2005-2017 | Z31 appearance. |
| Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage | 2024- | A gold two-tone 1984-85 Zenki 300ZX with a wheel off in the garage in season 2 (photo below), spotted by a member of r/300zx. |
Also Seen In: Movies
| Title | Year | The Z31 |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky IV | 1985 | A 1984 300ZX in the "You can't win" scene between Rocky and Adrian. |
| Hero and the Terror | 1988 | A 1984 300ZX Turbo in the background. |
| Rain Man | 1988 | A 1984 300ZX. |
| The Rookie | 1990 | A 1986 300ZX in the background. |
| Fallen | 1998 | Z31 appearance. |
| Reindeer Games | 2000 | Z31 appearance. |
| Summer Catch | 2001 | Z31 appearance. |
| Blood Work | 2002 | Z31 appearance. |
| Dahmer | 2002 | Z31 appearance. |
| The Hunted | 2003 | Z31 appearance. |
| Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby | 2006 | A 1986 300ZX Turbo in the background. |
| Wendy and Lucy | 2008 | Z31 appearance. |
Car Shows
| Title | Year | The Z31 |
|---|---|---|
| MotorWeek | 1981- | A 1984 300ZX road test, from when the car was new. |
| Top Gear | 2002-2015 | A 1988 300ZX 2+2. |
| Top Gear America | 2010-2016 | A Z31 used in a moonshine-running segment. |
Want to see Z31s on the track instead? See Racing History.
Seen One We Missed?
If you've spotted a Z31 in a movie, show, music video or game that isn't here, let us know with the title and, if you can, the episode or a screenshot.