Hagerty | Driver’s Seat with Henry Catchpole: MZR Roadsports Evolution Datsun 240Z.

For this episode of The Driver’s Seat, Henry Catchpole walks around the city of Bradford looking pensive until he stumbles upon a garage with a secret. MZR Roadsports is a gem of a company that is producing some beautiful restomods based on the Datsun 240Z. Since Singer Vehicle Design set the internet alight with its reimagining of the Porsche 911, there has been a vibrant market for subtly updated classics and although the Datsun S30 is an unusual basis for a restomod made in the UK, the result is fascinating. With a full carbon fibre body and a larger, straight-six engine, this is the first example of the company’s latest Evolution model - the Caraba commission. It sounds glorious, with hints of BMW, Jaguar and even Ferrari in the soundtrack, and it has 275 bhp which is sent to the rear wheels through a modern, six-speed manual gearbox. The whole car is light, too, weighing in at just 1079 kg, wet. Inside, there are bespoke carbon seats covered in wonderfully soft Spinneybeck leather and the dashboard is a voluptuous redesign of the original with similarities to a Lamborghini Miura. Despite being a relatively diminutive two-seater sports car designed in the 1960s, there is a surprising amount of room in the cabin, which makes you instantly imagine setting off on a road trip. It’s all topped off with a gear-lever that has something of the Atari CX40 joystick about it - in a good way. And the price for an Evolution? A remarkably reasonable £200k, including the donor car. If all that isn’t enough to get you clicking on the film, just know that if you don’t then you’ll be missing out Glenn Winhall’s inspired idea to bring a smoke machine and multiple fluorescent tubes into the MZR workshop. The resultant slightly spooky disco vibe is a visual feast.