Nissan Z Nismo Race Car Set to Compete at Fuji 24 Hours
The race car could hint at styling details of a future Z Nismo model.
The new Nissan Z seems set to deliver what enthusiasts want—power, style, and a manual transmission driving the rear wheels. The latest news out of Nissan is that the company plans to take the Z racing. In partnership with Nismo, the company just revealed the race car it will take to the Fuji 24 Hour race, as reported by CarScoops.
Based on the production car, the race car has been stripped out and prepared for competition. Inside, Nismo has fitted racing bucket seats and harnesses, along with a roll cage, as you'd expect. The racer also sports eight-spoke Rays alloy wheels, shod in slicks. Notably, they're five-stud wheels like you'd see on the road car, rather than a centerlock design for faster pitstops.
Nismo has treated the Z to a moderately-sized wing, as well as some subtle fender extensions. The bonnet gets a mighty pair of vents to dump excess heat along with race-style latches on the front edge.
Other racing touches also include a tow hook, mounted for recovery purposes. The quarter windows behind the doors on either side now feature fuel ports for refueling, too.
Nismo hasn't provided any details regarding the engine at this stage. A natural assumption would be that the car will run the stock turbo V6, with 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Of course, the race car could feature the shiny new Nismo exhaust kit for the Nissan Z, but it's not certain at this stage. Nismo plans to announce further details on the car at a later date.
The car will race in the ST-Q class, set aside for special vehicles competing in the Super Taikyu series. Oddball cars like Toyota's hydrogen-powered race car run under the same classification. Nismo will run one example, with a second campaigned by Max Racing. The Z is set to hit the track at the Fuij 24 Hour on June 4 and 5 this year.
The racing effort could hint at a possible Nismo Z model planned for some time after the base car's launch. The new Nissan Z was originally slated to be out around now, but parts shortages have forced the world to wait until summer to get behind the wheel of Nissan's new sporting hero.
Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com
