The 2023 Nissan Z Looks Stellar as a GT4 Race Car

If you want to go racing with a Z, this is the way to go.

byLewin Day|
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The new Nissan Z GT4 race car demonstrates that the coupe's sharp aesthetic only gets better in racing trim.

GT4 cars are specially-prepared track cars based on regular production vehicles. They're usually factory-built race versions of existing sports cars, stripped and tuned for competition use. The responsibility to transform the new Z into such a vehicle landed at Nismo's feet, and Nissan's tuning house has not disappointed.

Details are scant, but what we're being told is plenty exciting enough. The Z GT4 has a tuned version of the VR30DDTT engine, which puts out 400 horsepower in the stock model. Other GT4 cars are usually somewhere in the 500 hp range, so a bump in output is certainly on the cards here.

The chassis and suspension has reportedly been "optimized" for track use. Plus, as with any great GT racing car, there's a big wing and plenty of functional aerodynamic parts. Nissan claims the aero pack has been designed "to the limit of regulations" when it comes to GT4 competition.

The interior has been similarly prepped for racing, though Nissan hasn't shown us inside just yet. Naturally, there's a full roll cage and racing seat fitted for competition use. There's also likely a proper racing wheel with plenty of controls, akin to those we've seen in other GT4 race cars.

The Z GT4 has already been seen in public. It made an appearance as a test entry in the Fuji 24 Hour back in June. It's also run at several other events in the Super Taikyu series in Japan. If that sounds familiar, it's the same racing series in which Toyota is testing its hydrogen combustion engines.

Full details on the Z GT4 will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA show in November. To tide us over until then, Nissan has provided the livestream video embedded below.

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GT4 racing is ostensibly targeted at keen amateurs, with tight regulations on vehicles, drivers, and equipment to keep things competitive. If you've always wanted to race a Z car, it's hard to imagine a better way to get involved than with a factory-built race-ready example. Deliveries start in 2023, and orders sometime before that, so you don't have long to get your budget in order!

Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com

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