Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Nissan Sporting Club. As we know, Japan has a long and rich tradition when it comes to motor racing, although it also shows a great affection for the famous illegal “drag racing” and all its underground culture.
The Nissan Z range has as rich a tradition as the Camaro or Mustang, it just hasn’t been recognized in the West. This has changed with globalization, and with this century Nissan, Honda, Mazda and Toyota really deserve attention.
The Nissan Z has specifically been on the market since 1969. Looks like the quintessential Yokohama sports compact car. Sometimes this model is accompanied by the nomenclature “Fairladady” or an adjacent code number.
New Z, new goals
Nissan, as you know, has updated the Z among its veins. The latest is the Nissan Z, without a doubt one of the Japanese firm’s global expansion letters. It is known, within the industry, that the brands of sports brands have to be outside themselves in the face of foreign curiosity.
In Nissan, the reputation is taken by other sports vehicles. The GT-R is more powerful and larger than the “Z Range”, although its greatest recognition is not due to its aesthetics, but to the number of triumphs that the GT-R took during the 1990s and early 2000s. In recent years, the reputation of the GT-R has rapidly spread beyond the borders of Japan.
AZ arranged track
After the arrival on the market of the Nissan Z with street homologations, something else was missing: the Z version is a force from the NISMO Division, designed to compete, lower the tables and win among others. The result is someone’s flattery. We are talking about the Nissan Z GT4.
In its presentation, Nissan has established part of its objectives for the development of 2023 and certainly not on a large scale: to dominate the SUPER GT of Japan and the 24 Hours of Fuji. Neither Honda nor Mazda should meet such expectations.
Now, after this first step alone in the competition, Nissan is expected to introduce the Z GT4 in the street approval. Similar, but not exact, to what is found today in cars such as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the Mercedes-AMG One.
Nissan Z GT4, extra
If we stop at the design of the Nissan Z GT4, we will quickly understand that it is based on the production Nissan Z. The Z is also a novelty at Nissan, because in 2022 it produced a new generation, with a certain relationship it became a compact sports car.
The big aesthetic differences with the production model are the spoilers and the application of body expansion. A low front spoiler and rear spoiler give the Nissan Z GT4 aerodynamics and stability. This car is three centimeters wider than the conventional Nissan Z.
To be specific, the Nissan Z GT4 measures 4.38 meters long and 1.87 meters wide. Its weight is proven at 1,410 kilograms, 171 kg less than the production Z. As you can see, there are no marked changes in the body work, nor in the aesthetics that Nissan proposes, rather it is a continuation.
Nissan Z GT4, inside
The dedication within the NISMO Division is radical. The factory has cleaned up the production of the Nissan Z and added volume to the car. First to gain weight reduction. Secondly, to make this car something more useful and practical, regardless of comfort.
As we can see in the pictures, the entire dashboard, including the steering wheel and the control panel, has been reformed to optimize the performance and rigidity of this sports car. At the same time, a new control application appears, adapting to the demands of future GT4 competition.
As you will note, aesthetic words do not apply in the passenger compartment. The steering wheel that comes from the line has been removed from the one-track design, it is smaller and more ergonomic, although it is difficult to drive the Z GT4 without a pair of gloves.
Engine and homologation of Nissan Z GT4
The Nissan Z GT4 engine is undoubtedly one of the highlights. It has a 3.0-liter gasoline engine with six cylinders set in V. The entire engine is closed to the best version of the Nissan Z, and allows the Z GT4 to reach 449 hp and 600 Nm of maximum torque. Remember that sports cars are compact, the Z GT4 presents high numbers.
Even Nissan has not confirmed the market value of the Z GT4, mainly because this car has not been tested for a mission outside of a competition or test track. We will have to wait until that happens.
Although the firm has not confirmed that the Z GT4 will be on sale in the future. Perhaps some limited edition of a few units, perhaps production aimed only at Japan or the United States. The truth is, if you’re looking for a car like this, it’s better to be content with the Z line today.
Of course, it doesn’t have the radical performance of the Z GT4, but certainly the Z line is more than capable, considering the interesting compact sports car.
