The 2023 Nissan Z will compete within the Japanese Tremendous Taikyu Sequence’ 24-hour race at Fuji Speedway, scheduled for June 4.
Two automobiles will enter the ST-Q class, Nissan’s Nismo efficiency division mentioned in a press launch Thursday. One shall be raced by a Nismo manufacturing facility crew, the opposite by privateer crew Max Racing. Three drivers shall be assigned to every automobile.
Nissan beforehand debuted a Z race automobile for the premiere GT500 class of Japan’s Tremendous GT collection. This model seems a lot nearer to inventory. Nismo did not launch any technical specs, however the ST-Q Z lacks the GT500 automobile’s broad physique and large rear wing. We do, nonetheless, see a smaller rear wing, a roll cage, extra cooling cutouts on the hood, and large brakes behind what look like lighter wheels.
Nissan Z race automobile for 2022 Fuji 24 Hours
Whereas the GT500 Z is powered by a rules-mandated 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 producing 650 hp, it is doable the ST-Q Z could have one thing nearer to the highway automobile’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, which produces 400 hp in inventory type.
The ST-Q class is for “improvement automobiles” that do not correspond to different Tremendous Taikyu Sequence courses, so it is doable this shall be a one-off effort. The collection has been open to producer experimentation, permitting Toyota to race a Corolla Sport hatchback with a prototype hydrogen combustion engine in 2021. Nismo mentioned it can collect information from the Fuji race because it explores the opportunity of racing the Z in different classes.
Given the Z’s wealthy historical past of racing within the U.S. with the likes of Paul Newman, it would not be shocking for Nissan to broaden its racing program for the brand new mannequin past Japan. For now, the road-going Z is scheduled to succeed in U.S. dealerships this summer time as a 2023 mannequin.