Race-ready Nissan Z GT4 Nismo unveiled

Nissan has revealed the roadgoing Nismo Z with Chris Forsberg behind the wheel

The 45-second video shows a few changes made by the in-house tuner, including wider wheels, an aggressive body kit, and a new Sport+ drive mode. Get the full story at the link below.

September 28: Nismo reveals GT4-spec Nissan Z ahead of 2023 competition debut

The 2023 Nissan Z GT4, Nissan's latest Nismo-developed customer racing car, has been revealed ahead of its competition debut next year.

The GT4-spec racer bolsters the Nissan Z's already buzzing motorsport program, competing in Japan's Super Taikyu series under the ST-Q manufacturer class, as well as in SuperGT's top-flight GT500 division.

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Like all GT4-spec machines, the Nissan Z GT4 Nismo is a track-only performance machine, extensively modified but still based on a standard production vehicle.

The transformation from road car to racer was overseen by Nismo Racing Division, which has fettled the factory-fitted 3.0-litre VR30 twin-turbo V6 and optimised the chassis, suspension and aerodynamics for global GT4 competition.

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GT4 is regarded as an entry-point to global GT racing, with grids comprising much more affordable (comparatively speaking) and less powerful vehicles. The class is geared towards pro-am 'customer racing', with Nismo's turnkey machine requiring a balance between professional competitiveness and amateur accessibility.

Final specifications will be released at this year's SEMA Show, taking place in the US from November 1-4. Nissan states that customer racing deliveries are expected from the first half of 2023.

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Until then, feel free to drool over the photos and watch Nissan's reveal video above.

September 27: Nismo to reveal factory-built GT4-spec Nissan Z tomorrow

Nismo's new Z is being unveiled tomorrow, but it's not the (still officially unconfirmed) road-going model you're waiting for.

Instead, the curtains will drop on what's heavily expected to be a factory-built Nissan Z racing car destined for global GT4 competition.

Nissan's global headquarters in Japan has posted a shadowy teaser image on Twitter, with a link to a virtual premiere scheduled to take place at 9:00am Australian Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday September 28.

Through great use of the 'enhance' function by Wheels' very own CSI (Car Special Investigations...) division, the de-shadowed teaser clearly illustrates a race-ready Z, and its side is emblazoned with 'GT4'.

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The presence of a fixed-back bucket seat with wrap-around head restraint wings, as well as what looks to be a 'Dry Break' fuel coupling indicate that this is no road-going Z, but one destined for the circuit.

A jutting splitter and dive planes are mounted on the front bumper, followed by a vented bonnet and a fixed single-plane wing at the rear.

The car wears a retro throwback livery to the Nismo chequered flag motif, similar to those seen on Nismo's line of upgraded S- and R-tune Zs and Skylines of the 2000s.

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The GT4-spec Nissan Z is a logical progression from the existing Nissan Z racing cars already participating in Japan's Super Taikyu season.

Super Taikyu is Japan's Pro-Am GT racing series and the largest of its kind in Asia, boasting nine racing classes ranging from FIA GT3 to sub-1.5-litre commercially available road-based vehicles.

There are already two factory-backed Nissan Zs competing in the ST-Q class (and also in the top-flight GT500 class) of Super Taikyu, with ST-Q catering to manufacturer-developed non-homologated racing cars, providing an exciting test bed for the likes of Toyota, Mazda and Subaru to experiment with things like hydrogen-ICE powerplants as well as bio and synthetic fuels.

The ST-Q-spec Z looks very similar to the GT4-spec car, with the main visual differences being observed in the aero.

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Just like the preceding 370Z, whose road-going Nismo model was aided by learnings and developments gained from the car's participation in SuperGT, it's expected that the Nissan Z's multi-pronged motorsports program will result in a road-going Nissan Z Nismo, with recent reports from Japan indicating a possible 2023 reveal.

Read more below and stay tuned for the latest Nissan Z news.

September 26: 2023 Nismo Z? Japanese reports suggest hotter Nissan Z is on the way

Designs filed with the Japanese Patent Office suggest a more hardcore variant of the new Nissan Z is in the works – and could be revealed as soon as 2023.

Japanese automotive outlet Best Car reports there is a hotter version of Nissan’s new Z in the pipeline, citing recent patent filings and modified test mule spottings.

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In its domestic market of Japan, the hotly anticipated Nissan Z has enjoyed significant success, with delivery times reportedly blowing out beyond two years and forcing Nissan Japan to pause orders at the end of July.

Patent images shared by Best Car show a kitted-up Z that looks almost identical to the modified Nissan Z ‘Customized Proto’ concept car that was displayed at Tokyo Auto Salon 2022.

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Camouflaged American test mules were also spotted in California and Arizona last month wearing the same split-front bumper arrangement, chinned front lip and featuring ‘Nismo’-branded seats.

Whether this kitted-up variant is a forthcoming Nismo Z variant, or something else, remains unclear.

While not officially confirmed by Nissan, many expect some form of Nismo-tuned Z to join the range in the future, with the previous generation 370Z’s Nismo variant appearing just one model year after launch. The new Z is already participating in Japan‘s Super Taikyu series, and is being built for GT4 spec-racing – so there is already motorsport engineering and development to trickle down into the road car.

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If this forthcoming Z variant isn’t a Nismo-branded product, what else could it be? There is a large precedence of anniversary models found in prior Z generations, with 2023 marking 90 years since Nihon Sangyo first appeared as ‘Nissan’ on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1933.

The modified Nissan Z display vehicle unveiled at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was designed in tribute to the original Datsun 240Z Z432R factory-built racing car.

Between 30 and 50 of these factory lightweight racers were produced in 1970, with no radio or air-con, acrylic glass, FRP panels and 0.2 millimetre-thinner body panels for ultimate weight-saving.

The ‘432’ denotes the four valves-per-cylinder, three Mikuni carburettor and dual-overhead cam configuration of Datsun’s famous S20 inline-six engine. That S20 engine was famously lifted from the original Skyline GT-R – the ‘Hakosuka’ PGC10 – which in turn sourced its powerplant from Prince’s Grand Prix-winning R380 race car.

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