This 400-hp twin-turbo SEMA car proves the Nissan 370Z isn’t dead yet
The Nissan 370Z is old. Practically ancient when you consider that the life cycle for most cars is about 5 years. The Z is approaching 10 years of production, a time span that has seen three generations of Honda Accord. At the 2018 SEMA show, however, the Nissan Project Clubsport 23 has many excited about one of our favorite living fossils. Under the hood is a 400-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6—50 more hp than the stock 370Z. Power is an automotive cure-all. Look no further than the Dodge Challenger, which is older than the Z and still relevant thanks to the 707-hp Hellcat.
But back to the Z car. The 23, by the way, is a reference to the two syllables of Nissan is in Japanese (ni = two, san = three). Like most SEMA builds from car companies, the one-off car is a combination of factory aftermarket parts you can order and fabrication-shop fantasy. Don’t expect a crate version of the VR30DDTT engine, borrowed from the Infiniti Q50 and Q60, anytime soon. There are a few bolt-on parts that are available or will be available soon to for the 370Z, like the 18-inch Rays wheels, Nismo HC Street/Track brake pads, and Nismo suspension components.
Nissan also says it may offer a “builder kit” to help customers build their cars to track-prepped specification. But we’ll stop right there because we’re thinking the same thing you’re thinking. Put this engine in the production car, right? 400Z has a nice ring to it. And even if that’s just wishful thinking, you did get excited about the 370Z for a minute there, and when was the last time that happened? Like we said, a healthy dose of horsepower tends to solve a lot of problems. Including memory loss.
