A Pair Of Nissan Z Racing Concepts Took Part In The Fuji 24-Hour Race

Nissan took part in the second round of the Super Taikyu Series 2022 at the Fuji Speedway in Japan with two Nissan Z Racing Concepts, based on the production sportscar. One of the cars had a regular gasoline engine, and the other used a carbon-neutral fuel (CNF), with both successfully completing the 24-hour race.

The Nissan Z race cars came with a series of modifications compared to the road-going Z, including a vented bonnet, tow hooks, black fender extensions, eight-spoke Rays alloy wheels, a large rear wing, and a racing livery. The gasoline-powered model had red Nismo graphics while the carbon-neutral-fueled Z came with blue graphics. Both were fitted with a roll cage and Sabelt racing seats, among all necessary safety measures for track use.

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The gasoline-powered #244 Nissan Z Racing Concept by the Max Racing team finished at ninth place overall, after completing 707 laps in the 24-hour race. The neutral-fuel vehicle with the number #230 by the NISMO team joined it for the photo finish but mechanical issues during the race limited it to the 48th place, completing 502 laps. As described by Takao Katagiri, head of Nissan’s Motorsports Business Unit Office, “The tougher the race, the more we learn”.

Nissan’s goal is to use the expertise gained from racing in future vehicle development, especially for carbon-neutral fuels which could potentially prolong the life of internal combustion engines. Besides Nissan, Toyota, Subaru and Mazda are also experimenting with alternative fuels.

Nissan fans hope that the racing concepts will evolve into a possible Nismo variant of the Z that could be offered in the future with a more aggressive aero kit and a track-focused chassis setup. Note that Nissan is already racing with the Z GT500 in the Super GT category, although this is quite different from the production model due to the series’ regulations.