While the modern tradition of turning practical family cars into rally racers is good, there was a time when automakers expected their sports cars to win rallies, and that was great. Nissan won the 1971 East African Safari Rally in a 240Z, and its latest build for the 2023 SEMA show pays tribute to that success.
Built by Tommy Pike, the one-off rally Z has been raised with KW Safari suspension, as well as NISMO parts. It also gets 17 x 7.5-inch prototype NISMO Safari wheels wrapped in Yokohama GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires, and the total ride height increase is set at 2 inches.
Tommy Pike also added some protection to the Z’s underbelly. This includes front bumper guards and a skid plate, as well as a set of NISMO Off Road LED lights.
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To keep the driver safe, the Z has had Recaro Pole Position seats with four-point harnesses. The twin-turbo V6 has been tuned by AMS to make more than 400 hp (298 kW/405 PS), featuring a cat-back exhaust system, cold air intake, a carbon fiber engine cover, a coolant expansion tank, a street twin-disc clutch, and flywheel.
Finished in red with a black hood, the Safari Rally Z Tribute is designed to look just like the number 11 Datsun 240Z that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally, with Edgar Herrmann at the wheel and Hans Schüller navigating. A milestone for the brand, the win was its second in a row, following the victory of the Datsun Bluebird 1600SSS in 1970.
The show car will be on display next to a replica of the rally-winning racecar at this year’s SEMA show. The winning 1971 240Z is also being honored by Seiko, which has introduced the $299 NISMO Seiko Safari Watch. With a red and blue NATO-style strap, and Z branding on the face, the watch is available to buy now.