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The Nissan 370Z is one of the purest sports cars you can buy today, but it's also quite long in the tooth. Nissan is still waiting for a complete overhaul, but the Japanese automaker is showing the potential of the 370Z as a tuner at SEMA 2018. The Nissan 370Z Project Clubsport 23 was built to show what homeowners can do with their cars using spare parts or a factory. Nissan Motorsports Performance Upgrade (NISMO).
Like many tuners, Nissan and its partner MA Motorsports started with a used car rather than something new. Admittedly, it's hard to say because Nissan has not substantially updated the 370Z for years. The Clubsport 23 is based on a 2012 NISMO 370Z, but the original 350-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 has been replaced by a 4.0-liter V6 bi-turbo (the same engine used in the Q50 sedan) and the Nissan Infiniti luxury brand Q60 coupe) producing 400 hp.
Because doing otherwise would be sacrilege, Nissan has retained the 370Z's standard six-speed manual gearbox. But this required some additional engineering, as the twin-turbo V6 had never been coupled to a manual gearbox yet. MA Motorsports had to develop a new set of clutch disk, cover and flywheel for the combination to work, and electronic components had to be designed to communicate properly.
Once the engine exchange was complete, it was time to upgrade. The car was equipped with a custom exhaust system that passed through the rear registration plate panel, as well as a reinforced cooling system, brakes and suspensions. The 370Z carries 18-inch cast aluminum Rays alloy wheels, which will be available at a later date at Nissan dealerships, the automaker announced. In the interest of customers, Nissan also proposed to offer a "building kit" including electronic parts and components to help customers build their own 370Z crawler cars.
To prepare the Clubsport 23 for the track, the base seats were exchanged for Sparco QRT-R competition seats equipped with Sparco six-point harnesses. The car is also equipped with a competition-type fire suppression system and a Sparco R383 steering wheel with Bell Works Rapfix hub. MA Motorsports has added a custom upholstery with a diamond pattern designed to reference the 1970s ancestor of the 370Z – the Datsun 240Z.
The outside has also been revamped. It's certainly not the most extreme 370Z of all time, but features like an APR carbon fiber separator and a Seibon TS style carbon fiber hood, as well as a Gloss Burnt vinyl body trim. Orange, allow the Clubsport 23 to stand out. Given the huge number of crazy cars looking for attention at SEMA 2018, it will not be a small feat.
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