There’s a prevalent belief within automotive circles that the Nissan 370Z is in dire need of an update. The current version of the sports coupe has been on the market since 2009. That’s a long time for any car, let alone one that belongs in a niche segment. As the clamoring for a next-gen 370Z grows louder, Nissan has apparently been listening all along. All this time, the Japanese automaker was actually developing a new 370Z. The only problem is it’s not the 370Z replacement we’re expecting.
Feast your eyes on this creation. It’s a Nissan 370Z…on skis. Nissan calls it the 370Zki, and it’s actually something the automaker is bringing to the 2018 Chicago Auto Show later this month. I don’t suppose it’s the version of the 370Z that we’ve all been waiting for. On the bright side, it is a positively cool creation, at least once you get past the awkwardness of seeing the compact sports car sitting on snowmobile equipment.
2018 Nissan 370Zki
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What makes the Nissan 370Zki special
Your eyes aren’t fooling you. This really is a Nissan 370Z. The exterior and interior of the sports car are certainly identical to those found on the 370Z. It even has an eye-catching bodywrap from Icon Image Graphics, complete with detailed graphics that showcase its “370Zki” name. Everything else about it changes, though, when you look at the bottom-half of the sports car. The four wheels, for example, have been completely removed in favor of tracks and skis. Apparently, the process of creating the 370Zki involved removing the car’s entire driveline.
In its place, Nissan completely modified the front and rear suspensions of the 370Z to accommodate the massive changes to its appearance and functionality. The changes include adding adapters and wheel spacers to achieve the required suspension travel and rotation for the 56-inch long skis. At the back, a custom lift kit and mounts for the rear springs were created to increase the car’s ground clearance. Similar wheel spacers were also added to the hubs in order for the massive Dominator tracks to sit further away from the car.
The tracks come by way of American Track Trunk Inc., and they measure 48 inches long, 30 inches high, and 15 inches wide. A custom skid plate was also installed to keep the chunks of ice away from the engine. Speaking of which, Nissan also created custom mounts for both the engine and transmission of the sports-car-turned-snowmobile.
In case you’re wondering, the 370Zki still makes use of the same 3.7-liter DOHC V-6 engine that you can find on a normal 370Z. The engine is good for an impressive 332 horsepower, and all that power goes to the back courtesy of a seven-speed automatic transmission.
It’s hard to imagine the kind of lap time the Nissan 370Zki is capable of, but as far as carving slopes up there in the snowies, I can’t imagine a cooler ride for that kind of job. Just don’t expect this creation to serve as the foundation towards creating the next-generation Z sports car.
References
Nissan 370Z
Read our full review on the 2017 Nissan 370Z Coupe.
Read our full review on the 2017 Nissan 370Z Roadster.
Read more Chicago Auto Show news.