The Nissan Z GT500 Is Beyond Extreme, and It’s Awesome

Nissan Z GT500 Race Car Makes a Public Debut For The First Time At The 2022 Tokyo Auto Show

by Dim Angelov, on January 15, 2022, 22:58

The Nissan Z is one of the most anticipated sports cars of 2022. Its official debut was held on August 17, 2021, with sales commencing spring, 2022. With this in mind, this Friday marks the start of the 2022 Tokyo Auto Show where Nissan, alongside other Japanese carmakers, is showing us its latest and upcoming models. While the Japanese-market Nissan Z, which is called the Fairlady Z, makes an appearance, we also see, for the first time, the GT500 race version of the Nissan Z.

The Nissan Z GT500 Is Beyond Extreme, and It's Awesome Exterior
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While Nissan are also bringing a new Nissan Caravan cargo-hauler called Mountain Base and a Formula E-inspired Nissan Note, we are focusing on the sportier portion of their lineup. A while back we showed you renderings of a GT500-inspired Nissan Z, which showed that a Super GT racing version of the car needs to happen. Fast-forward to January 2022, and we finally see the real thing, making a public appearance.

The Nissan Z GT500 Is Beyond Extreme, and It's Awesome Exterior
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The [2022 Nissan Z GT500-art193852] makes a public debut just in time for the 2022 Super GT race season. Round 1 will be held at the Okinawa International Circuit, on 16 and 17 April. The car serves as a replacement for the Nissan GT-R GT500, which has been in service since 2008, when R35 Nissan GT-R came out. As per current GT500 specifications (since 2014), the Nissan Z GT500 relies on a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with an output of 650 horsepower (485 kilowatts), on 102 RON gasoline, and a six-speed paddle-shift gearbox, to move its 2,271 pounds (1,030 kg).

The Nissan Z GT500 Is Beyond Extreme, and It's Awesome Exterior
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Nissan has a long and proud history in motorsports, and it would be interesting to see if the 2022 Nissan Z GT500 can continue to dominate the racetrack, just like the long line of Fairlady Z, Skyline, and GT-R race versions before it. The track-ready Z even retains (sort of) Nissan’s signature number 23, although with an added “0” at the back. A cool piece of trivia: in Japanese, 23 is pronounced similarly to “Nissan”.

Dim Angelov

Born in 1992, I come from a family of motoring enthusiasts. My passion for cars was awoken at the age of six, when I saw a Lamborghini Diablo SV in a magazine. After high school I earned a master’s degree in marketing and a Master of Arts in Media and Communications. Over the years, I’ve practiced and become skilled in precision driving and to date have test driven more than 250 cars across the globe. Over the years, I’ve picked up basic mechanical knowledge and have even taken part in the restoration of a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. Lately, I’ve taken a fancy to automotive photography, and while modern cars are my primary passion, I also have a love for Asian Martial Arts, swimming, war history, craft beer, historical weapons, and car restoration. In time, I plan my own classic car restoration and hope to earn my racing certificate, after which I expect to establish my own racing team. Read full bio

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