Nissan Employees Built A Race-Ready Z With The Perfect Throwback Livery

A group of Nissan employees turned their passion for racing into Project NAT2, a track-focused Z built to SCCA Touring 2 specifications.

Photo by: Nissan

By: Jeff Glucker

Oct 28, at 8:00am ET

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When Nissan reaches into its heritage recesses and pulls out one of its great liveries for a modern application, the result is usually pretty wonderful. Case in point: this race-prepped Z wearing a custom red, white, and blue wrap that looks positively brilliant.

The car is the result of after-hours hard work by a volunteer group of Nissan employees who love racing. Dubbed the Nissan Acceleration Team (NAT), this crew has created a Z prepared to compete in SCCA events, specifically the Touring 2 class.

You have a stock vehicle that's modified to meet safety guidelines and is allowed a modest amount of reliability and go-fast upgrades. And this NAT crew built the car in their spare time in order to take it racing.

Throwback Style

Photo by: Nissan

Nissan has long used this color scheme across its lengthy list of legendary race cars. The first that springs to mind is Steve Millen's iconic Z32-generation IMSA race car. Variations on this theme can be found on a Z31 raced by Tom Cruise and the 1990 IMSA Championship-winning NPT-90 Prototype.

You'll find a different take on this idea splashed across the BRE Datsuns from the '60s and '60s. More red, white, and blue arrives on the amazing Group C race cars in the 1990s. And Nissan even used this color scheme on its off-road racing hardbody pickup trucks.

That livery, by the way, returned for a Rebelle Rally truck in 2021, which further proves just how good classic designs can work on modern machines.

SCCA Upgrades To Take A Z To The Racetrack

Photo by: Nissan

Safety is obviously the number one priority when building a car to compete in this or any motorsport class. This Z was gutted before the team installed an SCCA competition-spec roll cage, installed a Sabelt seat and six-point harness, and added the Lifeline Zero 360 fire suppression system.

After that, the fun parts could be installed. The NAT team had to add turbo inlet restrictors to meet class requirements. But the engine does benefit from a cold air intake, NISMO exhaust system, custom engine tune, and an upgraded fuel system.

To keep the car cool on the track, it's been equipped with an aluminum radiator, an upgraded heat exchanger, an oil cooler, and a differential cooler. The bottom end also gets a Z1 Motorsports aluminum oil pan.

There's a full complement of Nismo suspension upgrades. You'll find Z1 Motorsports bushings and mounts sprinkled throughout, and Z1 also handles the upgraded brakes with its own Track Big Brake Kit.

What do you think?

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Finally, a set of RAYS 18x11 forged aluminum wheels set at the corners wearing Maxxis RC-1 tires.

The Project NAT2 SCCA Touring 2 Z is a wonderful labor of love from a dedicated team at Nissan. It wears the perfect livery, has the right upgrades, and should prove to be a heck of a machine out on the race track.