Nissan is retiring the R35 GT-R from Japan’s Super GT Series and has just replaced it with this, the new Nissan Z GT500. The new race car was unveiled at Fuji International Speedway and will start to compete during the 2022 season. It has big shoes to fill as the GT-R GT500 has been used in the Super GT Series for the past 13 years and claimed 5 driver’s championships during that time.
One look at the Z GT500 shows just how
different it is from the road-going model. While the front-end retains the
production model’s headlights, everything else has changed. That means there is
a new front bumper with a carbon fiber splitter and carbon canards. The wheel
arches are also significantly wider and designed to improve aerodynamics.
Meanwhile, the sides of the Z GT500 catch
the eye thanks to complex carbon fiber skirts, again design to boost downforce
and stick the race car to the tarmac. Other changes made include the fitment of
center-locking race wheels, a large swan-neck rear wing, and a wild rear
diffuser.
Nissan hasn’t released technical
specifications about the car but vehicles competing in the GT500 class are all
powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that can pump out up to 650
hp, a cool 250 hp more than the road car despite being 1.0-liter smaller,
having two fewer cylinder, and one less turbocharger.
