A month ago, Toyota revealed its latest GR Supra GT4 headed for various international racing campaigns for the 2023 season. Arguably the Supra GT4’s primary nemesis, the Nissan Z GT4, pulled into SEMA after local testing in Las Vegas. The automaker dropped hints about the car in September, we’re finally privy to specs and the racing plan. For GT4 duty, the VR30DDTT 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the road car is leveled up 450 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque in base spec, final numbers to be determined by Balance of Performance regulations in the SRO GT4 series. The output represents 50 more horsepower and 93 more pound-feet in a car that weighs anywhere from 400 to 500 pounds less than the retail model.
With GT4 designed to make close connection to the road-legal base car, obvious aero aids are limited to a splitter, some flics on the front fenders, an a rear wing. We expect to see far racier makeovers at a local diner soon. Staggered 18-inch Rays wheels in racing rubber provide explosive go, a quartet of stonking Brembo brakes deliver explosive stopping.
After showing the car in the traditional Nismo white and black and red accents over the summer, the stylized livery for SEMA recalls Nissan’s track exploits. Laid onto the red and black color combo of Nissan racers, the automaker’s hallmark #23 emerges from a rising sun on the hood, the new Z logo on the rear quarter panels echoes the Fairlady Z and 240 Z that started this journey.
Even though the Z GT4 has developmental race experience such as this year’s 24 Hours of Fuji, 2023 will be a development year. Nissan’s will provide select partner teams a Z GT4 to campaign in the SRO Pirelli GT4 America series and Japan’s Super Taikyu Series, with Nismo providing technical support. Orders will open for other interested teams sometime next year in time to prep for the 2024 season, the car costing $229,000 before delivery charges. That compares to 186,000 euros for the Supra GT4. In a straight conversion, the Supra would cost $184,051 U.S.; subtracting Europe’s 18% VAT, assuming that’s what Toyota does for U.S. teams, brings the price down to $150,000.
