Photograph courtesy SimtecMotorsports
Old-school looks, but with a much more modern engine, and gearbox, and wheels, and, well, I think you get the point.
“This 240z was taken down to bare metal and recreated in its entirety while still retaining the original monocoque,” its builder, Craig Simonian. “Everything was seam welded and the shell is incredibly strong at this point.”
Yes, a six-cylinder engine still powered the car, but it’s now one with a different configuration: “The entire drivetrain is from a ’90s 300ZX,” Simonian says, with that VG30DET, now fitted with a single turbo, capable of producing more than 600 horsepower.
Helping manage that engine? As Simonian explains, it’s a “standalone engine management system that was designed for aircraft,” that also features “an individual cylinder knock retard ignition setup in order to maximize power and efficiency.”
In total, the car weighs just 2500 pounds and boasts a 50/50 weight distribution.
See this 240Z/300ZX combo in person, and at speed, when it competes for the win in our Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge Presented by Grassroots Motorsports.
Our annual search for the fastest track machine on four wheels takes place at Eagles Canyon Raceway on October 22, where we’ll be joined by the equally impressive machinery of the Tire Rack SCCA Time Attack Challenge.
Just about anything is welcome–and encouraged–to compete, so long as both car and driver can pass a safety inspection. If that sounds like something you and your car can handle, register today.
The Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge is presented by Grassroots Motorsports in association with Wilwood, Vitour Tire, CRC Industries, Red Line Oil and Racetech, with trophies from BimmerWorld, Nine Lives Racing, Falken Tire, Vbox Motorsport and American Muscle.