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Writer's pictureJonathan Lopez

Deep Dive Into This 2023 Nissan Z Formula Drift Racer

Updated: Jan 12

Forsberg details his new ride.



Officially breaking cover last August, the 2023 Nissan Z is now tearing it up in Formula Drift with world champion driver Chris Forsberg at the helm. Forsberg and his team have already put the new Z on the podium, and now, we're getting under the skin with the following deep dive video.


Coming to us from Larry Chen, the video goes in-depth on what makes this 1,300-horsepower Nissan Z so impressive, with Chen and Forsberg listing the details front to back, inside and out. Even though Forsberg and his team had just six weeks to get the new car on track for the 2022 season, the 2023 Nissan Z is already showing potential, continuing the success that Forsberg enjoyed in Formula Drift previously with the sixth-generation Nissan 370Z.



Beyond the breakneck build time, Forsberg and his team also faced a dearth of available performance parts. Although the aftermarket will undoubtedly step up in developing new go-fast goodies over the course of the next few years, the seventh-generation Z has yet to fully launch in the consumer market, which compounds continuing supply chain woes to add further layers of complexity.


One example of this is the exterior, where we find the world's very first 2023 Nissan Z widebody kit, as produced by Street Hunter Designs. To make the kit, Street Hunter didn't actually have a physical Z to work with - rather, the design company took 3D scans and built the molds needed to produce the new body components in just a few weeks, rushing the completed product to Forsberg and his team a mere three days before the Z's inaugural track outing.



Another big highlight can be found under the hood, where this Formula Drift race car swaps the factory twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 VR30DDTT in favor of the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT, the same engine that powered Forsberg's previous drift machine. Better known as the GT-R motor, the VR38DETT looks amazing under the hood of the 2023 Nissan Z, with this particular example fitted with a unique upper plenum and single throttle body that eases maintenance and provides sharper throttle response.


Suspension bits include a Parts Shop Max front angle kit and BC Racing ZR three-way adjustable coilovers, as well as a custom "speedway style" tubular sway bar. Also notable are the custom five-spoke Rotiform wheels, rollers which Forsberg teased in February after taking delivery of the new 2023 Nissan Z. Wilwood brakes throw the anchor.



Overall, it seems as though many of the lessons Forsberg and his team learned through development of the sixth-gen 370Z carry over with the next-gen 2023 Nissan Z. Dig into all the nitty gritty details for yourself right here:




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