YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Co., Ltd. (NMC) today unveiled the Nissan Z Racing Concept race cars 230 and 244. The vehicles, based on the all-new Nissan Z sports car, will enter the “ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 Powered by Hankook Round 2 NAPAC Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race” to be held at Fuji Speedway on June 4 and 5.
To explore possible competition in various motorsports categories, Nissan and NMC are developing these new vehicles with the knowledge gained over many years of Super GT and customer racing vehicle development. Car 230, entered by the NISMO team, is equipped with a carbon-neutral-fuel (CNF) compatible engine. Car 244, entered by the Max Racing team, is powered by a gasoline engine. Through participation in the grueling 24-hour endurance race with the two Nissan Z Racing Concepts, the aim is to further develop the vehicles and accumulate valuable data that can only be obtained through racing. This aim particularly applies to the CNF-compatible engine, and for application to future development.
Nissan aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout its product life cycle by fiscal year 2050 and is therefore also enhancing its efforts in motorsports. For instance, Nissan is the only Japanese manufacturer that participates in the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The development of the CNF-compatible engine is targeted toward carbon-neutral motorsports in the future.
“In our pursuit of innovation, we have always challenged the limits of what is possible, but we have never compromised on what excites our fans. Whether it is the excitement mixed with the roar of the engines or silent speed, our ambition is to empower our customers to enjoy their experience without compromise,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer. “We are the first and only Japanese manufacturer to enter the Formula E World Championship and we are again challenging the norms. The participation of the Nissan Z Racing Concept cars in this demanding race will bring many valuable learnings to develop competitive engines compatible with carbon neutral fuel.”
Takao Katagiri, head of Nissan’s Motorsports Business Unit Office and president of NMC, added, “We are entering this 24-hour endurance race with two vehicles, one fueled by CNF, because the tougher the race, the more we learn. We expect to acquire ample data and know-how for future vehicle development, and at the same time we aim to show fans the unique driving performance of the all-new Z that we hope will exceed their expectations.”
