Nissan Z racing concepts unveiled for Fuji 24-hour endurance race

Nissan Motor and Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Co have together unveiled the Nissan Z Racing Concept race cars 230 and 244. Both the vehicles are based on the all-new Nissan Z sports car, and will race in the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 that will be held at the Fuji Speedway on June 4 and 5. The racing car 230 comes equipped with a carbon-neutral-fuel (CNF) compatible engine while the car 244 sources power from a gasoline engine.

Through the participation of the two Nissan Z Racing Concepts in the grueling 24-hour endurance race, Nissan aims to further develop these vehicles and accumulate valuable data that can only be obtained through racing. The company particularly aims to apply this study to the CNF-compatible engine, and for its application to future development.

The Japanese carmaker aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout its product life cycle by fiscal year 2050 and is therefore also enhancing its efforts in motorsports. The carmaker 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.

The company's chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta elaborates on the company's motorsports vision, saying, “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."

Nissan's Head of Motorsports Business Unit Office and president of NMC, Takao Katagiri further explains how participating in motorsports helps the company learn more and implement more in future technologies. “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," he said.