Nissan Motor Co. will remodel its Fairlady Z sports car to participate in the globally popular GT4 amateur races, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
As the automotive industry increasingly embraces electric vehicles and other eco-friendly trends, as well as advanced technologies such as automatic driving, Nissan has decided to expand its market base and heighten its brand power by sharing the fun of driving through racing.
Nissan will revamp its newest Fairlady Z model, which goes on sale this year, for racing and sell it for the 2023 GT4 season. The automaker will also offer services that include repairs and modifications by special engineers.
GT4 is a category of GT customer racing, a competition among commercial sports cars specifically designed for racing. The participants are mainly amateur drivers, and the races are especially popular in Europe and North America. Among the particularly well-known events is Germany's Nurburgring 24 hours.
Toyota Motor Corp. currently sells a race-ready Supra model for GT4. In recent years, Western automakers such as BMW AG and Audi AG have also introduced cars for the sport.
Fairlady Z is Nissan's most popular sports car. Released in 1969, the first model appeared in U.S. amateur races, becoming the driving force that propelled Nissan to become a global manufacturer.
Motorsports -- in which drivers compete over speed and fuel efficiency under harsh conditions -- have long helped automakers develop engines and nurture engineers. However, quite a few automakers have recently been withdrawing from the money-consuming world of motorsports, which requires spending on environmental considerations and other expenses.
Nevertheless, Nissan decided to enter the field, in the belief that remodeling a commercial vehicle would hold down investment costs and help consumers become familiar with racing. The company is eager to restore its brand image and eventually boost its sales of commercial vehicles.
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