SCCA GT-3 350Z's @ Buttonwillow
 

Took a few shots of the GT-3 350Z's of Terry Watson and Frank Hansowetz at the Buttonwillow Double National this past weekend and thought I'd share.

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Nice, I like the throwback panasports!

Looks good. I thought the 350Z was in GT2 though...

The GT-3 cars use a 4-cylinder engine instead of the 6. There may be some chassis, suspension, brake, wheel size differences as well. They are also tube-frame cars, though.

sweet. are those 1 piece front ends?

Any idea which 4-cylinder?

Michael.

Most teams run the KA24 SOHC in GT3. SCCA rules also allow a variety of older 4-cylinder Nissan motors, but the hot setup is to use the KA24.

In GT2, keep in mind that there is a 3.0 limit on engines, so most teams run a sleeved-down VQ35DE with a modified 3.0 crank to meet the rules. Also classed in GT2 is the SR20DE, which is allowed quite a weight break (in comparison with the V-6s), but no one has elected to undertake the R & D necessary to make a 4 banger compete in this class.

So what, exactly, make this thing a Z?

It seems like a real Z in the same way an NASCAR Taurus is a real Taurus. Although they did a pretty good job on the body panels.

-D'oh!

Exactly. I'll stick with T2 & GA Cup as far as watching the 350Z run.

Interesting. I was honestly expecting the typical SR20DE answer. On literally every Nissan board, the popular opinion is that the KA24[DE] is a crappy, truck motor.

Michael.

BTW, wasn't Frank Hansowetz one of the head guys in Infiniti's IRL racing program?

scca GT in 2005 ?
 

Yeah,
I would love to see a Z in the Speed world challenge! maybe in 2005 ?

The GT3 350Z's are just rebodied GT3 240SX. That is one of the reasons they are using the 4cylinder motor. Also the reason why the bodies look "funny" compared to a real Z, they are about 7/8 size (in order to fit the dimmensions of the 240SX tube frame). Also if compared to the 350z in GT2, the GT2 car dimmensionally looks like a real 350Z