The Nissan Safari Rally Z Tribute is a tribute to the Datsun 240Z, which won the East African Safari Rally in 1971. The Z from Tommy Pike Customs has a two-inch lift thanks to bigger Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires and a firmer suspension. It has been tuned so that the V-6 engine makes more than 400 horsepower. The changed Z has a cold air intake, a cat-back exhaust, and a clutch and flywheel with two discs. As cars and SUVs have taken over the market, off-roading has become more popular. Some automakers, like Honda with the TrailSport and Subaru with the Wilderness, have created new sub-brands to support their cars. The need to go anywhere has also affected sports cars. For example, Porsche and Lamborghini made the 911 Dakar and the Huracán Sterrato. Nissan is showing off its take on the trend at the 2023 SEMA show, which starts this week in Las Vegas. This Safari Rally Z Tribute was constructed by Tommy Pike Customs. Nissan honored the rally-spec Datsun 240Z that won the 3,800-mile East African Safari Rally in 1971 with a prototype based on the Juke. This is a tribute to that car. This building was finished by Tommy Pike Customs in South Carolina. Tommy Pike Customs had already made an Ariya that looked like a Woody Wagon and a 1987 Sunny truck driven by a Leaf for the SEMA show. A copy of the Datsun 240Z Safari will be shown with the new Z sports car. Tommy Pike Customs made significant changes to the aggressively styled racing car. The Tribute build’s unique KW safari suspension raises the car two inches and comes with a strut tower brace, movable upper control arms, and other parts from NISMO, Nissan’s tuner. These stylish black 17.0-inch wheels have Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 225/65 tires. A bumper guard and skid plate on the front bumper cover areas that might be slippery and a bunch of extra LED lights that stick out from the front bumper make it easier to see in low light and dust. The Z’s Recaro bucket seats are tightly connected to the roll bar for the driver, which is tied to four-point harnesses. AMS Performance has also changed the V-6 engine to make it more horsepower than the 400 horsepower it already has. However, Nissan has not said how much more horsepower it has. Under the hood, you can find a heat exchanger, a carbon-fiber engine cover, a flywheel and twin-disc clutch, and a cold air outlet, among other things. Tommy Pike Customs also put in a cat-back exhaust with NISMO logos cut out with a laser. The “11” on the doors of the 1971 car is changed to look like the original race car’s number, but the doors now have the number “23” to finish the look. This off-road Z will never be made, but Nissan might sell some of these parts to people who want to make their race memorable.
