In 2022, car enthusiasts all over the United States were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Nissan Z. In the new Z, not 400Z, it seems Nissan answered all of our prayers. Equipped with a 3.0L VR30DDTT Twin Turbo V6 and a 6 speed FS6R31 manual transmission, the new Z34 (Kouki Z34) seemed to fill all the gaps Nissan left in the Zenki Z34 and R35 that left true drivers wanting more. With a power output at an even 400hp (298kw; 406ps) and 350 ftlbs (475 N-m 48 kg-m) of torque, the new Z34 was unlike any of its predecessors and a breath of fresh air in the middle of the ‘Sports Car Electrification Movement’. Nissan then broke some hearts, mine included, when they announced the 420hp, 384ftlb Z34 Nismo would be equipped with a rebadged Mercedes 9G-Tronic automatic transmission manufactured under Jatco as the JR913E and that there would be no manual option for the Nismo Z. Their reasoning: Even with more power, the automatic sport model would be faster in the ¼ mile than a manual Nismo, and they feared consumers would care.
Fast forward to release day, and the reasonably priced Nissan Z saw dealer markups of over $70,000 over MSRP on what could be Nissan’s final true sports car. Somehow, clout and fear of missing out beat common sense and they sold like hotcakes. So much so, that as of the writing of this article, the least expensive USED Nissan Z on the market is being offered at $7,000 above NEW MSRP. Now to bring it all into perspective, if you were an early buyer of a Nissan Z, you’re punching in Audi RS5 Coupe, BMW M4 Competition xDrive, and C8 Corvette territory price-wise, except you likely have cloth seats, less power, and are a good deal slower from 0-60 than your newly priced out competition… and the EFI scientist here at Vivid Racing just can’t let you go out like that.
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While we have options for your interior woes, and styling upgrades that make the car look the part of the markup, we were focused on two things and two things only: horsepower and torque… and drivability (I’m aware that’s three things). When this Two-tone Ikazuchi Yellow Tricoat / Super Black Kouki Z34 rolled into our dyno lab, we were impressed. It put down an underrated 405hp and 475ftlbs of torque through the automatic transmission, which was more than we all expected. Immediately wanting to unlock the ECU and start our flash process, the customer let us know the factory warranty was very important to him and that he would like to keep it. Luckily here at VR Tuned, we have developed a Warranty-safe tune with our VR Tuned Tuning Box. Basically, this system acts as a piggy back. It requires no cutting or splicing and does not modify the way any of the factory sensors work. Instead, through science and electrical engineering and magic, it provides safe, modified data to the factory ECU, allowing us modify boost, fuel and spark strategies that ultimately results in a 65hp increase over stock and 85 more ftlbs or torque through our VR Forged wheels.
To make it more user-friendly for the driver, we included optional Bluetooth control for both iOS and Android platforms, allowing the user to quickly change between 7 performance maps, or simply turn the tuning box off for emissions purposes from their phone. With 3 active drive modes (Race, Sport, and Eco) included, and German tuning box construction, we feel Vivid Racing has crafted the ultimate tuning solution for Nissan Z owners looking to retain their factory warranty. We also found the best exhaust system for making big power, and the best suspension system to keep it all under control, so there’s no need to take it one step at a time. The next stop for us and the Z should be a track day, so subscribe if you want to see more.
So whether you want to be the talk of the town at the next local cars and coffee, or you want to take a few hot laps around the track in extreme comfort, shoot me an email at iori@vividracing.com to get your Z right.
Product Featured: VR Tuned ECU Tuning Box Kit V2 Nissan Z | 400Z
