The Original Datsun Z Hides A Modern Twin-Turbo V6 And Manual
Nissan is bringing a one-off Datsun S30 Concept to the SEMA 2026 and it is far more than a tribute build with a fresh paint job. The project drops the current Z‘s VR30DDTT twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, rated at 400 horsepower from the factory, straight into the classic 240Z’s body, built in partnership with Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg.
Nissan has not released a final power figure for the finished car, but the hardware list suggests the stock output is just a starting point. This isn’t a static show piece dressed up for photos. It’s a fully engineered testbed meant to prove the modern Z’s underpinnings and the S30’s shape were always built to go together.
A Modern Z Drivetrain Stuffed Into A Vintage Chassis
The VR30DDTT now breathes through Garrett PMAX turbochargers, backed by Nismo cold-air intakes and a Nismo heat exchanger. A carbon-fiber Nismo engine cover tops off the bay, and a Nismo twin-disc clutch and flywheel handle the added strain. Power routes through a Nissan Z FS6 six-speed manual gearbox and out to a Nismo R200 limited-slip differential, the same basic recipe found in the current Z’s lineup, just asked to do considerably more work.
Feeding that setup is a Radium Engineering 10-gallon fuel cell paired with a DeatschWerks 450-liter-per-hour pump, the kind of fuel system built for sustained high-boost runs rather than a few laps around a convention floor. That detail alone separates this from the usual SEMA show car that never leaves its pedestal.
Carbon Panels And Serious Chassis Hardware
Nissan swapped the S30’s front fenders, hood, air dam, bumpers, hatch, and spoiler for custom carbon-fiber pieces, all finished in Nissan’s discontinued Seiran Blue with Nismo 40th anniversary decals. Every panel change trims weight while keeping the silhouette that made the original 240Z an icon in the first place.
Techno Toy Tuning supplied the chassis overhaul: coilovers, front and rear control arms, sway bars, strut tower bars, an evolved front crossmember, an upgraded steering rack, and billet tie rods. Wilwood brakes handle stopping duty, with six-piston calipers clamping 300-millimeter two-piece rotors up front and four-piston calipers on 280-millimeter rotors in back. Forged Nismo LM-RS6 wheels, 17 by 9 inches, wrapped in 245/40R17 X-Comp HP tires, round out a rolling package built for actual driving, not just display lighting.
Forsberg’s Drift Pedigree Runs Through The Build
Forsberg’s name on this project isn’t incidental. The Formula Drift champion has a long-running relationship with Nissan’s Z-based builds, and his hand in the S30 Concept ties the car directly to the brand’s drifting history rather than treating it as a one-off curiosity. Inside, OMP Silverstone racing seats, custom matching door cards, a Grip Royal steering wheel, Speedhut gauges, and a black aluminum Nismo shift knob keep the cabin feeling purposeful rather than purely decorative.
The S30 Concept won’t be alone at Nissan’s booth. The automaker is also debuting the Project NAT2 Z, a track-focused build developed after hours by an in-house engineering group aiming to meet SCCA Touring 2 class rules, alongside a 300-horsepower Sentra Spec-V Concept. Together, the three cars read like Nissan’s own argument for why its enthusiast lineage, old and new, still matters.
The Datsun S30 Concept is scheduled for display at the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas from November 3 through November 6. Nissan hasn’t mentioned production plans, and with this much custom fabrication, there likely won’t be a second one. But as a statement about what links the original Z to the current RZ34, it’s hard to argue with the hardware list.
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