Photo: Nissan
The automotive industry is undergoing significant changes, as everyone is set to embrace electrification as the way forward. Some are still pursuing alternative fuels for our internal combustion engines, but only time will tell if they can find the optimum solution.
In the meantime, there's still some room for play, at least when it comes to motorsports. In recent years, we've seen some exciting concepts and vehicles ready to offer a high mobility standard regardless of the terrain you're driving on. Just think of the Gemballa Marsien and the Porsche 911 Dakar. Lamborghini has gone down a similar route with the Huracan Sterrato.
Meanwhile, the "Safari all the builds" wave has swept the globe, giving birth to unusual vehicles that can drive over any surface. "Where we're going, we don't need roads" would be a great thing to have in the future, right? This thought process may lead to another question: is Nissan trying to tell us something with its upcoming SEMA display? The Japanese manufacturer announced it will showcase a Safari Rally Z Tribute at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, booth #52141. Rally enthusiasts will instantly reminisce about the Datsun 240Z rally car that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally, given the similar liveries.
240Z no. 31 came in second that year, and I can give you a few other names of famous drivers in the competition: Stig Blomqvist (finished P13) and Hannu Mikkola (retired). For those too young to make the connection, Nissan has secured a replica of the iconic rally car, belonging to Randy Jaffe, to display next to the new Z. Tommy Pike Customs built this machine to handle the off-road challenge, and the list of upgrades is quite extensive.
The ride height was raised by two inches using a KW Safari suspension and other NISMO components. The Z will roll around on 17-inch Prototype NISMO Safari wheels, wrapped in 225/65-17 Yokohama GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires. Judging by the photos, it all looks like a lot of fun, and it would be great if there were more to this display set-up than meets the eye. The World Rally Championship would look much better with a new entry from Nissan and perhaps even Subaru, but that seems like a distant, unattainable dream.
Instead, the idea of a future, factory-tune Safari-ready model from the Japanese manufacturer sounds much more feasible. Likely, this exact car will never take on a rally stage, but I hope Nissan plans on gauging the interest it will generate at the upcoming event in Las Vegas. Even if the Japanese manufacturer will have to switch to electric power for a future eight-generation of the Z-car, it's going to be a lot more appealing if it has Safari-going capabilities.
Meanwhile, the "Safari all the builds" wave has swept the globe, giving birth to unusual vehicles that can drive over any surface. "Where we're going, we don't need roads" would be a great thing to have in the future, right? This thought process may lead to another question: is Nissan trying to tell us something with its upcoming SEMA display? The Japanese manufacturer announced it will showcase a Safari Rally Z Tribute at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, booth #52141. Rally enthusiasts will instantly reminisce about the Datsun 240Z rally car that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally, given the similar liveries.
240Z no. 31 came in second that year, and I can give you a few other names of famous drivers in the competition: Stig Blomqvist (finished P13) and Hannu Mikkola (retired). For those too young to make the connection, Nissan has secured a replica of the iconic rally car, belonging to Randy Jaffe, to display next to the new Z. Tommy Pike Customs built this machine to handle the off-road challenge, and the list of upgrades is quite extensive.
The ride height was raised by two inches using a KW Safari suspension and other NISMO components. The Z will roll around on 17-inch Prototype NISMO Safari wheels, wrapped in 225/65-17 Yokohama GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires. Judging by the photos, it all looks like a lot of fun, and it would be great if there were more to this display set-up than meets the eye. The World Rally Championship would look much better with a new entry from Nissan and perhaps even Subaru, but that seems like a distant, unattainable dream.
Instead, the idea of a future, factory-tune Safari-ready model from the Japanese manufacturer sounds much more feasible. Likely, this exact car will never take on a rally stage, but I hope Nissan plans on gauging the interest it will generate at the upcoming event in Las Vegas. Even if the Japanese manufacturer will have to switch to electric power for a future eight-generation of the Z-car, it's going to be a lot more appealing if it has Safari-going capabilities.
Google News