It’s a 370Z! It’s a snowmobile! It’s…both?
Even after 10 years in production, Nissan’s latest version of its iconic Z-car lineup is still kicking. There’s a lot to like about the Nissan 370Z – its 332 horsepower V6 engine, its six-speed manual transmission, and the fact that its rear-wheel drive. However, Nissan’s come up with a way to make it even better. How? Turn it into a snowmobile! And here it is: the Nissan “370Zki”.
If you’re tripping over your tongue trying to pronounce that, as I was, it’s “370-Ski”. As one of the concepts for the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, Nissan took a stock 370Z and grafted some skis on the front and snowmobile tracks on the back. Then they took it to the slopes in Wyoming to display its ability to carve through the snow. Sounds easy, right? Well, they did a few more modifications than just slap some skis on a 370Z to achieve this wacky creation.
Nissan did stick with the base 3.7-liter V6 and 7-speed automatic transmission. To fit the rear tracks, Nissan had to remove the drivetrain from the roadster and fit a custom lift kit. That gave the car three extra inches of clearance. Then, they fabricated custom mounts for the rear springs, and fitted 3-inch spacers to mount the tracks to the wheel hubs.
The car retains its factory brakes. However, they did modify the front suspension to accommodate the raised ride height and allow proper travel for the skis. To top it all off, Nissan fitted a custom wrap and tinted the headlights yellow to represent ski goggles. Here’s a list of what specific modifications Nissan made to create the 370Zki:
- American Track Truck DOMINATOR Tracks
- 15″ wide, 48″ long, 30″ high
- American Track Truck front skis
- 12″ wide, 56″ long
- Opened up front and rear wheel wells
- 3-inch wheel spacers, front and rear
- Custom suspension mounting fabrication, front and rear
- Factory steerting
- Factory engine (3.7-liter, 332 horsepower, 270 lb-ft torque V6)
- Icon Image Graphics body wrap
The net result? This:
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[Photos: Nissan North America]
Coming to the 2018 Chicago Auto Show
Unfortunately, this option won’t be coming to a Nissan dealership near you. Pity, since I think this would be an awesome winter toy here in Colorado.
However, it will be on display at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show, which is open to the public February 10 – 19. Not only will it be on display – Nissan will make it snow inside McCormick Center and celebrate six more weeks of winter! That’s not all, though. You can’t drive the 370Zki to the slopes while it’s on skis. What do you do then. You tow it of course! That’s where the Nissan Armada Snow Patrol concept comes in – also making its way to the Chicago Auto Show. Find out more about it at TFLtruck.com!
Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates from Chicago! Subscribe to The Fast Lane Car, The Fast Lane Truck, and TFLnow on YouTube for the latest videos on your favorite new models. Even concepts like the 370Zki! Can’t get enough Nissan snowmobile action? Check out this Pathfinder – Rogue Winter Warrior Concept drag race below!
