For $51,000, which is less than a Toyota GR Supra by the way, you can get yourself the brand new 2023 Nissan Z. This is a pure Japanese sports car with a 400 horsepower twin-turbo 3.0L V6 that’s not of BMW making… and a 9-speed automatic from Mercedes. Pretty cool, right? Yes, but the obvious next step for Nissan is to develop a Nismo version.
Nismo is Nissan’s in-house tuning brand. Their most famous creation is the GT-R Nismo, a car that costs an absurd amount of money but looks undeniably juicy. However, Nismo has touched other Nissan models, from minivans to the little Leaf EV.
In 2014, Nissan launched the 370Z Nismo. And while it wasn’t this pure sports car that handled perfectly at the limit, like a Porsche rival, its styling package was amazing-looking. One pixel artist decided to take that inspiration to the next level with a rendering we’ve dubbed the 400Z “Ultra Nismo”.
We’re talking about Hycade, who impresses us with his widebody creations whenever they hit YouTube about once a month. He’s got a certain style where the body kits preserve the identity of the vehicle, a bit like how an RS6 works off a standard A6.
Hycade widebody, always a hint of Germany
Speaking of the Germans, I’ve always felt that Hycade takes a lot of inspiration from Audi and BMW, placing it on top of Japanese legends like this 400Z or the Supra. That’s why this Nismo widebody is nicknamed “Ultra”, which is a name Audi often uses on its sportiest products.
The magic starts at the front with a revised bumper design that doesn’t look retro at all. The deep, gloss black splitter visually connects to other aero elements like the side skirts and rear diffuser. All are pinstriped in bright red as if to say “danger.”
While the rear widebody is molded to the 400Z’s body, the front fenders float off the body. They create vents at the front and over the top of the wheels, all in the name of streamlining airflow and cooling the brakes. The modified hood comes with a black insert that resembles the shaker element on some modern muscle cars.
It wouldn’t be a Nismo without a massive carbon-fiber wing or some downright sexy-looking wheels. Both of them look like they’re stolen from an Audi DTM race car. To finish it all off, the Nismo gets a suitable titanium exhaust system with some blue heat stains.
Hycade’s rendering trademarks include nice camera panning movements and offering two extra color choices. The diamond white would be my personal choice, but in matte black, the 400Z Nismo looks more sinister. And with the blue paint job, it begins to resemble Kyza’s G-Nose 400Z digital creation.