The 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon happened in January. And the Nissan 370Z came out, oh, what seems like a couple of days before. Too soon for companies to make any aftermarket products and get them fitted and running, right? Wrong. Even though we're only now just getting used to seeing 370Zs on the street in all their factory-spec glory, already there's a crazed tuner or three warping time and rocker covers.
Sun Line Racing is one of them. This Okayama-based operation works fast, with many parts for the R35 GT-R available from its online store. It offers a comprehensive list of creations for every area of a car. Sun Line is also a respected name on the time attack scene. It's a class act.
The company's SLR Sport Aero kit made its debut at TAS. On the subject of becoming acquainted with the 370Z's styling, the front treatment manages to play down that `catfish' look. The kit extends around to the sills and past the rear wheels to an under fin on either side of the exhaust tips. Look on the roof--an SLR carbon fiber piece covers the stock metal top. Follow the line past the rear screen and a Nismo S-Tune rear wing comes into view.
It's a lot easier to obtain an engine identical to this one. Just walk into a Nissan showroom and write a check for around $30,000, which will buy a bone stock 370Z. Yep, this Sun Line car is untroubled by such trinkets as forced induction or racing camshafts. Output is 332 hp at 7,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm from an excellent 3.7-liter V-6, which is just waiting to be juiced, spruced and goosed. But not yet. Things don't get flashy under the hood until the titanium exhaust system, which is known by the catchy title of SLR GTspec EX RS.
Those same diligent Nissan engineers are the only brains behind the six-speed manual transmission as well. However, taking into account the fabulous (and thus far unique) engine speed-matching SynchroRev feature, these are brains enough--at least until someone has the time to really get in there and get wild.
At least the ride has some added pizazz with the highly rated, 30-point adjustable Zeal Function-X coilovers at each corner. The company behind the Zeal brand is Endless, who also supplied the braking system, including the brake lines (consisting of Teflon tubes covered with stainless steel mesh). Six-piston calipers at the front bite 355mm rotors, while four-piston counterparts grab 340mm rear rotors, increasing the piston count by two on each caliper.
Fitted over the brakes are lightweight, 12-spoke SSR Type F wheels, sized generously at 19x10.5. The fronts are offset by +22 mm while the rears have a +16mm offset. They're wearing Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 tires, which (the more perceptive would have realized) are successors to the proven AD07s. The new generation has been found to perform much better and is available in a wider range of sizes going up to 19 inches. Here, they're 255/35 up front, 275/30 for the driven rear wheels.
At this point, it would nice to go into the story of how the car came together, who made the big decisions, who broke up with their girlfriend because they were spending every waking hour at the shop, that kind of everyday human drama, but Sun Line Racing plays its cards close to its chest. However, we can give an idea of how much some of this stuff costs. The full aero kit is 249,000 Yen in carbon fiber, 265,650 Yen in matte carbon and 147,000 Yen in fiber reinforced plastic. The carbon roof is 67,200 Yen or 72,450 with a matte finish. An exhaust system is in the region of 258,300(!). Working on an exchange rate of 89.2 Yen to the US dollar (at the time of writing), it's about 750 bucks for a shiny carbon roof skin--we're talking high-end product here.