Music City Z's

ZCon 2025 was held in Nashville this year, and being just down the road, there was no way we were going to miss it. We prepped the 280z and the Pulsar NX and headed into town for what turned out to be one of the best weeks I can remember.

The event kicked off with activities throughout the week, but one of the highlights for me was the drift and autocross event out at Nashville Superspeedway. Seeing Z cars of every generation tearing around a real track never gets old. From vintage 240s to brand new RZ34s, the whole Z lineage was represented and putting in work.

Speakers night was something else entirely. The lineup of guests this year was incredible - Peter Brock, Hiroshi Tamura, Motohiro Matsumura, and more. I brought a BRE 240z model with me and got Peter Brock himself to sign it. Meeting the man behind BRE Racing was a bucket list moment for sure.

I also got to have a discussion with Motohiro Matsumura, EVP of Nissan Motors. Here's where it gets personal - he actually worked with my father decades ago when Nissan was exploring supplying the SR20 engine for legends racing. When I mentioned my dad's name, he remembered him. That one caught me off guard. In the best way possible.

I also grabbed a moment with Hiroshi Tamura, the chief product specialist behind the GT-R and Z. Watching him sign autographs and talk shop with fellow enthusiasts was great.

The final day was the People's Choice car show. The night before, I got the two cars staged and ready to go.

She entered the Pulsar NX in the "Other" category and took home 2nd place! Peter Brock presented her with the trophy, which made it even more special.

After the show wrapped up, we drove both cars over to the Nissan Americas headquarters for one last photo op. A fitting backdrop, even if the building is newer than our cars are.

What a week. ZCon 2026 is in Arizona - that's a bit of a haul for us - but Nashville was one for the books. No question.

Carbon Dressed

I'm not normally one to install purely aesthetic parts, but I couldn't resist installing these two bits right before taking the Z to the Z Nationals show. Z1 was running their fall sale so I grabbed a carbon fiber engine cover and a carbon fiber radiator air guide - both Z1 pieces designed for the 2023+ Z.

The install on both is about as straightforward as it gets. The engine cover swaps directly with the OEM plastic piece, and the radiator air guide replaces the stock unit up front. No trimming, no modifications - just bolt-on. I had both pieces on the car within an hour of opening the boxes.

One thing I noticed after pulling the factory engine cover - the tops of the air-to-water intercoolers were now fully exposed. The OEM cover had been hiding them, and they weren't exactly show-ready. So I took the time to polish them up before dropping the carbon cover in place.

The difference in the engine bay is immediately noticeable. The carbon weave gives the VR30 a much more finished look, and the polished intercooler tops peeking through don't hurt either. The air guide up front cleans up that area nicely - it's one of those pieces you don't think about until you see the upgrade.

At 1,700 miles the Z is still relatively fresh, but at least the engine bay will look presentable at the show!