The Brief
The owner of this NISMO 370Z wanted a full Stage 2 build with flex fuel capability. The goal was more power across the rev range, better breathing top to bottom, and the ability to run E85 for additional gains and cooler operating temps on track days.
The Build
The engine was pulled to access the exhaust manifolds, which on the VQ37 is the cleaner and faster way to get headers torqued properly without fighting the chassis. We went with Fujitsubo ceramic-coated headers for the exhaust side because they’re proven on this platform and the coating helps with heat management and longevity. High flow cats and the catback exhaust completed the exhaust path. Z1 cold air intakes handle the inlet side as the go-to for this platform, and an HKS oil cooler went in to keep temps stable under sustained load, which is essential for any 370Z seeing track use.
A flex fuel kit with ethanol content sensor was fitted to give the owner the option to run E85 for more power and cooler combustion, or stick with 98 when E85 isn’t available. The tune was done on our Dynapack using EcuTek, built from scratch to account for all the hardware. Fueling, timing, and throttle response were optimised across both 98 and E85, with the ECU reading ethanol content in real time and adjusting automatically.
The Result
The car breathes properly now from intake to exhaust with noticeably stronger pull across the rev range. On E85, the more aggressive timing and fueling delivers meaningful extra power while running cooler than 98, a genuine benefit for track use. A comprehensive build that transformed the NISMO into something seriously capable.
