This passed Sunday I decided to get up early and head out to Chiba for a little drive. I heard that the guys from TA Auto were going to be at Sodegaura Forest for a couple of soukoukai sessions, so a nice opportunity to catch up with Ando-san and some of the other classic Z and GT-R owners. Quiet, low-key grassroots events like these are the perfect place to do some Speedhunting and straight away, after driving into the massive paddock, I spotted my first pray for the day.
I have been seeing the Central20 Z34 “370ZG” at plenty of events over the last year or so but never had the time to take a closer look. The president of Central20 Haruhito Yanagida, was kind enough to let me grab the Z so I could take a few snaps. Yanagida-san is the father of Masataka Yanagida, the current Super GT GT500 Champion along with teammate Ronnie Quintarelli in the Mola GT-R.
What is there not to like on this Z Roadster, starting off with the very unique body alterations like the gilled air outlets on the rear and the original Central20 G-nose front bumper.
Looks are mated with a little performance boost thanks to the air filter kit, which replaces the bulky stock airboxes with a pair of cone filters…
…and aluminum piping. The induction upgrades work together with the…
…full stainless steel exhaust. To really enhance the sound of the VQ37VHR, specially designed ø48.6 mm headers were developed, helping flow exhaust gasses more freely towards the sports catalysts and the rest of the system. The stacked tail pipes may look a little Lexus IS-F, but are a kind of modern interpretation of the S30’s stacked twin pipes. With a specially tuned ECU governing the V6, power is boosted by 38 HP and response improved.
Hiding behind the forged monobloc Central20 C5 19-inch wheels is a pretty serious brake upgrade with massive 6-pot calipers biting down on 370 mm rotors and 4-pots at the rear mated to slightly smaller 355 mm discs.
With Yanagida’s experience behind the wheel of race cars, not to mention his son’s input, it’s no wonder the handling is so spot on. The Z rides on Central20 coilover suspension, offering up a fine combination of comfort and precision.
The interior will satisfy anyone out there with a serious carbon fiber fetish.
Beautifully shiny fibers cover up much of the center console…
…as well as the shift knob. The car is an automatic as this is what Yanagida-san likes to commute around in.
More carbon!
Nissan’s stock seats have been replaced with a pair of Bride adjustable buckets, custom embroidered with the Central20 and SportZ logos.
Nissan have done a great job making the Roadster Z look as good as it does…
…and Yanagida-san at Central20 has created an even more focused machine thanks to a selection of top of the line parts.
-Dino Dalle Carbonare