Nissan Z (S30 / Z33 / Z34 / RZ34)

Drift foundation platform

Chris Forsberg drifting the NOS Energy Nissan 370Z at Formula Drift New Jersey 2021

Sport coupe identity. The Forsberg programme platform.

Nissan's sport-coupe line, 240Z / 280Z, then 350Z, 370Z, and the modern Z. Chris Forsberg's long Nissan-backed Formula Drift programme has anchored the platform in American pro drift for two decades.

Four generations are relevant: S30 (240Z / 280Z, 1969–1978), Z33 (350Z, 2002–2009), Z34 (370Z, 2009–2020), and the current RZ34 (2023 →). The early S30 enters drift culture mostly as a vintage build, Steve Coleman's programme in the US, occasional D1GP entries, while the modern Z platforms anchor a pro programme.

Chris Forsberg drove the Z34 370Z in Formula Drift Pro for over a decade as the visible American Z-chassis programme. The NOS Energy / Nissan backed car, VK56-swapped V8 for power, retain the Z silhouette for identity, gave the platform a permanent place in the modern FD paddock. Forsberg won the FD Pro Championship in 2009, 2014 and 2016 across Z and 350Z chassis.

The current RZ34 Z is now picking up that lineage. Nissan's factory drift backing through Forsberg made the platform credible in a way few sport coupes get to be at the pro level.

At a glance

  • Region: Japan / USA
  • Tags: Z34, 370Z, Forsberg, Nissan factory

Key facts

  • Generations: S30, Z33, Z34, RZ34
  • Production: 1969–present
  • Body: Front-engine, RWD sport coupe
  • Drift engine: VK56 V8 swap (Forsberg pro spec)
  • Drift power: 700, 1,000+ hp
  • Series: Formula Drift Pro

Drivers

  • Chris Forsberg, FD Pro Champion (2009, 2014, 2016). Three-time FD Pro champion, ran the Nissan / NOS Energy 370Z programme for over a decade. The American Z-chassis identity in pro drift is, more than anyone, his work.

Records and milestones

  • 2009 / 2014 / 2016: Forsberg FD Pro titles. Three FD Pro Championships across Z33 and Z34 chassis. The most-decorated Z-chassis drift driver in the world.
  • 2024: New Z (RZ34) drift programme. Nissan re-anchors the platform identity for the modern era, Forsberg and successors run the new Z in pro-am builds.