What’s up guys, we are here out in Georgia at the Z1 Motorsports facility, and let me tell you, this one was an adventure from start to finish. If you do not know who Z1 is, you are about to find out, because their shop is genuinely insane. These guys work on some extraordinary Z chassis cars, G35s, and anything and everything Nissan you can dream up. We rolled through Carlton, Georgia to meet up with our host Kyle and get a full walkthrough of what has become one of the most impressive Nissan specialty operations in the country. Grab a coffee, because this Z1 Motorsports shop tour has a lot to cover.
We have visited Z1 before, but the last time we were out here the building was a fraction of the size it is now. They have built on tremendously, and walking through the doors this time around felt like stepping into a completely different level of operation. From the showcase floor to the restricted access print room, to the massive CNC machine and the parts warehouse that made us feel like we were standing in Nissan heaven, every corner of this place had something worth stopping for. If you want to dig into more of our Z1 Motorsports shop tour content, this write up breaks down everything we saw.
Inside the Z1 Showcase Floor
Kyle kicked things off in the showcase, and honestly this room alone could hold your attention for an hour. The first car he walked us to was the twin turbo widebody 350Z, built to show off the twin turbo parts Z1 offers. This is the OG build for Z1 Motorsports, and it made over a thousand horsepower. It was the first widebody car they did, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
Right next to it sat what Kyle called the prodigy of Z1, the original 350Z that started it all. This car still runs and drives, and it is absolutely loaded with catalog parts you cannot even buy anymore. Kyle described it as the spec car that everybody has had a ride in. If you have been to any of the Z1 track days, you have probably ridden along in this one, and if you ever see it out at an event, take the ride because the build is beautiful.
From there we moved to the 370Z, which is the SEMA car Z1 built with Nissan. This one was purpose built for time attack in the limited class, and you could genuinely spend twenty minutes walking around it and keep finding new details. Then there is the vehicle sitting in the corner that made us do a double take, the Titan Warrior. This is the one and only Titan Warrior in the world, and it lives here at Z1 Motorsports.
The Restricted Access Print Room
Once we got our fill of the showcase, Kyle took us into the restricted access areas, and this is where the engineering side of Z1 really comes alive. The print room is where everything they design gets prototyped. Their process is simple in concept but relentless in execution, they design a part, 3D print it, test it, make any changes, then print it and test it again, over and over until it is right.
Kyle showed us an example straight off the printer, a rubber part for an intake. You could actually see how flexible it was, which is exactly what you need for an intake component. The resin prints come out super smooth, and watching a flexible rubber prototype come out of a machine that clean was genuinely impressive. This kind of iterative testing is what separates a serious development shop from a company that just resells parts.
Nearby, Kyle walked us through the diff build room, which is a full clean room they cased in for building differentials. They were in the middle of a build while we were there, and it was clear this space handles a lot of custom work for clients on top of their production runs. If you want to see more of the behind the scenes engineering, our full Z1 Motorsports facility tour coverage keeps going room by room.
The Five Axis CNC Machine
Then we got to Kyle’s baby. As it turns out, Kyle is an engineer, so when we reached the CNC machine his whole tone changed. He called it his toy, and once we saw it we understood why. This thing is a beast. It weighs 28,000 pounds, holds 60 tools, and spins up to 12,000 RPM. It is a five axis setup, which means the table spins and the head tips, giving Z1 the ability to machine complex geometry that a simpler machine could never touch.
Z1 uses this machine to prototype parts, modify factory parts, and handle just about any modification service you can think of. Kyle mentioned that the biggest role it plays has really been prototyping. We watched him show us a prototype version of a part alongside the finished piece machined out in house, and seeing the progression from a 3D printed concept to a fully machined component made the whole development pipeline click. There is also a full on press machine in the shop that is an absolute monster, adding yet another capability to their in house arsenal. Serious tooling like this is why the name Z1 Motorsports carries so much weight in the Nissan world.
A Headlight Request for Morimoto
While we were standing around the CNC machine, we asked Kyle a question we love asking at shops like this. What is one product you would like to see come from Morimoto that your customers keep asking about? He said there are a lot of them, between the off-road side and the motorsports division, but the answer he landed on was G35 headlights.
According to Kyle, there is not a good aftermarket replacement for the G35, and the factory units are all looking really dingy at this point. There are still a lot of those cars on the road, and it is still a great looking car, so he figured a proper G35 headlight would be a hit. We hear requests like this constantly, and it is exactly the kind of feedback that helps guide what enthusiasts actually want. If you are curious how these conversations shape product development, our Morimoto Lighting shop visit series digs into that side of things.
The Xterra Dyno Session
Right in the middle of the tour, we heard the dyno spinning up, and there was no way we were going to keep walking without checking it out. Z1 had an Xterra strapped down and putting power to the rollers, so we got authorized to head down and watch. This was not your average Xterra either. It had a VK56DE swapped in from a Titan, which is a wild engine to drop into that platform.
The numbers we caught on the pull had it pushing roughly 302, with torque climbing up close to 400. Seeing a big VK56DE stuffed into an Xterra and laying down that kind of power on the dyno was one of the highlights of the whole day. It is a perfect example of the range of builds Z1 takes on, from thousand horsepower widebody Z cars to engine swapped trucks. This variety is exactly what makes a proper Nissan Z shop tour worth doing in the first place.
The Parts Warehouse and Humble Beginnings
Kyle wrapped the tour by taking us over to the old side of the building, which used to be the front door back when Z1 was just getting started. This was the humble beginning for the company, and one of the original main offices. Standing there and comparing it to how enormous the operation is now really drove home how much they have grown.
Shipping now lives in one of the new additions, and Kyle mentioned they push out a serious volume of packages. One of our favorite parts of the whole visit was the warehouse full of small parts drawers. It felt like walking through a dealership, almost like a Fastenal but stocked entirely with hard to find Nissan parts. Everywhere you looked there were components you would struggle to source anywhere else.
Z1 assembles their kits in house, so when you buy something like an oil cooler, it comes complete with the lines and the packed up hardware ready to go. Kyle pointed out the diff braces, bumpers, suspension, and tan springs, basically anything you could want for a Nissan build. They run a second warehouse with a truck that shuttles back and forth, keeping stock here and restocking from the main warehouse as inventory dwindles. As we told Kyle, these guys really are the summit of Nissan.
Final Thoughts on the Z1 Motorsports Tour
That wraps our Z1 Motorsports tour with Morimoto Lighting. If you have a Z, a G, or a Nissan of any kind, this is the place for you. From the showcase full of one of a kind builds, to the print room, the five axis CNC machine, the dyno, and a warehouse stocked to the ceiling with hard to find parts, Z1 has built something special out in Carlton, Georgia. We had an absolute blast, and hearing that request for G35 headlights straight from an engineer on the floor is exactly the kind of feedback we love bringing back home. For all of your Morimoto Lighting needs, be sure to check out our website, and thanks again for coming along on this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Z1 Motorsports known for?
Z1 Motorsports is a Nissan specialty shop located in Carlton, Georgia that works on Z chassis cars, G35s and other Nissan vehicles, building custom parts and vehicles.
What rare vehicles were shown in the Z1 showcase?
The tour featured a widebody twin turbo 350Z with over 1000 horsepower, the original Z1 prodigy 350Z, a SEMA built 370Z time attack car, and the only Titan Warrior truck in existence.
How does Z1 develop its custom parts?
Z1 uses a print room to 3D print prototype parts, including flexible rubber intake components, testing and revising them before final production, then uses a five axis CNC machine to prototype and modify parts.
What headlight product did Z1’s Kyle say enthusiasts want from Morimoto?
Kyle said there is no good aftermarket headlight replacement for the G35 and that Morimoto making G35 headlights would be a hit with customers.
What was the Xterra on the dyno running during the visit?
The Xterra was on the dyno pushing roughly 302 to almost 400 horsepower after having a VK56DE engine swapped in from a Titan.
Meet the Experts Behind Morimoto
Jimmy Nguyen – Engineering Manager
Jimmy leads engineering at Morimoto, bringing experience across customer support, supplier management, design engineering, and validation testing. His work ensures Morimoto lighting systems are engineered for real-world reliability and long-term performance.
Mike Hicks – Quality Control Manager
Mike oversees quality assurance at Morimoto, with a background spanning returns testing, RMA analysis, vendor quality control, and manufacturer scorecards. His focus is continuous improvement and accountability across the product lifecycle.
