When people think of Tokyo Drift antagonists, Morimoto’s name might not be the first that comes to mind, given that he was the right hand of the main villain, Takashi (The Drift King). While they both slid Nissan 350Zs across Tokyo, both sports cars seem to be just as memorable, especially since Morimoto’s golden example was the star of one of the most intense chases in the movie. And that very car is now up for grabs.
Missing Paul Walker and only featuring a brief cameo appearance from Vin Diesel was only part of why Tokyo Drift fell short of critics’ and fans’ expectations back in 2006. Another gripe people had with the movie involved the switch from the muscle car-heavy world of straight-line racing to slip-angle shenanigans performed in JDM toys.
However, the motion picture deserves plenty of credit for the amazing size the ongoing franchise has reached over the years. It’s not just that it helped push the Japanese car culture onto the screens of a global audience.
Tokyo Drift also marked the series entry of Justin Lin, the director who spearheaded more F&F movies than any other—alas, he recently surprised everybody when quitting the role with the production of Fast X still in progress. Of course, this makes us wonder whether the upcoming movie, which should debut next year, will still return to the automotive roots of the franchise as previously expected.
The scene mentioned in the intro was a brutal in-traffic chase that saw Morimoto (Leonardo Nam) attempting to run the picture’s main protagonist, Lucas Black’s Sean, off the road. The plan backfired horrendously when multiple cars crashed into the 350Z, which led to the bad guy’s demise—you’ll find the chase in the YouTube clip below.
The infamous 350Z was maintained in a temperature-controlled environment
For starters, the vehicle, which was reportedly preserved in ideal conditions, is the actual hero car from Tokyo Drift, as confirmed on Instagram by series tech adviser Craig Lieberman (for the first three movies). Lieberman also signed the vehicle, as did Noel Gugliemi, who plays Hector in the franchise.
The 2003 vehicle was listed for sale in The Netherlands, with 29,000 km (18,000 miles) on the odometer. However, while the said enthusiast mentions a price of $55,000 in an Instagram post dating back to March, the actual sum might vary a little (the ad sees it listed for 490,000 Norwegian kroner, which makes for $52,206 at the current exchange rates).
One might look at this 350Z and see an oddity, from the long nose to the color scheme. But these goodies were all the rage almost two decades ago, with this vehicle also being extremely popular among gamers (e.g., Need for Speed).
To be more precise, it packs a Top Secret widebody kit—here’s how such a massive G-Nose would look on a 2023 Nissan Z—and a House of Color paint scheme, along with three-piece Volk Racing wheels.
The N/A 3.5L V6 is listed at 280 hp in the ad (consistent with the official specs), but the car does have a nitrous bottle installed (it’s not clear if this actually feeds the motor or not). Regardless, the Magnaflow exhaust makes the most out of the engine’s voice.
As for the cabin, a pair of Recaro bucket seats seems to be the only mod (apart from the said bottle handing out in the back).
The financial side required to take this to your local Cars and Coffee is another story altogether
Importing this Nissan 350Z into the U.S. could be a whole different adventure, though. Shipping cost aside, you would only be allowed to import the right-hand-drive Japanese machine and have it exempted from crash and emission regulations once it turns 25, which happens in 2028. Of course, there’s always the limited mileage option under the show and display law, but the vehicle has to be approved first, which is far from a given.
Now, since we mentioned the 2023 Nissan Z above, we’ll remind you its platform is still linked to that of the 350Z, with the two also sharing another important factor for spirited driving, namely the mechanical handbrake—happy drifting!
