Faced with challenges ranging from electrification to design uniformization, contemporary car culture constantly looks back at the OG heroes while moving forward. Case in point with the Fast and Furious franchise, whose in-production #10 movie is said to return to the car-focused roots of the franchise. However, the influence of the first three motion pictures, which mostly stuck to the said recipe, spreads well beyond the big screen, as this 2023 Nissan Z build rendering references the 350Z used by Tokyo Drift’s villain-in-chief, DK (Drift King).
Backed by his uncle’s Yakuza power, Takashi (aka DK) was the kind of bad boy that ruled the street sideways, exerting dominance from the very beginning of Tokyo Drift, the third movie from the series—you’ll find an example in the first YouTube clip below, which brings the very first race of the motion picture.
And the character, played by Brian Tee, had to roll in an equally evil machine, with a Nissan 350Z being cast in the role.
This digital build is an ode to DK’s infamous 350Z, using the 2023 Nissan Z (many still call it the 400Z) to portray an intimidating machine—hey, somebody in Japan is converting a 350Z to a 2023 Z these days, so this sort of rendering seems as natural as they get.
This “400Z” doesn’t need to move a wheel lo look intimidating
You can still see traces of the 350Z’s Veilside body kit on this 2023 Z. However, while the movie car added spice with decals, this pixel creation does it using extra-aggressive aero.
For one, the canards on the side of the front apron look like they could slash anything that gets in the way, while the side skirt extensions are totally worthy of a guy who makes people drink motor oil for revenge.
As for the wheels chosen to fill out those massive arches, these are Work’s Emotion goodies.
And while the Tokyo Drift car featured an APS twin-turbo kit boosting power to 430 hp, a pair of snails is a factory feature for the 2023 model, which churns out 400Z before any mods.
Almost rendered in Hollywood
If you’re looking for a build breakdown on the 2006 Nissan, one of the eleven 350Zs used in production, Universal Studios Craig Lieberman delivers just that in the second YouTube video below.
Interestingly, while Hollywood is working on Fast X, which should hit theaters in 2023 with series veteran director Justin Lin not at the helm anymore (fingers crossed on the date), this 3D work comes from the same part of America. That’s because Musa Rio Tjahjono (aka musartwork), the digital artist behind the rendering, is the head designer at the Burbank, California-based West Coast Customs.
