In general, I don’t think that we give enough attention to the people who are a positive force in the car community. Certainly not in car focused write ups like this. Sure, we try to throw a little something out there to mention their roots, or maybe a bit of a back story. But, writing about cars is, well, mostly about the cars. In an ideal world, I’d like to tell as much of a story about how the car came to be, including the creator of the vision, as possible. Without spending a lot of time talking to the owner, I generally just get a set of cliff notes on the build. But, I did notice one major thing when doing research on Kyle’s 350z. He comes off as a really positive, nice guy. The basis of this opinion? Mostly that he responds kindly to pretty much every comment on his Instagram. I know that seems trivial. But, in a world of internet haters and fake inluencers, I’d argue that it’s more important than ever. A person that can stay humble, especially about a car as beautiful as this Z, is a rare thing. A thing that we need much more of in automotive culture.
Let’s get back to the car for a minute. Straight away, a great color, Porsche Miami Blue is a timeless look that pleases the eye no matter what car it’s on. The Asuka carbon roof offsets the bright blue enough that it almost makes the car appear like it has a targa top. Aero aero aero is the theme on the outside of this one. Kyle took a page out of a few different brands here to execute his vision. He’s learned from past builds to do things right the first time, be patient, and realize your final goal. The JP Vizage front bumper steals the show up front, bolstered by those wide Fly1 Motorsports vented RS3 fenders and black headlights. There are custom carbon fiber splitters on the front and under the Voltex side skirts, while a voltex carbon diffuser tray accentuates the rear bumper.
The smaller details, like those carbon fiber pillar covers really help to bring it all together outside. Another positive check in the ‘build it right’ box. Ganador mirrors are always a welcome sight and Kyle’s Z33 wears them well. No big wing on this car, he keeps it clean and surprisingly low profile with both a carbon roof spoiler and a Driven by Style duckbill that sits in between the clear OEM Nissan JDM tail lights.
The carbon fiber keeps flowing inside, with Asuka providing a full carbon center console sitting between a pair of Bride x Cusco Zeta iii seats with Takata harnesses. Personally, I was excited to see the harnesses in black as opposed to the classic Takata green, this way they blend in and don’t steal the show from anything. The bright white Kirk Racing roll bar on the other hand, is right in your face. With the x- brace showing through the back window in the best way possible. Interior mods are rounded out by a Powered by Max shift knob, Alpine headunit, and Powerbass audio gear. Final icing on the cake is none other than a limited edition Vertex x Stancenation steering wheel, number 26 of 50.
Fitment on the SSR SP1’s is spot on. The spectrum silver faces and 24k gold hardware giving them just enough shine to pop under all of that bright Miami blue paint. The side shot of this car is nearly staggering, those wheels perfectly tucked in thanks to Air Lift struts and filled to the brim with Rotora calipers. SPC control arms and camber arms help keep everything lined up the way Kyle intends. While the Accuair air management system with i-level keeps the height in check.
Future plans for the Z include some serious engine changes. But, for now, bolt-ons have netted 302hp at the wheels with Rob from Z Garage in charge of tuning the car. The change comes from a pretty simple combo of an Injen dual cold air intake set, Motordyne test pipes, and a Tomei Expreme titanium exhaust.
Now, I’m not going to let Kyle’s story of the Z33 fade away without at least some of that back story. It’s worth mentioning that this is a car that he’s absolutely in love with. This is actually his second 350z, the first one being lost to an accident. This one has been in his life for about 6 years and it sure seems that he’s not ready to move onto a different chassis any time soon. He’s taken great care to make this car exactly what he wants out of a build, carefully choosing all of the pieces that speak to him. He’s acutely aware that social media influence can be both a gift and a curse. He’s seen critics and fans and figured out his own magic key to success. Building it for himself above everything else.
