Emelia Hartford is a skilled drag racer, including running a twin-turbocharged C8 Corvette with a sub-10-second quarter-mile time. She’s also successful on social media with roughly 2.1 million followers on Instagram and 1.75 million subscribers on YouTube.
Her latest effort is to drive the quickest modern Nissan Z in the world. This vehicle uses a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine pumping out roughly 2,000 horsepower. She and her team aim to know how quickly the highly modified car can go in the quarter-mile. The machine must be speedier than a mid-nine-second quarter mile to set the new record. Folks from Nissan and Motor Trend are there to watch the attempts at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California to see how the crew performs.
Watch The Quickest Nissan Z In The World
To be clear, Hartford’s Z is vastly different from the production version. The major change is swapping out the stock mill in favor of a larger 3.8-liter V-6 with modifications like having exhaust exits ahead of the front wheels. The engine also has nitrous injection. Meanwhile, the cabin retains only the pieces that are absolutely necessary to reduce this car’s weight while still being safe.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Hartford’s Z is far from being street-usable. It’s largely useless at low speeds because the tuning is all about quarter-mile performance.
The development process starts with testing. Hartford launches the Z to monitor the tuning but doesn’t keep on the power throughout the entire quarter-mile. The goal is just to see how the engine takes the boost before going further.
Her first run was a 10.7-second time in the quarter-mile, and this result was only because she prioritized the launch. The second attempt cuts the quarter-mile figure into the 8-second range.
The Z Only Gets Quicker
The third effort ends in near tragedy because Hartford nearly crashes shortly off the start line. She’s able to get control and continue the effort.
Her quickest pass ever is in the new Z at an impressive 7.75 seconds at 181.85 mph. Next, she wants to return to the track and do a six-second time. The result seems impossible without adding more power or getting more tractions, but there’s no harm in trying.
For comparison, the stock 2024 Z produces 400 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque from 1,600 to 5,600 rpm. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
There’s also the Nismo version with 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet. It still has a fraction of the horsepower as Hartford’s highly modified machine, though.
TopSpeed’s Take
The Nissan Z car is an icon of affordable performance, whether it’s a 240Z or a 370Z. It’s fascinating to see what the new models can achieve with massive modifications.
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