The Tommykaira ZZ II That Could Have Rivalled Corvette

There’s no doubt that the Chevrolet Corvette lineage is one of the most coveted in sports car history; to this day, Corvette models can be seen as very good value for money, they are very powerful, and they are very fun to drive. But even the top-rated models need humbling sometimes.

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a mostly forgotten Japanese brand nearly just did that with a supercar of its own. This concept supercar was designed with a mid-engine layout, boasts a juiced-up brute of a Nissan engine and proper supercar DNA, and would’ve been very engaging to drive (once tamed). Unfortunately, it didn’t get past the concept stage… what a car we missed out on.

Lightweight, A Beast Of An Engine, And Tons Of Potential: What The Tommykaira ZZ II Should’ve Been

Tommykaira

You may have heard of Japanese supercars like the Honda NSX and the Lexus LFA, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if you hadn’t heard of the Tommykaira ZZ II. And for good reason, Tommykaira is an independent outfit that made its name by juicing up some of the most sought-after Nissan sports cars ever, namely Silvia and Skyline models.

While Tommykaira has turned out some epic customs in their time, in the late 1990s, they attempted something different and turned their hand to creating their own model: the Tommykaira ZZ II. This familiar-looking (look at the ZZ II and think the Elise or the McLaren F1), lightweight, mid-engined, and low-slung Japanese supercar was designed to take on the might of our beloved Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06. Given half a chance, we think it could have.

The Engine That Was Earmarked

Tommykaira

Tommykaira didn’t have to look far from what they were used to working with to find an engine for their supercar. They opted to use the legendary Nissan RB26DETT inline-six for their new creation. This is the same engine found under the hood of the Skyline GT-R (R34), but the difference is that they boosted it, slightly upped the displacement from 2.6 liters, and were planning on sending all the new horsepower capability from the bi-turbocharged mill straight to the rear, instead of all four wheels.

Tommykaira ZZ II Performance Specs

Under the hood of the R34 Skyline GT-R, the RB26DETT shifts out (unofficially) around 330 horsepower, but that wasn’t enough to take on the Z06 of the time. So Tommykaira took the famously durable and tunable Skyline engine and did just that, with upgrades including:

• Forged aluminum pistons
• A beefed-up but lightened crankshaft
• A more powerful ECU
• Reinforced valve springs
• A better intercooler
• A water pump borrowed from the Silvia N1
• A high-flow fuel pump
• A 3.5-inch catback exhaust rig

How That Stacks Up Against The C5 Chevrolet Corvette

Tommykaira

In simple terms, the ZZ II is more powerful and lighter than a 2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The most powerful stock-engined ’01 Z06 boasts an LS6 V8 with an output of 395 horsepower, and weighs in at 3,118 pounds, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 0.2-horsepower-per-pound.

The Tommykaira ZZ II boasts a jacked-up 542-horsepower RB26DETT and only weighs in at a featherweight 2,600 pounds, giving it an insane power-to-weight ratio of 0.338-horsepower-per-pound. In more modern terms, more than a 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera (0.31-horsepower-per-pound).

While the 2001 Corvette Z06 can hit 60 mph in a respectable 4.5 seconds, it is predicted that if the ZZ II hit the streets, it would’ve sprinted below the three-second mark, and even broken the 200 mph barrier. If it had made it into production, there is no doubt that it would’ve been an absolute weapon, and with a power-to-weight ratio like this, into hypercar territory of the time. It would’ve really heated up the speed wars of the late 1990s and the 2000s.

Serious Supercar Additions To Work With The Engine

Tommykaira

If the ZZ II had made it to the production line, it would have been a lot more than just a straight-line warrior. Tommykaira was pulling out all the stops to ensure that it would have been a real track merchant.

Not only does the RWD layout, six-speed Getrag manual box taken from the Skyline, aggressive vents around the body, cutting body lines, and a wide base of 76.4 inches give it a great jumping-off point for track and road fun, but it is the engine placement that would’ve taken the competition to the Corvette.

Tommykaira 

The ZZ II’s engine is placed in the middle of the car, just behind the driver’s seat, something that Chevy has only very recently given to the Corvette lineup with the C8-generation. This was done to give the ZZ II as close to 50:50 weight distribution as possible, which again seriously helps in the corners. To keep weight down, the body was meant to be made from carbon fiber, but the single prototype that was made was likely fiberglass; the structure is built using an aluminum monotube, and most things, like unnecessary safety features, were cut out to keep everything as light as possible.

More Than A Rebadged Nissan Underneath

Tommykaira

While specifics about this Japanese supercar are relatively hard to come by, for the obvious reason, there is enough information known about it to make the statement that, despite the sporty Nissan components used, the Tommykaira ZZ II would have been so much more than a juiced-up Z Car. Everything added by the ambitious team was made to take aim at Le Mans-level dynamics.

The idea was for it to boast pushrod double wishbone suspension at the front and rear, with inboard springs and dampers; highly taught springs to tighten up steering; a manual rack-and-pinion rig for pure, unfiltered feedback, and forged lightweight magnesium wheels wrapped in sticky tires. To finish things off, the ZZ II was billed to be fitted with large ventilated race-spec discs with multi-piston calipers and some hardcore anti-roll bars to give it intense stop times and a stable ride in the corners.

So, Why Didn’t We Get The Tommykaira ZZ II?

Tommykaira

With a crib sheet like we’ve mentioned above, you may be wondering why this special-sounding Japanese supercar never made it into production. We would love to see it on the road, but in the end, only one prototype was ever created.

One of the biggest things that stopped the ZZ II from hitting the factory was financial constraints. During the late 1990s, Asia experienced a major financial crisis, with most aspects of life being affected and the production of a lot of things grinding to a halt, not just cars. Japan’s own economic bubble burst, and with Tommykaira being a small outfit, the financial burden of getting the ZZ II through crash testing, and how expensive it would have been to put it into even limited-scale production, made it infeasible from the start.

Simply Too Mad For The Road

Tommykaira

This machine was built without compromise, and in the quest for sheer power and handling guts, Tommykaira may have gone a step too far in cutting things out. There were little to no driving aids equipped, and while the RWD layout would have made it a very fun car to drive, it was meant to boast the same AWD system as the R34 Skyline, which could have arguably made it a little safer.

Features such as ABS, traction control, and stability management were not added. They were pretty much mandatory for a car of such power at the time, and Tommykaira wasn’t planning to add them. Though we have seen models like the 425-horsepower Noble M400 get away without having some of them, the addition of these features could have helped its cause and made it a bit more manageable on the road.

Only Pros Would’ve Been Able To Drive It

Tommykaira

Speaking of being manageable on the road, with the setup it would have boasted, it would have taken a lot of practice to get it right without spinning out or crashing. We think it would’ve been set aside for people who really know what they are doing behind the wheel. The lack of user-friendly features, the ultra-responsive turbocharged engine, rear-wheel bias, manual steering, and the lightweight build would have undoubtedly made it an awesome car to spank around, but only if you learned how to use it safely.

We Missed Out On An Epic Japanese Supercar

Tommykaira

Like happens with so many other prototypes and concept cars that don’t make it to production, we ultimately miss out. The Tommykaira ZZ II was meant to take on the likes of the McLaren F1 and the Chevrolet Corvette C5, but never came to fruition. As we have mentioned, if it had been tweaked, if circumstances had been different at the time, and if Tommykaira had more financial backing, who knows? Maybe we could be looking at another Japanese supercar that can take on the might of the Europeans and our homegrown market.

There is little doubt that it would have been put into production in limited numbers, and it would likely have been very expensive. Being Japanese-built and boasting the famously tunable RB6 engine, and lots of components from Nissan, it may also have been a relatively reliable supercar compared to some of the stereotypically foible-full models we see today.

Tommykaira 

Because both the McLaren and the C5 Corvette were put into production and went on to achieve some fantastic things, both are readily available on the used market, unmarked by what the ZZ II could have been. According to Classic.com, you can pick up a C5 Corvette for a very reasonable average auction price of just over $26,000. On the other hand, a McLaren F1 of the same time will cost you between $5.8 million and $20.4 million. Again, who knows? If the ZZ II had made it, we could be looking at prices somewhere in between the two.

Japanese Supercars That We Love Today

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It is not all bad, though; Japanese marques have turned out some of the best sports cars and supercars that have undoubtedly taken the competition to the European market and to the Corvette. Some of our favorites from Japan include the Acura/Honda NSX, the Lexus LFA, the Toyota GT-One (homologation model prototype), the Nissan R390 GT1 (Le Mans homologation model prototype), and the Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo Z32, thanks to their potent powertrains, the blurring of lines between track and road, and because they have all made a show of their counterparts in one way or another over the years (both and off the track).

Japanese Supercar Spec Comparison