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Nissan has unveiled the ultimate vehicle for extreme winter conditions – a 330 horsepower sports car fitted with skis and snow tracks.

When it comes to tarmac, the Nissan 370Z Roadster is a formidable convertible which is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds.

But until this week the 155mph sports car wasn’t known for its hardcore off-road ability.

Engineers at Nissan have now transformed a 370Z Roadster into an uncompromising ‘snowmobile’ designed to tackle ski slopes and backwoods trails.

They have replaced the alloy wheels and high-performance tyres with skis on the front and snow tracks at the rear.

The result is a snow vehicle dubbed the Nissan 370Zki, which will make its world debut at this week’s Chicago Auto Show.

Michael Bunce, vice president, product planning, Nissan North America, said: “The Nissan 370Zki continues our recent tradition of bringing imaginative winter vehicle concepts to the Chicago Auto Show.

“With the Nissan Z’s long heritage of motorsports competition, the 370Zki seemed like a natural combination

“Prior to its debut here in Chicago, we put the 370Zki through its paces on the slopes in Wyoming where its performance heritage really came through.”

The skis at the front are 147cm long and 30cm wide and the tracks at the rear are 75cm high.

The factory brakes were retained but the brake lines had to be rerouted and the exhaust system was modified to fit under the vehicle.

Engineers modified the front suspension to accommodate the new ride height, and adaptors were made to allow the appropriate travel and rotation for the front skis.

The engine and gearbox also had to be custom-mounted and a front skid plate fabricated to prevent damage during snow excursions.

At the rear, the wheel wells were modified to allow clearance for the snow tracks.

Nissan has built the 370Zki as a one-off and there are currently no plans to put it into full production.

NEWS COPY – WITH PICTURES AND VIDEO – by Adrian Hearn

ENDS

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