Outpaced by the GT-R and undercut by the Toyota 86, it'd be all too easy to forget that Nissan still makes the 370Z. It has, after all, been in production for nearly a decade now – since 2003, if you coubt the previous 350Z on which it was so closely based. But the Japanese automaker is eager to show the Z is still relevant by bringing this specially modified version to the SEMA Show this week.

Called Project Clubsport 23, it's based on a 2012 Nissan 370Z Nismo. But instead of its stock 3.7-liter V6, this one packs a 3.0-liter twin-turbo version good for 400 horsepower.

That's the engine available in the Infiniti Q50 sedan and Q60 coupe, but is mated here for the first time to a manual transmission – the six-speed from the donor 370Z Nismo – fitted with a new clutch, flywheel, and two-way differential. The engine also features a cold-air intake with blow-off valves and a 76-mm exhaust exiting on either side of the license plate, and the steering system, suspension, and brakes have been upgraded, too, mounted to 18-inch alloys.

The interior's been fitted with Sparco racing buckets and harnesses, along with a fire-suppression system and roll cage, and the orange bodywork fitted with a carbon-fiber aero kit.

Given enough interest, Nissan says it could offer most (even all) these components as a "builder's kit" for owners to retrofit to their Z cars. In the meantime, the show car is being showcased at SEMA alongside Chris Forsberg's 370Z drift car, the Ultimate Service Titan it built for the Red Cross, another Titan XD outfitted for animal rescue, and a Kicks crossover fitted with more Bose and Pioneer audio equipment than a hi-fi store.