Sam Afzali’s VIP Style 350Z takes ride quality to a whole new level
For a true petrolhead, being behind the wheel of your car is the best place on Earth. But what if, away from planting the gas pedal deep into the bulk head, you also like living a high life of good tunes, trick technology and the occasional refreshing drink?
Well, the answer is simple – you bring it all together in one completely balls out VIP car that’s as much about chill as it is thrill.
Mixing it with owner Sam Afzali at a hangar in the middle of Canada, it’s obvious the plan for his 350 was plane and simple: to create a classy JDM toy that’s as much about VIP as it is power, with no expenses spared.
Let’s start with the stance: it doesn’t need Hugh Edwards at 6 o’clock to tell you bolting on a set of aftermarket wheels and cheesing it to your local car meet has been left behind in the dark ages. These days, first-rate fitment is an absolute must, and if you’re gonna pull it off, you have to do the maths.
Luckily, Sam is a perfectionist who believes if it ain’t done properly, it ain’t done at all, so our man went about finding wheels with a crazy offset that would sit absolutely perfect in those pert Nissan arches. “I had to make sure the car was sitting just right, so I worked out what fitment would suit best and then went shopping for my wheels,” says the barmy Canadian of his truly badass Work VSXX rollers. Spacers were added to the mega- negative offset wheels and paired with super low profile tyres and a healthy drop in ride height to pull off a seriously celebrity stance on the 350. Trust us, if ever you need a lesson in fitment, this is it.
Sam’s then made sure the rest of the car is dripping in subtle class with careful body styling, adding OEM side skirts and the sexy Sarona trunk lid and spoiler before going all out on a Seibon carbon bonnet for good measure.
For the cockpit, Sam’s somehow managed to take things up a notch, laying out a truly aristocrat interior that would make our own royal family look a bit riff-raff when sitting amongst the cushy Yonaka leather seats and Personal steering wheel.
The true icing on the cake though has to be Sam’s totally VIP install, which is one of the best uses of boot space we’ve ever set eyes on. Yep, Sam’s taken VIP to a whole new level with his own mobile bar accompanying his trusty Xbox 360, iPad, flat screen and twin Kenwood subs, while the shotgun passenger gets a pull-out minibar all to themselves up front.
The trick isn’t just in the idea though: true to form, Sam’s done everything properly and a closer look at the install shows a glorious mix of finely stitched leather and lace-finished pine to house the in-car entertainment.
His mates may be able to enjoy some mellow bass and a cheeky drink while smashing each other on Battlefield, but Sam reckons the biggest smile is still reserved for himself once he hits the road. “I like driving this thing just as much as I like pulling up at shows and letting everyone take a look,” he says as he lifts the bonnet to reveal even more carbon goodies in the Nissan’s well-tuned bay.
Everywhere you look, you’ll see Sam’s got every box ticked, creating a genuine world-class contender for the ultimate all-round fun wagon. Consider yourself a true VIP of car culture Sam – and ours is a gin n’ juice, mate!
TECH SPEC 2004 350Z
TUNING
Takeda short ram intake; Tsudo true dual cat back exhaust system; Berk high flow cats; stage 2 software tune & fuel remap; JWT lightened flywheel; OBX light weight pully; HKS grounding kit; NRG oil catch can, hood dampers; Nismo oil & coolant cap; Weapon R silicon hoses; carbon fibre engine cover, cooling plate, battery & brake cover; Password JDM tank cover; DressUpBolts custom colour matches.
STYLING
INGs front lip in combination with bumper mould; OEM side skirts; shaved 350Z badge for clean look; short 4.5-inch antenna; Seibon OEM style carbon fibre hood; Sarona rear trunk; lip spoiler, rear window spoiler; rolled/ pulled front and rear fenders; 5-inch short stubby antenna; custom carbon fibre roof; 35% tints all round; Benen tow hook; 30000k ultra violet HID headlight; LED license plate lights, interior dimming lights, parking lights, daytime running lights; JDM rear fog light; red interior underglows; triple gloss black paint with gold candy pearl.
CHASSIS
9.5×19-inch WORK VSXX front, -8 offset and 10.5×19-inch rears with -13 offset; Hankook Ventus tyres 225/35×19 up front and 245/35×19 rear; H&R 25mm spacers rear, 20mm spacers front; SPC rear camber arms; BC Racing coilovers; Brembo cross drilled rotors; Brembo 4 piston big brakes; stainless steel brake lines; PBR ceramic brake pads; JIC Magic strut brace; Godspeed front sway bar; Godspeed rear sway bar; polyurethane bushings.
INTERIOR
Personal steering wheel; NRG short hub, quick release; Yonaka Motorsport leather seats; Corbeau 5-point harnesses; Megan Racing seat brackets; B&M short shifter; Blox Neo chrome weighted shift knob; Redline leather JDM shift boot, leather JDM brake boot; ATI gauge pod; AEM digital wideband gauge; AEM digital water temp gauge; LED interior lights; custom roll bar; custom seat harness bar; custom headliner; carbon fibre instrument pod cover, rear strut tower cover; Nismo floor matts; custom VIP table.
AUDIO
Kenwood KAC-9105D monoblock amp, KAC-8405 4-channel amp, 2x 10-inch KFC-W2513ps subs, KFC-X173 6.5-inch 2-way car audio speakers front, KFC-X173 6.5-inch 2-way car audio speakers rears; custom trunk enclosure with VIP bar.
