Zenshi in the 2018 New York International Auto Show - Day 1
For the first press day in New York, Zenshi showcased two performance beasts, one of which wasn’t to be expected from a company like them.
On the stage; Zenshi made use of the screen to display moving pictures to show two halves; first being a video of an empty Route 66 in the sunset, and to follow the theme of what they have been doing in Japan recently, which is to play songs previously used in their car advertisements back in the day; played a sample of Toshiki Kadomatsu’s 52nd Street.
And as the animation went, the light focused on a performance… Pickup.
2019 Zenshi TDF Furue ZMD Track
From there was ZMD’s track-tuned TDF Furue. This generation marks the first time the “TDF” name is used in the American market.
This particular TDF Furue sat considerably low for a pickup truck, and holding them up are 20-inch RAYS wheels on Yokohama ADVAN tires. Fat ZMD quad-tip exhausts adorn the colour-coded rear bumper in a way to show that it means business.
Overall, the pickup received a rather aggressive styling treatment, and if that doesn’t scream performance, perhaps the overall stats will. Under the hood lays a Twin-Turbocharged 5.6L V8 known as the SY56-GDA2T, which was used in the well-known high performance version of the GT, the GTZ 5.6R. Coming standard with a 6-Speed Manual, pumping out 600 HP only to the rear wheels, and weighing below 2,000 kg, the Furue ZMD Track makes for one hell of a street performance truck.
The spotlight dims on the Furue, and focuses on a rather low-looking silhouette.
On the right side of the screen, played a black-and-white video of the roads of Suzuka Circuit, initially playing no music, just the sounds of a roaring V8 engine. Eventually, the music comes to, and playing is another song from Kadomatsu, Rush Hour.
The V8 sounds get louder until it all stops for a brief second, displaying a familiar logo:
after that, the light fully focuses on the silhouette and the veil drops.
2019 Zenshi GTZ 500R
In a recognizable yellow colour, there laid the new GTZ. ZMD decided to not put in extreme styling towards the front, giving a bit of a more, premium, side to the car, all the while aiding it’s aerodynamics.
Darkened lights help give off a very menacing feel to the car, an aesthetic the GTZ lives by. Overall, the next-generation GTZ has seen a slew of improvements, both inside and out.
Mentioned already was the bodywork of the GTZ. Everything, from the bumps to the vents to the diffuser, aid in cornering performance and general efficiency. With the aid of it’s dogleg 7-Speed Manual, the roaring beast presents considerably impressive gas mileage figures for a car like this; 28 MPG Highway is one thing to take note of.
Dynamic exhaust control, which was introduced with the Axia Newman R last year, is present in the 2019 GTZ, which allows the driver to drive a little bit more quietly when it comes to a time when noise isn’t the thing to have.
Boasting 20-inch WedsSport wheels in a deep grey finish, and inside them, high-performance Akebono vented disc brakes are what serves as the “footwork” of the sports car. with 285 wide rear tires and 265 fronts, it adds to the already grippy dynamics of the GTZ.
Compared to the previous generation, the GTZ is a bit lighter, rating at 1780 kg (opposed to the 5.6R’s 1856 kg) makes for a quicker, zippier car.
Aiding the weight of the new GTZ is a brand-new developed V8 engine. Referenced in the new name of the GTZ, is the 5.0L Twin Turbocharged 90-degree V8 co-developed by ZMD, named the SZ50-GDA2T. While smaller than the outgoing 5.6L SY56, is lighter, less powerful, but more efficient. While losing 18 HP from the previous generation, now cranking out 622 HP, still can go really fast, actually faster than the outgoing model, pumping out power to the rear wheels to hit a quick top speed of 210 MPH.
Expect more of these two beasts when they hit the showroom floors soon.
