When Nissan planted the powerful VR30DDTT 3L V6 engine with twin turbochargers in the Nissan Z, there wasn’t much room left in the engine bay. The cramped area didn’t allow enough space to accommodate the traditional top-and-bottom-split airbox design, so they created a unique single-piece airbox with vertically inserted panel filters that maximized flow while minimizing size.
As enthusiasts and engineers, we tipped our hats to appreciate the work Nissan did with this design. But we couldn’t help but ask ourselves—how can we make it even better?
Design Process
Our engineer, Ye, set out to design a direct-fit airbox for the 2023+ Nissan Z with these goals:
• Achieve better airflow than stock
• Ensure a direct-fit, bolt-on installation
• Create a design that lets the user alternate between a sealed or open airbox setup
• Deliver a high-quality intake tone
• Maintain a safe air-to-fuel ratio and ability to run on a stock tune
She began by inspecting and removing the stock airboxes to determine









