Can You Figure Out Which JDM Car This ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ Once Was?

This ‘slantnose’ Porsche-style Nissan is described as being a ‘poor man’s Porsche’. However, we’re willing to bet the creator could’ve bagged himself one (or two) of ‘Stuttgart’s finest’ for the cost of the build – we’d much rather have this. (Well, within reason, of course!)

If you haven’t guessed already, this incredible, custom-designed build is based on none other than the drifter’s fan favorite – the Nissan 350Z.

However, since it’s based in the motherland, it’s known as the JDM Fairlady Z33.

Takashi Koike’s Porsche 935 replica is also known as the ‘slantnose 935Z’. You may have seen it floating around the internet over the years, as Dino DC covered the build on Speedhunters back in 2021.

Since then, it’s undergone more significant transformations, especially at the rear.

Takashi, also known as ‘Catasy’, made it clear that his goal wasn’t to create a pure replica of the 935, which is likely why we’re seeing modern-day vibes trickle into the most recent redesign.

While the front keeps it old-school, the rear gets thrown into the future with 992-gen 911 taillights, paired with a sleek custom ducktail rear wing.

Meanwhile, what appears to be a set of super dishy Work Meister M1s perfectly fill out the custom arches.

Of course, these aren’t your typical off-the-shelf 350Z parts. You’d never guess that the original design was made using expanding foam, either, as the finish looks absolutely sublime. Takashi credits a Japanese builder named ‘Ashiru Ito’ for the work.

The cabin is graced with rare Sparco Martini Racing sports seats that continue the retro Porsche theme of the front end. 

Unfortunately, since Takashi is based in Japan and his social media accounts are entirely in Japanese, it’s hard to figure out what’s going on under the hood. Previously, it was mostly stock, with the addition of an HKS cold air intake, an aftermarket ECU, and a full exhaust system.

Given the amount of work put into the outside since, we’re hopeful that the engine bay contains equal amounts of craziness, and that the 935Z maybe gets spoiled with some occasional tail-happy sideways action!

Whether you want to follow Catasy’s build or plan to brush up on your Japanese, you can follow the project on Catasy’s Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) socials.

If the past is anything to go by, we’ve no doubt there are still more jaw-dropping transformations yet to come!