The ultimate winter car? Nissan 370Z sports vehicle gets an extreme cold weather makeover with skis and tank tracks

Engineers at Japanese car firm Nissan have transformed a 370Z Roadster into a 330 horsepower 'snowmobile'
They replaced its alloy wheels and tyres with skis on the front and 'Dominator' snow tracks at the rear
The result is a snow vehicle dubbed the Nissan 370Zki, which will debut at this week's Chicago Auto Show
A video released to mark the launch shows the ski-mobile racing across snowy mountains and plains

Nissan has unveiled the ultimate vehicle for extreme winter conditions, a 330 horsepower sports car fitted with skis and snow tracks.

When it comes to tarmac, the Nissan 370Z Roadster is a formidable convertible which is capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in just 5.5 seconds.

But until this week the 155mph (250 kph) sports car wasn't known for its hardcore off-road ability.

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Nissan has unveiled the ultimate vehicle for extreme winter conditions, a 330 horsepower sports car fitted with skis and snow tracks

Engineers at Yokohama, Japan, based Nissan have transformed a 370Z Roadster into an uncompromising 'snowmobile' designed to tackle ski slopes and backwoods trails.

They have replaced the alloy wheels and high-performance tyres with skis on the front and 'Dominator' snow tracks at the rear.

The result is a snow vehicle dubbed the Nissan 370Zki, which will make its world debut at this week's Chicago Auto Show, being held at the city's McCormick Place convention complex from February 10 to 19.

A video released to mark the launch shows the ski-mobile racing across snowy mountains and plains.

Michael Bunce, vice president, product planning, Nissan North America, said: 'The Nissan 370Zki continues our recent tradition of bringing imaginative winter vehicle concepts to the Chicago Auto Show.

'With the Nissan Z's long heritage of motorsports competition, the 370Zki seemed like a natural combination.

'It’s also fun to shake things up with something totally unexpected once in a while – and that’s the Nissan 370Zki.

'Prior to its debut here in Chicago, we put the 370Zki through its paces on the slopes in Wyoming where its performance heritage really came through.'

The engine that powers the vehicle is a factory spec 3.7-litre V6 which generates 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque.

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Engineers at Yokohama, Japan, based Nissan have now transformed a 370Z Roadster into an uncompromising 'snowmobile' designed to tackle ski slopes and backwoods trails

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They have replaced the alloy wheels and high-performance tyres with skis on the front and 'Dominator' snow tracks at the rear The result is a snow vehicle dubbed the Nissan 370Zki, which will make its world debut at this week's Chicago Auto Show

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A video released to mark the launch shows the ski-mobile racing across snowy mountains and plains. To make way for the extreme cold kit, the original Nissan vehicle's ride height was lifted by three inches (7.6 cm) from standard

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The skis at the front are 58 inches (147cm) long and 12 inches (30cm) wide and the tracks at the rear are 30 inches (75cm) high

The snowmobile features a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

To make way for the extreme cold kit, the original Nissan vehicle's ride height was lifted by three inches (7.6 cm) from standard.

The skis at the front are 58 inches (147cm) long and 12 inches (30cm) wide and the tracks at the rear are 30 inches (75cm) high.

The factory brakes were retained but the brake lines had to be rerouted and the exhaust system was modified to fit under the vehicle.

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The factory brakes were retained but the brake lines had to be rerouted and the exhaust system was modified to fit under the vehicle

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Engineers modified the front suspension to accommodate the new ride height, and adaptors were made to allow the appropriate travel and rotation for the front skis. The headlights were also tinted yellow to resemble ski goggles

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The engine and gearbox also had to be custom-mounted and a front skid plate fabricated to prevent damage during snow excursions

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At the rear, the wheel wells were modified to allow clearance for the snow tracks. The exterior of the vehicle was wrapped in a custom design created by Icon Image Graphics, based in Cerritos, California

Engineers modified the front suspension to accommodate the new ride height, and adaptors were made to allow the appropriate travel and rotation for the front skis.

The engine and gearbox also had to be custom-mounted and a front skid plate fabricated to prevent damage during snow excursions.

At the rear, the wheel wells were modified to allow clearance for the snow tracks.

HOW WERE SNOWMOBILES FIRST CREATED?

The history of the modern day recreational snowmobile is fairly recent, however, travel over snow goes back many years, although man actually flew before he could master snow travel.

While the Wright Brothers flew in 1903, the very first vehicle that was built to go in snow wasn't created until 1908.

That was the Lombard log hauler designed and built in Waterville, Maine. It was a large cumbersome machine that resembled a steam locomotive, only it had a half track design and front skis.

In 1909, a man named O.C. Johnson built an over the snow machine that went on top of the snow, when it worked. It was roughly ten feet long, used a track design, "one lunger engine", and was capable of rudimentary steering.

In 1913, Virgil White, a Ford dealer in New Hampshire, invented a track and ski unit conversion for the Model T Ford.

Early in the winter of 1922, fifteen year old J. Armand Bombardier designed a wind driven sleigh with a Model T engine. This was to be the first of many snowmobiles designed by Bombardier.

One of the most amazing snowmobiles was built in 1924 in Sayner, Wisconsin. It was the invention of Earl Eliason, who called it his motor toboggan.

It was a wooden toboggan fitted with two skis, which were steered with ropes, powered by a 2.5 horsepower Johnson outboard motor, and was pushed by an endless steel cleated track.

It was a front mounted, liquid cooled engine that used a jack shaft. All these are qualities that are credited to modern day snowmobiles.

Mr Eliason patented and manufactured his machine until 1939 when he sold out to FWD Corporation in Canada, who continued to built them until 1960.

It wasn't until 1954 that the modern day recreational snowmobile was born. David Johnson was a partner with Alan and Edgar Hetteen of Polaris Industries.

Mr. Johnson made his design of a snowmobile during a weekend adventure, unknown to the other two partners. This became the very first Polaris, which has remained a leading name in snowmobile design until the present day.The exterior of the vehicle was wrapped in a custom design created by Icon Image Graphics, based in Cerritos, California.

The headlights were also tinted yellow to resemble ski goggles.

Nissan has built the 370Zki as a one-off and there are currently no plans to put it into full production, although this may change if there is enough demand for the vehicle.

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The engine that powers the vehicle is a factory spec 3.7-litre V6 which generates 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. The snowmobile features a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive

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When it comes to tarmac, the Nissan 370Z Roadster is a formidable convertible which is capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in just 5.5 seconds but until this week the sports car wasn't known for its hardcore off-road ability

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Nissan has built the 370Zki as a one-off and there are currently no plans to put it into full production, although this may change if there is enough demand for the vehicle