The Datsun Z-Car was a big deal back in the Seventies. It was considered very innovative and fresh, and really gave Detroit a run for its money. The early models escaped big 5 MPH bumpers and are considered the most treasured by collectors.

Today, the styling of these first gen models is still cool, but depending on what your old car persuasions are, Z-cars are either the golden era of Japanese sport cars or just another tinny import that changed the US auto market for better or worse.

All of that fades into the mist with the addition of a mega horsepower injection, and that’s what the guys at Hawks Third Generation have done with this old 280Z. They swapped in a 416 CID LSX with a Magnuson TVS1900 Supercharger producing a whopping 680 horsepower and 665 foot pounds of torque. The mill has a stroked LS3 aluminum block, AFR heads, custom Hawks blower camshaft and custom twin air intake. Check out the fabrication work installing motor mounts, transmission tunnel and the plumbing required to pack in the headers, tranny and exhaust system.

Fast forward to around 3:00 in the video and watch the dyno run and listen to this thing whine and roar! We’re guessing this de-bumpered 280Z with Japanese spec fender flares weighs in at under 3000 pounds, and with 680 horsepower, it should be ridiculously fast.