Words and Photos: Deven Solanki
For a country that’s basically a couple of islands at the bottom of the map, New Zealand punches way above its weight. Whether it’s banging doors in overseas drift comps, chasing world-record passes on the strip, or lighting up the burnout pad, drivers here know how to show up and show out. One of those Kiwis leading the charge is Nazim “Naz” Poshklidi.
Naz is a certified Supra addict. We’re not talking about a guy who’s had two or three in his life; Naz has owned over 200 of Toyota’s iconic J-tin over the past 13 years. This healthy addiction started in high school, flipping cars while juggling multiple jobs, eventually diving into the performance scene alongside high-school mates like James Wildon (JT Performance), Marcel, Kelvin, and Manmeet Singh. “They all had performance builds — WRXs, Skylines, Type Rs, bagged cars… a bit of everything,” Naz says. “A close mate of mine owned a Supra about 14 years ago and I fell in love. I bought my first one and have been hooked ever since.
But the car that eventually clawed its way onto the world stage, started life as a humble, non-turbo automatic JZA80. It was a clean daily driver until a frontal collision ended its life on the road. Most people would’ve flicked it on or left it to rot as a “one day” project. Instead, Naz decided if it wasn’t going back on the street, he might as well go all-in and turn it into a dedicated burnout car.
While the shell was sitting at RZ Autos (Naz’s own workshop), his mate Coro Moko swung by and wrote “LS the World” across the glass as a cheeky stir. It was meant to be a laugh, but it triggered a genuine lightbulb moment and that’s when Naz got the inspiration to make the swap.
“It was much cheaper to go LS instead of a 2JZ-GTE at the time”. He tells us. With 2JZ prices soaring to the sky, Naz pivoted, sourcing an LS1 and pairing it with a single turbo setup. Once the body was pulled straight and the V8 was snug in the bay, it was time to hit the pad. The setup did its job, peeling through countless sets at events across the country, but it wasn’t long before the power bug bit again and Naz was already itching for more.
With a clear goal to dominate the burnout pad, Naz and his brother Kazem started plotting. After some research, they settled on a 6.2-litre iron block LS engine — reliable, torquey, and able to run crazy boost without risk of blowing up.
This wasn’t a slow-burn project though, once the plan was locked in, things moved at a quick pace. Doug from Doug Engineering Services handled the bottom end, while the top-end duties were passed to the experts at Franklin Cams. They supplied a full valvetrain package and a set of custom-ground camshafts, designed and manufactured right here in New Zealand.
With the core of the engine sorted, Kaz and Naz threw the running gear together at the RZ Autos workshop before handing the shell over to Mike Bob to tackle the custom fabrication. To bring the beast to life, James from JT Performance stepped in to handle the wiring and the final tune, managing to squeeze out 895kW and 1000Nm of pure muscle.
But putting that power to the ground required a serious drivetrain, so a TH400 was the only logical choice. Known for being a bulletproof unit capable of soaking up massive abuse, the trans was sent to Shane at Kaspa West, who gave it a full refresh and a heavy-duty build to ensure it could handle every pound of boost Naz was ready to throw at it.
The inspiration for the twin-turbo setup came from a conversation with his son, Arzee. One night, the youngster told his dad: “If I had a Supra, flames would be shooting out the bonnet.” Naz looked at the car, looked at his boy, and made a promise. Now, those twin snails poke through the hood and spit fire exactly how Arzee imagined. With the new setup dialed in, the Supra was finally ready to hit the pad.
The turning point came when Naz entered the Burnout Pro Qualifying at the 2025 Chrome Horsepower Festival. Not only did he win the competition, he secured a ticket to cross the ditch and take on the Pro Burnout Qualifiers at Summernats, a literal dream come true. “I never thought I’d get this far within three years,” Naz says proudly. With the win at Chrome in August, the clock started ticking. The team had a three-month window to prep the car, finalize a new livery, and pack enough tools and tyres to survive across the ditch.
To ensure the Supra was ready for the international stage, the team at RZ Autos gave it a full teardown. They pulled the motor expecting a list of jobs, but the 6.2L LS was so healthy all it required was a quick bearing refresh. With the internals looking brand new despite the abuse, it was clear this setup was built to last.
With the mechanicals sorted, the car still had to look the part. The body received a fresh coat of Custom Candy Red paint before heading to X-Racing for the livery. Vick and Naz started in the afternoon and pushed straight through to 3:00 am, fueled by a few jokes and a lot of Red Bull. With the wrap finally laid, the photoshoot happened the very next morning on just two hours of sleep, right before the car was loaded into a container for its journey across the ditch with the help of Azhar Bhamji.
Once the car touched down in Australia, good friend Cruise Mauro picked it up and kept it safe while the team prepared for the main event. When they arrived, it was a simple matter of trailering the Supra to Canberra. The Supra flew through scrutineering with ease, and by Thursday, the Summernats experience began: four days of cruising, Skid Row, and non-stop tyre smoke.
“Competing on the biggest stage in the world feels like having adrenaline injected straight into your veins,” Naz tells us. “Before starting, the butterflies are intense, but as soon as the pedal hits the floor and the back tyres light up, you feel on top of the world.”
With over 130,000 people watching live and a massive global stream, the pressure was immense. But the Supra lived up to the hype. Even the Australian competitors were impressed, noting that the scene needed more high-energy showmen like Naz. It was a historic moment: the first Supra in the world to compete in the Pro Burnout Qualifiers, the first to pop tyres at that level, and one of the only Japanese cars to ever grace the Summernats pads.
Naz made it to the redemption round on Sunday without a single hiccup. Despite screaming the engine to 8,000rpm and destroying set after set of tyres, the car never overheated. The Aussies were surprised that a twin-turbo LS could take that kind of abuse and stay healthy, but the Supra just kept performing. “The crowd’s energy was so intense you could feel it through the ground as they cheered for that aggressive New Zealand driving style” Naz says.
Despite the trophies and the success in Australia, the most important part of this journey for Naz is ensuring the passion lives on through his son. He’s already making sure Arzee is ready to continue the family legacy; when the youngster was only two, Naz bought him his very own Supra, a genuine six-speed factory RZ twin-turbo in Royal Sapphire Pearl.
They’ve been restoring that car together ever since, and with Arzee turning eight now, he remains the reason Naz pushes so hard. The most memorable moment of the entire build wasn’t the fame or the prizes; it was looking toward the fence during a run at Chrome and seeing his son cheering him on. For Naz, that’s the most precious moment a dad could ask for.
SPEC LIST
1994 Toyota Supra (JZA80)
Heart
ENGINE: LS, 6200cc eight-cylinder
BLOCK: Cast iron block bored to 6200cc, forged CP pistons, CP rods, King aftermarket bearings
HEAD: ProMaxx LS2 head, port and polished, Yella Terra spacers, Harland Sharp roller rockers, titanium retainers, Crower solid link bar lifters, Franklin Cam custom cams
INTAKE: Aeroflow intake manifold, Bosch electronic throttle body
EXHAUST: Custom turbo manifold, 3.5-inch bonnet exit exhaust from the turbo
TURBO: Twin Aeroflow 3584
WASTEGATE: Twin Turbosmart 50mm wastegates
BOV: Turbosmart
FUEL: Super Factory fuel tank, twin 550lph Walbro fuel pumps, custom NZKW AN lines, NZKW engine bay fuel filter,
IGNITION: LS3 ignition coils
ECU: Haltech Nexus R3
COOLING: Custom 155mm front mount intercooler, PWR radiator, six cooling fans
EXTRA:1650cc Bosch injectors, full custom harness with PDM, NZKW billet rocker covers, custom oil catch can, custom motorsport full loom
Drive
GEARBOX: Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (TH400) three-speed with high stall and transbreak
DIFF: Holden VZ diff with custom axles
Support
STRUTS: BC Gold adjustable coilovers
BRAKES: (F) Supra four-pot big callipers, TRW slotted rotors, TRD brake pads (R) Supra two-pot callipers, TRW slotted rotors, TRD brake pads
ARMS/KNUCKLES: Agile Performance arms throughout front
Shoes
WHEELS: (F) Work VSKF 19×9.5 (+15) (R) Weld Drag Wheels SP1 15×10 +35
TYRES: (F) 245/45R19 Bridgestone Sport A1 (R) 275/50R15 Mickey Thomson
Exterior
PAINT: Custom Candy Red with custom livery
ENHANCEMENTS: Ridox front bumper
Interior
SEATS: NZKW bucket seats
STEERING WHEEL: NZKW
INSTRUMENTATION: Haltech iC-7 digital display, Bosch temperature gauge, Quicksilver oil temperature gauge, Prosport water temperature and boost gauge.
EXTRA: B&M shifter Quicksilver
Performance
POWER: 895kW
TORQUE: 1000Nm
BOOST: 25psi
FUEL TYPE: E85
TUNER: James at JT Performance
Driver Profile
DRIVER/OWNER: Nazim “Naz” Poshklidi
AGE: 30
LOCATION: Auckland, New Zealand
OCCUPATION: Owner of RZ Autos
BUILD TIME: 2-3 months
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 3 years
THANKS: Big thanks to my brothers and the whole team at RZ Autos for all the support. I also want to show love to all my sponsors and supporters who help make it happen — NZKW Team, James at JT Performance, Shane at Kaspa West, Road Runner, Mando, Mike Bob, Vick at XRacing, Franklin Cams, Mag & Turbo, Haltech, Azhar Bhamji at Prowear and Chrome Azhar, RPM Performance, Pro Tow, Owen from S Panel & Paint, Doug at Doug Engineering, Shane at Ape Automotive, Tyre Shop Pukekohe, and Repco Takanini. Couldn’t do it without you all.
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 319
