The Legend of the Hyper Lemon: Where is JUN’s AWD 350Z Now?

In the ever-evolving world of time attack, some cars burn brightly for a moment and then vanish, leaving behind only memories and magazine features. Cast your mind back to 2018. The buzz around World Time Attack Challenge was electric, and a legend was being reborn. We’re talking about the JUN Auto “Hyper Lemon” 350Z R, a machine that felt like a ghost from Japan’s golden era of tuning, and for one glorious event, it was back in the spotlight. But seven years on, we have to ask: where is it now?

For those who don’t remember the story, this Z33 was no ordinary Nissan. It was a bespoke creation by one of Japan’s most revered tuners, JUN Auto, allegedly built for a Hong Kong client with a singular goal: to dominate time attack circuits. After some initial testing at Tsukuba, the car seemed to fall off the face of the earth, its story fading into tuning folklore.

It was rumoured to have been mothballed in China for years until, in 2018, it dramatically resurfaced in Melbourne, Australia. A huge time attack fan named Duncan, with the help of Ray at RevSpeed, had acquired the beast. The plan was audacious: refresh the icon and unleash it at the 2018 World Time Attack Challenge.

And what an icon it was. The spec sheet from 2018 still reads like a tuner’s ultimate wish list. That unmissable yellow bodywork housed a monster of an engine: a VQ35 stroked to a whopping 3.8 litres with a JUN crankshaft, I-beam rods, camshafts, and Cosworth pistons. Force-feeding this setup was a pair of Trust TD05H turbos, channelling boost through twin intercoolers and into a stunning, custom-fabricated JUN intake manifold. If you were lucky enough to see it in the pits, you’d have spotted the signature JUN yellow-green engine block paint.

Perhaps its most mythical feature was the all-wheel-drive conversion. In a feat of wild engineering, the system used an R32 Skyline GT-R drivetrain linked to an M35 Stagea front differentia casel, with gears swapped by a Hollinger six-speed sequential. It was a system far ahead of its time. However, to comply with the 2018 Open Class rules, the front axles were removed, leaving it a powerful, rear-wheel-drive monster.

Bringing the car into the modern era back then was a crucial electronic brain transplant. The old, convoluted piggyback systems were stripped out and replaced with a state-of-the-art Haltech engine management system, streamlining everything into a single Haltech Elite ECU. The team was aiming for over 800HP on E85, which was a potent number for the 1300kg chassis.

The final piece of the 2018 puzzle was the ultimate JDM dream team. To pilot the refreshed legend, Duncan flew in none other than “Superlap” superstar, Tarzan Yamada. The pairing of a legendary driver with a legendary car created a wave of excitement and nostalgia that swept through Sydney Motorsport Park.

But then, after the dust of WTAC 2018 settled, the Hyper Lemon seemed to pull another vanishing act. It had returned to the world stage with a thunderous roar, only to slip back into the shadows.

So here we are in 2025. The car hasn’t been a prominent feature on the time attack circuit since that appearance. Did it fulfill its purpose and retire to a private collection? Is it lurking in a workshop somewhere in Australia, awaiting its next evolution with even more modern tech? Or did it find its way back to Asia, completing its globe-trotting journey?

The JUN “Hyper Lemon” 350Z is a fascinating piece of JDM and WTAC history. It’s a reminder of an era of limitless creativity and engineering ambition. But its current whereabouts are a mystery.

So, we’re putting the call out to the community. Have you seen this unicorn since 2018? Do you know what became of one of the wildest Z33s ever built? Let us know, because a car this special deserves to have its story told.

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