NISMO twin-cam conversion kit for L-series engines headed for production

The Nissan L-series is one of the most popular engines at any car show for Japanese classics. Installed in everything from Datsun 510s to Z-cars and Skylines, the tried-and-true SOHC motor is  beloved the world over. Earlier this year NISMO showed an experimental head that converted the L-series to a twin-cam. Now it’s officially going into production.

Originally called the TLX, which stood for Twin-cam L eXperimental, it was shown at the Nostalgic 2 Days show in February. At the time, representatives said that it was for “reference” purposes only, not for sale. The display gauged customer reaction, which turned out to be quite positive because NISMO has announced that the conversion kit is reaching its final stages of commercialization.

The SOHC, two-valve-per-cylinder L-gata has always been kind of old school and lumpy and not much of a revver without tuning. By the time NISMO was established in 1984 the engine was already two years from end-of-life, replaced by the VG and RB. If the production version stays true to the TLX, it will also gain multi-port injection, direct ignition, a silent chain design and up displacement from 2,753cc to 2,949cc. Power is said to increase from the stock L28’s 153 horses and 170 lb-ft of torque to 296 horsepower and 217 lb-ft with a 7,500 rpm redline.

So far it looks to only exist for the straight-six L-series andthere’s no mention of a 4-cylinder version that would fit on an L16. But given Nissan’s current financial state it’s impressive that a project like this is forging ahead at all. It’s likely made possible by small-batch production techniques that have produced several of the heritage parts programs that have sprung up in recent years. NISMO hasn’t revealed any details or pricing, but says that the kit will go on sale in fall of 2025.