For years, racing video games and tuning cars have gone together like hand and racing glove. If you’re into cars, you’re likely into car games -- and if you’re into car games, you’re going to be into the real-deal, four-wheeled machines. Who here hasn’t purchased the digital version of their actual car and modified it, extensively, like they came up on government bailout money? Hopefully, someone other than this stereotype-perpetuating Asian male with more free time than he knows what to do with.

The biggest problem after spending hours working on your mobile masterpiece is, your creation only lives online and not in the real world. Turn off your console and the blue pill that is your automotive genius, ends. Not any more. Well, for one talented artisan, anyway.

Collaborating with Xbox 360’s new Forza Motorsport 3 and its boundless livery editor and sprawling tuning options, we’re offering up our ’09 Nissan 370Z project car to the Forza community to help come up with a cool design (our staff has no artistic ability, whatsoever – sad, but true). The winning livery will be applauded then applied on our Z, for real. As in non-digital Nissan sheet metal (and a bit of Sun Line Racing carbon fiber). Afterwards, our 370Z with your winning design will makes it debut at the upcoming CES show and on the cover of a future Import Tuner. If semi-fame isn’t enough of a draw, I’ll make sure to dig up some funky fresh schwag to give the lucky, albeit skilled winner.

How to enter:

- Send an Xbox LIVE friend request to “ImportTunerMag”. 

- In “Forza Motorsport 3,” buy the ’09 Nissan 370Z and choose the option to “Get in the Car”.

- From the Paint menu, paint and apply decals to the Z and create your design.

- Once your design is completed, press the ‘Start’ button in Livery editor.

- From the Save Menu select “Save to Design Catalogue”.

- Name the file: Import Tuner 370Z.

- Exit the Livery editor and go to the Paint Menu. Select “My Designs” and look for your file in your “Design Catalogue”.

- Select it and choose the “Gift” option

- Choose “ImportTunerMag” from your friends list to share the file with me.

For those in attendance, our project 370Z will be making its debut at the 2009 SEMA Show (Nov 3-6) at SPEC Clutches and Flywheels booth (#24523) in it’s gloriously modified, yet design-free form (with the exception of our sponsors decals, of course). Think of it as your “blank canvas”.

Check back here at www.importtuner.com  for updated pics of the Z or www.forzamotorsport.net for info on Forza Motorsport 3.