- NISSAN Z
- Price range: $84,990
- Powertrains: 3.0-litre twin turbocharged petrol V6 with 298kW/475Nm, 10.8L/100km (ADR), six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic, RWD.
- Body style: Coupe
- On sale: Now
After more than a decade, Nissan has updated its Z sports car. Well, mostly updated – it’s technically the same chassis as the 370Z and 350Z before it, but there’s a new engine and completely different styling both inside and out, so it’s worth a bit of fanfare.
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The new Z (no digits this time, just the letter) is, as mentioned, effectively a massive rework of the old 370Z. It uses the same FM platform as the 350Z and 370Z, albeit highly modified with better structural rigidity, better suspension, electronic power steering that apparently retains a “strong mechanical feel,” and wider front tyres on both models.
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Under the bonnet is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, new to the Z but not new to Nissan as it is the same unit found in the Infiniti Q60. It makes 298kW/475Nm, up 51kW and 108Nm over the 370Z. Nissan doesn’t specify performance figures, but it should be quite a bit faster than the old car. Notably, this is more power (but less torque) than rival Supra.
It’s paired with either a six-speed manual (purists rejoice!) or a nine-speed automatic that shares DNA with the Mercedes-Benz nine-speed. There’s no extra cost going with either transmission.
Both the automatic and manual transmissions come with launch control. Manual-equipped cars get an Exedy heavy-duty clutch and a carbon fibre composite driveshaft with rev-matching, while autos get the same shift paddles as the GT-R.
Standard specification for New Zealand will load the Nissan Z with a leather-accented interior, bucket seats similar to those in the GT-R, a fully customisable 12.3-inch driver’s display, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and three driving modes – Standard, Enhanced and Sport.
The centre stack has a trio of analogue gauges for turbocharger boost, turbo turbine speed and a voltmeter, for basically no other reason than it looks cool, and I can’t think of any other car that has them like this from the factory.
The standard car, just called Coupe, is mechanically equivalent to the US Performance model, which means a sportier suspension tune, larger brake rotors with stronger calipers, a limited-slip differential, 19-inch Rays lightweight forged alloy wheels, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancellation and active sound enhancement (more on that soon).
Where did you drive it?
Nissan launched the Z over in Melbourne, with the day of driving starting cloudy before rapidly becoming saturated. That meant about four hours of wet roads, so the outer limits of the Z’s performance remain untested, at least for now.
I started off in the manual version, which comprises about 70% of the 1200 orders, Nissan Australia said. There aren’t any power differences between the two transmissions.
The heavy-duty clutch didn’t actually feel too heavy and the gearing of the transmission is nice, with sixth keeping the engine at just below 2000rpm at 100kph. Nissan worked on the shifter action with new detents and it feels great. Not quite as snickety as a Mazda MX-5 or Honda Civic Type-R, but still lovely. Honestly, it’s just great to see it in a brand-new sports car.
Actually, funny story, the chief product planner for the Z, Hiroshi Tamura, was on the launch with us, and in order to convince Nissan’s bigwigs to give the new Z a manual, he needed to show it was wanted by customers. Tamura-san showed a slide that indicated 40% of 370Z buyers had asked for the manual, which pushed the bosses over the line. That 40% figure was actually from the 370Z Nismo, a footnote that went under the radar until it was too late.
But anyway, yes, the manual is great, and if those preorders actually go through, there will be plenty on the second-hand market in a few years’ time.
The suspension is tuned slightly more towards being a grand tourer than an out-and-out sports car, which means it’s a bit more on the soft side. Not a bad thing, actually, considering how rough Kiwi roads tend to be. Better tyres might improve the handling as well, with Bridgestone Potenza S007s coming standard, but the roads were so wet that it didn’t really matter. We’ll see how they go on dry New Zealand roads as soon as possible.
Nissan has given the Z new electrically assisted steering, which is also more GT than sports. It doesn’t bounce around in your hands going over bumps in the road but a bit more precision and feedback wouldn’t go amiss. Perhaps it’ll feel better over here under better conditions…
The automatic will probably be the model that most buyers go for at the end of the day, and it earns its keep. It’s fast to drop down cogs when you ask for it, and the extra ratios and smart computer brain means it’s easier on gas. I saw between 9-10L/100km in the auto, while the manual was showing closer to 11-12L/100km. All depends on how you drive it, of course, but the manual does entice more childish downshifts (particularly with the rev-matching system) and “accidental” full-throttle moments.
The engine is a peach, with plenty of pull from about 2000rpm right up to the 7000rpm redline, and sounds great from inside. Outside it’s a bit naff – you can thank sound regulations in America for that, as Nissan doesn’t change the exhaust for different regions. There’s heaps of top-end grunt as well, so it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Toyota Supra and Ford Mustang.
There is clear space left for a Nismo version, with more power to be gleaned from the engine and sharper steering/suspension an easy gap to cross. It all falls down to sales though. If enough people buy this Z (or promise to put money down on a Nismo), the case for a faster Z will be that much stronger.
As for the rest of the car, I think it looks brilliant. The rectangle grille is still a bit strange, but when you can actually see the slight point of the nose in the metal it makes more sense. From the side it’s fantastic and I absolutely love the neo-retro rear lights.
According to Tamura-san, the large grille is both a nod to older Zs and something born out of necessity. The new turbocharged engine comes with an array of coolers (engine, AC, oil, transmission, intercooler) and they all need air. Nissan did experiment with having a bar across the grill, but apparently a 3cm strip of plastic translates into 9cm of blocked airflow, considering the turbulence created.
Inside is an interesting combination of old and new, a byproduct of Nissan developing the car themselves and not leaning on another brand for help.
There are those two digital screens – the Sports view on the instrument cluster was derived from the GT500 racer – but then there’s single-zone climate control with dials that feel like they’re from the Navara ute, the seats have electric fore/aft/back tilt adjustments (mounted facing up on the inside of the seats for some reason), but manual depth/thigh rotary dials and a lever for the driver’s lumbar support. There’s no wireless charging either, and the heated seat switches also feel lifted from the ute.
I love the trio of analogue gauges mounted on the dash. You can configure the screen to show you turbo pressure and voltage but you can’t see the turbo speed anywhere else, and it’s great fun watching them rise and fall. Possibly too distracting, really…
There is a boot, and it fits two carry-on-sized bags without much trouble. Could probably squeeze three in if you tried.
What’s the pick of the range?
Well, considering there’s only one you can get (all Protos are gone) and the only difference is the transmission, I would say the manual, purely because it’s a manual Z and it’s brilliant.
Although, we are living in what might be the last hurrah for the manual, as Toyota has confirmed the Supra will get a six-speed by the end of the year, and the next-generation Ford Mustang/Honda Civic Type R will both come with a manual as well. Who knows how long they’ll last, so it could well be now or never.
Why would I buy it?
You’re a big Z fan, love the fact that Nissan built this car themselves (regardless of how much is recycled), and have been waiting for this car for the past five-ish years. You might also be hanging out for a proper front-engined rear-drive sports car with a manual that isn’t a Ford Mustang, and are happy with the $15k in savings compared to a Supra.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
You’re happy to spend the extra bucks on a Supra for the more modern German base and straight-six howl, or you’re infatuated with the V8 bellow of the Ford Mustang.
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