The Nissan Z is a soulful sports coupe that has a long history of providing two doors that are inexpensive and enjoyable to drive.
The new Z prioritizes power and driving fun while incorporating retro details like the 240Z’s quarter-panel logo and a pair of dramatic LED taillights designed to resemble the 300ZX of the 1990s.
The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport provides the Z’s 400-hp twin-turbo V-6 engine, but the Z also has a six-speed manual and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
That is unless you want to upgrade to the NISMO Z model, which adds 420 horsepower and other performance improvements but only has a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The interior of the new Z is more luxurious thanks to improved seats, a larger touchscreen screen, and a telescopic steering wheel, even if it still shares many of the joints and bones with the previous version, 370Z.
The Z still provides driving thrills, and we’re happy to see it back in the sports car segment, even though it may not be as exhilarating to accelerate as the Toyota Supra.
2024 Nissan Z NISMO Interior
Although this generation doesn’t quite like the previous one in appearance, it does. Nissan, for instance, hasn’t altered the Z’s interior arrangement. With no remaining back seats like the Porsche 911, it is still only a two-seat coupe.
But everything else is different now. The interior of the new Z has been upgraded with contemporary materials, which is a considerable advance over the worn-out 370Z’s earlier version.
There are options for leather upholstery, power-adjustable seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
We were able to fit three carry-on luggage in the trunk of the old 370Z, which should be plenty for the majority of sports car purchasers. However, cargo space is still unknown.
2024 Nissan Z NISMO Exterior
From the Nissan Z Performance trim, the Z NISMO is the next level up. The NISMO takes everything that the model offers to the next level by adding revised bodywork, stickier tires, and more horsepower. That variant offers a limited-slip differential, bigger wheels and brakes, tighter suspension, and nicer seats.
Other aerodynamic modifications include a three-piece rear spoiler that blends into the top of the rear quarters and extensions at the front corners to guide wind past the wheels. The Z NISMO sits on 19-inch wheels, the same as the Z Performance, except these are gloss black and 0.5 inches wider.
The back wheels have a solid tire patch on 10.5-inch rollers, and the front wheels are 10 inches wide. They are lighter than those on the Performance despite being larger. Nissan fits Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT600 tires to the new wheels.
Larger 4-piston calipers, 15.0-inch front and 13.8-inch rear brake rotors, and heavy-duty brake pads are mounted behind the wheels.
Additional bracing under the car and around the car are among the chassis improvements that increase torsional rigidity by 2.5 percent over the Z Performance.
The track-ready NISMO returns to steel driveshafts rather than the carbon driveshaft found on the other Z. Larger dampers, stronger mounting points, and stiffer bushings all improve the track agility of the NISMO.
There are five color options for the Z NISMO, including the slate-blue Stealth Grey that is specific to the NISMO trim, and four colors that are offered on all Z trims: Brilliant Silver, Passion Red, Black Diamond Pearl, and Everest White Pearl.
2024 Nissan Z NISMO Performance
The Nissan Z is powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6, just like its powerful sibling, the Nissan GT-R.
However, the Z receives a 400-hp 3.0-liter engine from the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 with 350 pound-feet of torque in place of the GT-R’s 3.8-liter, which produces 565 horsepower.
Either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic transmission is mated to the engine. The rear-wheel-drive Z has a lot of zip, thanks to the turbo six, but our manual-transmission test car reached 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, far slower than the Supra.
We were able to accelerate the Z to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds using the nine-speed automatic. As long as you are not driving too close to the Z’s limit, there is enough of a cornering grip.
But when you really push it, the suspension’s calibration shows that it’s not quite up to the job. Although its compliance makes commuting comfortable, competitor sports vehicles provide quicker reflexes.
The Z NISMO ups the ante with 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, though we haven’t tried one yet. Larger brake discs, firmer suspension, and more rigid chassis all contribute to the increase in output.
Nissan replaces the Bridgestone Potenza S007 summer tires on the NISMO with Dunlop Sport MAXX GT600 tires.
2024 Nissan Z NISMO Pricing
The basic Sport trim’s starting price has increased by $1220, per the forum post, to $43,305. Similar to last year, the middle-of-the-pack Performance option now has a limited-slip differential in addition to improved brakes and sportier suspension tuning.
The starting price for the Performance trim for 2024 is $53,305 (including the $1095 destination fee that applies to all Zs), up at the same pace as the Sport.
The NISMO model has been the big question mark up to this point, but those numbers are very predictable. The site claims that the NISMO will start at $66,085, but it also notes that floor mats, LED kick plates, and door guards are necessary upgrades that add an extra $1120 to the base MSRP.