The resurrected Nissan Z speaks highly to the wants and needs of sports car lovers yearning for a sense of nostalgia. Despite kicking off the seventh-gen model of one of the most iconic names in Japanese sports cars, the 2024 Nissan Z relies heavily on the outgoing car’s principal architecture. Moreover, it has a smooth and torque-rich 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 inherited from the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, but the Z is not as hardcore as the Toyota GR Supra in the all-out performance department.
However, the Z never looked this good since the first and second-gen Fairlady Z cars debuted in 1970 and 1978. It also has a standard six-speed manual or a no-cost-added nine-speed automatic, making it suitable for occasional track days or cross-border grand touring.
2024 Nissan Z: What’s New?
For 2024, the Nissan Z debuts a Z NISMO trim with all the performance bells and whistles but with a catch. Nissan claims the Z NISMO “doubles down on thrilling performance” to deliver an “exhilarating track day experience,” but it’s exclusively available with a nine-speed automatic. When you think about it, the automatic could effortlessly improve the Z’s zero to 60 times (about 4.5 seconds instead of 4.3 with the manual). Still, a manual would have been remarkable for history’s most potent modern Z car.
Nissan massaged the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 and gave it better cooling, more turbo boost from a new electronic wastegate, an improved engine oil cooler, and updated independent spark timing strategies lifted directly from the GT-R NISMO. The result is 420 horsepower and 384 lb-ft. of torque, about 20 more horses, and 34 more lb-ft. of torque than stock.
The power hike accompanies a subtly enhanced bodywork with an updated G-Nose front end, a honeycomb mesh grille, aero-optimized canards, a wider rear spoiler, new side sills, a reshaped rear bumper, and red exterior accents.
Sport+ Transmission Programming
Nissan is making up for the Z NISMO’s lack of a manual with a new Sport+ driving mode and launch control for its nine-speed automatic. It has racetrack-tuned shift programming that offers slicker downshifts and upshifts. Nissan claims the new software engages gears so fast that a driver “does not need to use the shift paddles on track.” Sweetening the pot are revised clutch packs to deliver lightning-quick gear changes.
Optimized Suspension & Chassis Tuning
The 2024 Nissan Z NISMO received a few enhancements to its underpinnings to handle the added power and grip. It has new stabilizer bars, stiffer coil springs, larger-diameter shock absorbers, NISMO-specific gloss black 19-inch RAYS wheels, and Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT600 tires.
Meanwhile, more front, rear, and underfloor bracings, stiffer suspension bushings, and upgraded steering mount bushing increase torsional rigidity by 2.5 percent. Furthermore, the anchors are now 15-inch discs in the front and 13.8 inches in the back, and the brake pads feature a performance-oriented compound.
Nissan Z Sport & Performance Models
Check out the 2024 Nissan Z Sport and Performance trims if you desire a stick. Under the hood is the same twin-turbo V6 as Z NISMO but with 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft. of torque. You could still get a nine-speed automatic, but the standard close-ratio six-speed manual features an Exedy high-performance clutch. The Z Sport has 18-inch wheels, Yokohama Advan Sport tires, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, two USB ports, a push-button start, and a leather-wrapped tiller, to name a few.
On the other hand, the Nissan Z Performance has 19-inch RAYS lightweight wheels, Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires, a sport-braking system, a mechanical limited-slip differential, a nine-inch touchscreen, navigation, heated seats, leather upholstery, and heated side mirrors. New for 2024 is Amazon Alexa built-in to all Nissan Z Performance and NISMO variants.
Nissan Z Safety Features
All 2024 Nissan Zs have an impressive list of standard driving aids. It includes automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), blind spot warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, and high beam assist.
2024 Nissan Z Starting MSRP
The 2024 Nissan Z will arrive at dealerships this fall. The base prices start at about $43,500 (Sport), $53,500 (Performance), and upwards of $66,000 for the NISMO.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and a noted sports car expert. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten with his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.
