Forbidden fruit. Always a strange topic to cover, the writer at once delighted at the chance to try something exotic but already trying to rationalise why it’s not sold here. But it would have been remiss of us not to sample the latest Z car while already in Japan to drive the Nismo product we do get, the fully electric Ariya.
On the legendary Hakone Turnpike, no less. The recipe is fairly simple to grasp: take the RZ34-gen Nissan Fairlady Z (or merely Nissan Z outside of Japan) then add a bit more power and panache plus liberal red detailing. But there’s another additional ingredient here, one that’s rather crucial to the vibe of the coupe it sits in: the 3-litre twin-turbo V6 hooks up solely to a nine-speed automatic gearbox rather than a six-speed stick. So is this Z on a nostalgia trip, or trying to be something altogether fresher?
Well, for one thing, its model code is spookily similar to the old 370Z’s to betray some shared architecture beneath. First impressions aren’t of something dazzlingly new, for both good and bad. The styling is fairly sensational up close, a successful mix of the key Z generations from its classic 240Z proportions to those delightfully 300ZX-alike rear lights. It manages to look familiar and new all at once, pulling off a similar stylistic trick to the Alpine A110.
If you’re shopping in this (rather than the SUV) aisle you probably place reasonable value on the silhouettes that got you hooked on cars in the first place. The Z’s designers have duly taken note. Perhaps the gauche red Nismo skirts rob it of a little purity, but those gorgeous lightweight RAYS alloys and the neat uptick of the rear pillar – punctuated by the classic Z badge – promptly earn my forgiveness.
Stepping inside reveals a more mixed environment. It has an advancement of the Recaro seats so beloved in the old Clio 200, which set an immediate enthusiast vibe, as do the Alcantara strips in the correct spots of the three-spoke wheel and a row of physical climate control dials. But it’s a strange blend in here, a configurable digital dial layout sat alongside a row of joyously pointless analogue readouts for turbo speed, boost and battery voltage. The gear selector is a stubby mouse-like block, similar to the Ariya’s, while the handbrake is an old-school lever; more than once, the modern design of the former foxes my brain into thinking an e-brake will whirr off as soon as I feed in the throttle.
Mind, there’s enough torque to pull away with the handbrake on and not immediately notice. Those twin turbos see its performance take a huge leap over the Z34 370Z Nismo, peaks of 420hp and 384lb ft comparing favourably to 344hp and 274lb ft to hit 62mph nearly a second quicker, albeit with 1,680kg to shift – more than a stock Z. Happily there are some favourable changes to compensate, with an overhaul of the suspension, wider wheels and GT-R-inspired Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 rubber. It might lack a clutch pedal but trackday regulars are unlikely to want the base car instead. There’s even enhanced oil cooling.
And yet the first impression once I’ve finally released the handbrake and pulled away is of a resolved little GT car, the Z lolloping along quietly at low revs and feeling smooth and refined in the Standard setting of its drive modes (Sport and Sport+ sit above it). The engine’s lungs are big enough to just leave the auto ‘box doing its thing as you sit nicely ensconced inside, happy to make unruffled progress just basking in the aura of a relatively high-capacity engine driving a single axle.
The car gets better with greater commitment, even if its relatively light and feel-free steering – certainly in comparison to an A110 or Cayman – doesn’t exactly zap confidence into your fingertips. You instead use its surprising (but welcome) amounts of lean into corners, finding a rich seam of communication in a more traditional way. For all the gnarly Nismo upgrades over standard, here’s a new model that’s not been compromisingly tied down. All the better for creating a road car that feels fun and flighty without stratospheric speeds on its digital readout.
It thrives in tighter corners, when you can stick to second or third gear and really start to use the revs; despite its forced induction, the car needs a big number on the tacho if the rear axle is to truly to start indulging any Initial D fantasies. It does so with welcome progression too, especially if you’ve stuck to the middling Sport mode to avoid the stickier steering feel of Sport+. Though the latter does bring a more lenient tune of ESC.
The gearshifts feel a millisecond or two off being truly satisfying and you know within seconds this ain’t a DCT. Yet the nine ratios bring this car to life at fairly normal speeds; second tops out at around 50mph while third has roughly the reach of second in a Cayman. You feel nicely in tune with the engine, able to wring more out of it and experience the sharp howl of a hard-worked V6 when you really chase the revs. I’m not going to claim this VR30DDTT is a hall-of-fame engine, but in the grand scheme of cars right now, it’s a thoroughly welcome one. The gearbox offers a decent gateway to its potential.
The Nismo’s 9.2m yen domestic price currently converts to about £48,000, neatly tallying with its $65k US tag. Though it’s worth pointing out a pint of Asahi costs me less than a fiver back in downtown Tokyo, suggesting exchange rates are probably favourable right now. Surely £60k would be more likely here given where Alpines and Porsches sit – if Nissan ever throws emissions to the wind and actually imports this car.
You’re more likely to get one through an unofficial channel, in which case you’ll probably pay more than its performance justifies (just look at Honda S660 prices) to snare something that you’ll not see another of outside Caffeine and Machine. Because you won’t be tucking this away, will you?
What’s inescapable is that the 370Z Nismo exhibited a similar vibe an entire decade ago and this Z isn’t offering much in the way of revolution beyond extra power, focus and inches of media screen. And arguably sexier styling. But has the Cayman genuinely advanced much in the last decade, or just got incrementally better and sharper at its own USPs?
The car industry is naturally hung up on technological advancement – as it should be, for the most part – but as a PHer, you already know the value in occasionally standing still. The Z Nismo’s curious case of limbo is likely what keeps it from European showrooms, but it’s the very thing that’ll appeal to anyone craving a classic front-engine, rear-drive coupe like this. Even without a manual.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 NISSAN Z NISMO
Engine: 2997cc twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 420
Torque (lb ft): 384
0-62mph: 4.5 seconds (est.)
Top speed: 157mph
Weight: 1680kg
MPG: 23mpg (est. from US spec)
CO2: 285g/km (est. from US spec)
Price: c£48,000 (based on JDM and US market pricing)
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