From the July/August issue of Car and Driver.
It was big news when Nissan revealed the latest Z. After years of seemingly ignoring its iconic sports car, Nissan brought it back with a 400-hp twin-turbo V-6. The excitement didn’t last, and the redesigned Z finished last in its first C/D comparison test. The “new” Z simply felt like a reskinned version of the old car but with a bit more power.
Enter the Z NISMO. A thorough redo by Nissan’s performance division, the Z NISMO impressed us at our Lightning Lap competition at Virginia International Raceway. With 420 horses and 384 pound-feet of torque—gains of 20 and 34, respectively—as well as wider tires on forged wheels, stiffer anti-roll bars, larger front brakes, and bigger dampers with firmer springs, the NISMO felt in its element racing against the clock. Tracks usually expose weaknesses, but this one actually masked the NISMO’s flaws.
In the real world, where the streets aren’t freshly steamrolled, the added stiffness becomes tiresome, and the tight body control that feels so nice at 1.02 g’s shakes you silly in the NISMO’s standard Recaro seats. The brakes that performed so well when pushed to their limit at VIR are grabby and inconsistent, making it impossible to come to a complete stop smoothly.
Chassis shortcomings aside, the model-specific Sport+ drive mode and launch control for the automatic transmission deliver drama-free 3.9-second blasts to 60 mph and 12.4-second trips through the quarter-mile at 114 mph. Those numbers are within striking distance of the more powerful BMW M2 and Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
While BMW and Ford offer manuals, Nissan makes the NISMO only with a nine-speed automatic. And then there’s the $66,890 price and the HVAC controls from the George W. Bush era. We’re happy a vehicle like the NISMO exists, but it could be a better road car.
Specifications
Specifications
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $66,890/$69,095
Options: Brilliant Silver Metallic and Super Black two-tone paint, $1295; floor mat package (NISMO floor mats, trunk mat, first aid kit, cargo net, owner’s manual branded portfolio) $410; illuminated black metallic kick plate, $500
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2997 cm3
Power: 420 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 384 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600
F: 255/40R-19 100Y Extra Load
R: 285/35R-19 103Y Extra Load
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 100.4 in
Length: 173.2 in
Width: 73.6 in
Height: 51.8 in
Curb Weight: 3673 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.9 sec
100 mph: 9.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.4 sec @ 114 mph
130 mph: 17.0 sec
150 mph: 26.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.4 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.4 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 165 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 153 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 305 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.02 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 440 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 19/17/24 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
David Beard studies and reviews automotive related things and pushes fossil-fuel and electric-powered stuff to their limits. His passion for the Ford Pinto began at his conception, which took place in a Pinto.
Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
