SHARP Drives: 2024 Nissan Z NISMO Reminds Us Less Can Be More
One of the most hotly anticipated machines to come through the SHARP Magazine garage this year, the new 2024 Nissan Z NISMO is ready to glide onto the race track.
Why all the hype around this little sports car? If you know, you just know; for everyone else, a brief explanation is in order. Part of the hype is because it’s a new Z car, the latest in a long line of Z cars that date back to 1969. (The OG Datsun 240Z still looks hot all these years later.) Part of the hype is because it’s something new from Nissan Motorsports International — aka NISMO — who are behind some of the greatest racecars of all time. (No exaggeration.) But, perhaps most of all, the hype around this new little sports car is due to the fact it exists at all.
The Z Is Alive & Well
There is nothing especially audacious about the new 2024 Nissan Z NISMO, at least not from a technical point of view. What is audacious, however, is the fact someone over at Nissan HQ in Japan managed to convince the corporate accounting department the firm needed to make a new (relatively affordable) track-day ready sports car.
Affordable sports cars are sadly few and far between these days. As far as the auto industry is concerned, sports cars are a niche product, and it’s hard to turn a profit on a niche product unless the price tag has seven-figures. While we could debate whether the NISMO’s $75,998 suggested retail price is truly affordable or not, there’s no doubt it’s on the more affordable end of the spectrum. For some perspective, remember that the new Porsche 911 starts at $150,000 and the flagship AMG GT 63 is pushing $200,000.
Under the Hood
So what do you get for your $75,998? NISMO went to town on the new Z, adding the usual list of go-fast upgrades. We’re talking improved engine and oil cooling for turning lap after lap on track, a new electronic wastegate control that increases turbocharger boost, and an independent ignition spark timing strategy just like the GT-R NISMO. The whole body structure and suspension has been stiffened, and the brakes are larger. There’s a set of lovely 19-inch lightweight wheels from RAYS, wrapped in sticky Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 tires.
As a result of NISMO’s work, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine pumps out 420 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, increases of 20 hp and 34 lb-ft respectively. It’s a classic sports car formula: front engine, rear drive, two doors.
Let’s Talk About That Gearbox
The one gripe everyone has about the NISMO is that, despite being a car aimed squarely at diehard driving enthusiasts, it doesn’t have a manual gearbox. The standard Z is available with either a nine-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. The NISMO is only available with the former. We can see why Nissan made that choice — protecting razor-thin profit margins, and the fact paddle-shifters are easier to use on a racetrack — but we still would’ve loved a proper three-pedal stick-shift in this car.
NISMO Worked Its Magic
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
The boost is strong with thing one. A gauge on the dashboard lets the driver know exactly how much boost the turbo is delivering at any given time. Smash the throttle to the carpet and there’s a brief moment in which the needle flutters, before the twin-turbos come alive; then suddenly the needle whips over the right showing maximum boost and the car warps forward. Not even the sticky Dunlop tires can contain the sudden hit of torque. You can feel the rear tires squirm and slip. These days 420 hp may not seem like much, but here it’s plenty.
The steering wheel is perfect, thin and nicely trimmed in Alcantara. The steering is quick but the rear tires follow faithfully, which adds up to the precise, almost dart-y feeling on turn-in. The car will do oversteer too, if provoked, although it’s always predictable. It’s not the lightest sports car out there at 1,681 kilograms, and you do feel that weight while making rapid progress on a twisty road, but it never ruins the fun.
On paper, the work NISMO has done to the Z doesn’t seem too dramatic. On the road, however, it all comes together. It just feels right: playful but sharp, entertaining but approachable. It’s exactly the type of no-fuss, get-out-and-have-fun kind of sports car that we love. So, was it worth the hype? We say yes.
