High-performance coupe spotted testing in the US (again), this time with a suave new front fascia
The 2024 Nissan Z NISMO is inching closer to production, and the tickled-up sports coupe has just been spotted in Arizona wearing what looks to be its production-spec front-end design.
Surfacing on the New Nissan Z forum, the upcoming Z NISMO was snapped twice by a passer-by in tandem with a semi-disguised sedan, however, no amount of black and white camouflage was going to disguise the car’s new front-end design updates, which amount to a fresh bumper with redesigned grille and extra air intakes.
Squint a bit and you’ll probably also notice this particular vehicle is riding on the same lightweight wheel and tyre combination as previous NISMO prototypes, along with matching red brake callipers, but the big news here is the new front-end.
Image: New Nissan Z forum
Gone is the standard Nissan Z’s big guppy mouth and in its place is a narrower split-grille arrangement – inspired by the 2022 Nissan Fairlady Z Customised Proto concept – with what appear to be tapered edges and a vertical set of air curtains either side of it.
The nose job is matched by an enlarged front lip and seemingly new side skirts, while previous NISMO sightings have shown a more aggressive rear bumper (and exhaust system) to be in the works, in tandem with the upgraded rolling stock and braking hardware.
Nissan is yet to even confirm the NISMO project for production, but it was only ever a matter of time before the Japanese brand started work on an enhanced Z, which will almost certainly score a power bump of some description, along with an overhauled chassis set-up and – as we can see here – a sportier aesthetic.
All of these upgrades were hinted at last year with the release of the Nissan Z NISMO Performance Parts catalogue, which was headlined by a factory-developed cold-air intake, sports exhaust and adjustable coil-over suspension.
Even a mild power increase will push the R34-generation Z-car well beyond the 300kW barrier and probably see it flirt with 500Nm of torque in the process, however, Nissan will have to aim a fair bit higher – towards 400kW/700Nm – if it wants the NISMO to be competitive with the long-promised Toyota Supra GRMN…
Images: New Nissan Z forum, The New Nissan Z Facebook group
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Keyword: Best look yet at 2024 Nissan Z NISMO front-end