Nissan Z review

• What is it?
• Is it related to the 370Z at all?
• So there are ‘versions’?
• What's the verdict?
• What is it like to drive?
• Hmm. It’s a bit fatter than even the 370Z, even though it looks lighter. Does it have the go to match the show?
• Does that mean it wouldn’t suit a UK B-road?
• It sounds like a fun car.
• What is it like on the inside?
• What should I be paying?

Overview

What is it?

What we have here is the latest in the more than 50-years of Nissan Z cars – the now-eponymous Nissan Z. So that’s a lineage that links back through the 370Z and 350Z, all the way back through the Fairlady Z, 270Z and 240Z. So it’s a two-seat, front-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car/mini GT that sits below the ‘ultimate’ GT-R brand. A friendlier, more day-to-day Nissan sports car.

In this iteration, that means a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 with 400bhp – which means that even though this is a more relaxed car, it’s not lacking in firepower. There’s a six-speed manual or no-cost option nine-speed auto with paddles, a limited-slip diff on all but the base of the range (but that still gets the same power output), rear-wheel drive and relatively modest dimensions.

On the outside it’s got familiar proportions – big hips and a long bonnet/short cabin/snub rear – but the Z is leaner than the cars that went before it, more like a 240 than a 370. And there are loads of really lovely nods to the half-century of heritage without resorting to pastiche; you’ll see the ghost of the reflections of the 240Z’s round headlights in the DRLs, the Z32 (’90 to ’96) 300ZX’s rectangular-oblong taillights, even some shapes that make you see 200SX in the rear three-quarter. Maybe that’s just us. It’s cohesive and athletic without being overly shouty – and that’s a very good thing.

Is it related to the 370Z at all?

Yup, there’s plenty of 370 in the mix, although that’s not a bad thing, and it’s probably not as much as you expect. Some 80 per cent of the car has changed, so this isn’t a facelift so much as a new machine with a pinch of technical carryover. In the metal, it really doesn’t look much like a 370Z either, and it’s got more power and torque which negates the slight weight-gain from the previous model. It’s also pitched hard at people who like to drive rather than those who just like to go fast; there’s a sweet-feeling manual – as well as a no-cost and really very competent 9-Speed auto – and a limited-slip differential to help corral traction at the rear wheels.

Aluminium double wishbones handle locating the front, and there’s an independent multi-link set-up at the rear. The ‘Performance’ version gets 4-piston front brakes and 2-piston rears, the ‘Sport’ slightly less powerful double-pistons all-round, the steering is electric, and there’s a launch control system for both. There’s also rev-matching for downshifts, and a triplet of gauges on the dash top. They don’t make it any faster, but they look great.

So there are ‘versions’?

Just two for full production; Sport and Performance. As mentioned, the Performance is probably the one you want, that gets the more powerful brakes, standard limited-slip diff and small front and rear spoilers (the side skirts are standard on both) which look really very nice. The Performance also gets stickier Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres as standard with lighter, forged 19-inch RAYS alloys, with the Sport equipped with Yokohama Advans and standard aluminium 19-inch wheels. The difference isn’t night and day, but if you want to push your Nissan Z, the extra bits will help.

Oh, and there’s the ‘Proto Spec’ as a launch car limited to 240 units; Performance grade only, which comes with bronze 19-inch RAYS alloys, yellow callipers, and special interior bits including yellow stitched seats and trims as well as an exclusive shift knob if you’ve optioned the manual. But you’d definitely want a two-tone Z in Seiran Blue. Or possibly Ikazuchi yellow. But then again, the Passion red looks quite nice…

The last Nissan Z before electrification inevitably gets involved in the powertrain, and it’s the best one yet. Just the right amount of power to make it fast, not so overburdened that you can rely on high horsepower to drag you back into the game on the next straight, playful handling rather than overly-hard track-biased nonsense. It’s a back to basics feeling without a back to basics cabin, pitched well (in the US) and tremendous value for money.

It’s also got a handy duality in that it’d be a compact but useable daily driver or GT, but when you got somewhere interesting, enough dynamic breadth to have some fun. Yes, there are things we’d change, but it almost feels like Nissan has left some headroom for tweaks in the car itself, according to your taste. So for Europe we’d take a tiny bit of the squidge out of the suspension and make it turn in a little faster, rifle-bolt the already sweet gearshift action on the manual, tweak the turbos and make it sound a bit more fruity. But it’s a lovely thing straight out of the box – just a shame that emissions and efficiency mean it won’t be coming to Europe.

Driving

What is it like to drive?

Hmm. It’s a bit fatter than even the 370Z, even though it looks lighter. Does it have the go to match the show?

To be honest, spec for spec, the Z is probably only 30kg heavier than the 370Z (the doors, bonnet and tailgate are aluminium to help), and has another 60-odd bhp, plus more torque, so it more than offsets that slight incremental pudge. It’s faster off the mark, faster through the gears and almost more importantly, feels more lively changing direction and on the brakes. The V6 spins sweetly enough, the turbos spool up relatively early somewhere under 2,500rpm, and the boost is well managed – there’s no big head-snapper of a rush, but muscular pull all the way through to the 6,800rpm redline. That’s actually a good way to describe this car – it’s muscular rather than muscle-bound. Probably the most useful aspect is running some medium-speed in-gear pulls; there’s a lovely mid-range band of power that you can play in without constantly wringing the guts out of the engine, and it makes for safe, secure overtakes or happy cross-country pace. There’s rarely a ‘wrong’ gear, and it definitely suited the swoopy American backroads on which TG tested.

Does that mean it wouldn’t suit a UK B-road?

At medium pace it would be grand, but start changing direction hard and the Z would probably feel a little lazy to European tastes. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way that it goes about things, but there’s a tendency to have to let it set the suspension as you progress through a corner, and it likes to lean on the outside front wheel as it passes over its own diagonal. Once settled, it has lots of easy-feeling grip and good communication, so there’s nothing worrying here – just that the US set-up has obviously threaded some ride quality and steering softness into the mix. But that makes it a very easy cruiser, so the compromise is the right way for the USA. Rapid transit on flowing Nevadan backroads was stand-out fun, even though you do get up to slightly antisocial speeds if you’re not careful. It’s still got 400bhp.

It sounds like a fun car.

Bluntly, it is. One thing that stands out is that you really can make the car dive around a little without threatening yourself or anyone else. Stand on the brakes and the car gives you a generous tip forwards – something that’s quite good for feedback – and if you commit and turn while still under load, the car will present you with on-demand oversteer. Best bit? It’s easy, controllable and fun, and yet the car has the power to keep things going if you feel like it. It’s also got enough steering lock to pivot you out of quite large angles if you manage to get too cocky on middle-of-nowhere dirt desert backroads. Allegedly.

The Manual ‘box is sweet and short, the auto deft and easy, and there’s launch control for both, and rev-matching for the manual. Pity TG spent a long time mastering the art of heel’n’toe, because it does well. As a car to be involved in – though possibly not quite as fast as the automatic – the manual is the one to have. Unless you’re doing a large proportion of traffic, it’s just a little bit more involving, and the clutch is light enough for it not to be too intrusive. The one thing that the Z really needs is a bit more noise. Some turbo chuff, a bit more heavy-metal for the exhaust – just something to make it a little bit more angry. Nissan already knows it: we noticed that one of the test cars on the launch already had a louder, harder-edged ‘prototype’ sports exhaust… they’re not daft, these people.

Interior

What is it like on the inside?

Right – there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Z’s interior as far as function goes, but here is where you might notice that this isn’t a 60k car. Materials use is well-judged, there’s happy ergonomics and a great view out over that bonnet. But you will notice that some of the textures are a little bit cost-conscious. Not ‘cheap’, but there are finishes that you can’t unsee once you’ve driven it a fair amount. One way to distract is to pick a scary interior colour scheme – you can choose from black, red or blue, and TG can’t decide whether the more outré colours are brilliant or horrible.

Other than that, you’re looking at all the modern conveniences – some of which, if we’re honest, the Z doesn’t really need. Heated/cooled electric seats are nice, for example, but not essential. Still, standard spec includes stuff like: air-con, parking sensors, push button start, 8-inch (with 9-inch optional) multimedia, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Siri, navigation, Wi-fi hotspot, cruise control and the like. The premium stuff gets a Bose 8-speaker stereo and the usual upgrade bits in terms of extra leather.

There’s a retro-feeling centre stack, a similarly back-harking steering wheel, and a 12.3-inch configurable display front and centre which you can mess with to your heart’s content – complete with three modes ‘Normal’, ‘Enhanced’ and ‘Sport’. Which switch informational priorities between nav/radio and towards a bigger rev-counter as they go. Sport gives you a redline at 12 o’clock and a shift light. We liked that one. There are also a triplet of gauges on the dash top (boost, turbo speed and a voltmeter), which are fun to watch. Just not when they’re doing their thing, or you’ll crash. There’s also a decent-sized boot, though be careful what you pack as it sits quite high – you don’t want luggage suddenly making a cabin appearance during the first phase of heavy braking.

Buying

What should I be paying?

Right, the good news is that Nissan has kept to the idea that the Z should be a relatively affordable car, and that means the basic Sport comes in at around $40,000. Which would, at current exchange rates, weigh in at something like £31,800, with a model walk-up from there. So you’d be talking well under £40k for a Performance with all the bells’n’whistles. And that’s for a 400bhp, manual sports coupe straight out of the box. With something regular like a VW Golf R coming in at over 40k these days, that’s tremendous value for money, never mind when a Porsche Cayman is just under 50, an Alpine A110 just under 47 and a Jaguar F-Type starting at £52k. Obviously those cars still offer a different experience – especially the Alpine – but it does put the Nissan Z into some sort of context.

Unfortunately for us, emissions and efficiency issues (you’re looking at high teens mpg, realistically), mean that there are no plans to bring the Nissan Z to Europe, so you won’t be seeing very many on these shores. Someone, somewhere will undoubtedly import one for rarity value/interest if nothing else, but after taxes and duties, it’ll suddenly become quite an expensive ‘cheap’ car. Plus, with that blown V6 and fuel prices currently sitting somewhere above vintage whisky, this will not be a parsimonious car to run, even if you’re being especially mild with your right foot. The only other option? Move to America… though that might be considered a little bit extreme just to get your hands on one, even if it is one of the nicest little cars Nissan makes.

Keyword: Nissan Z review