Nissan has taken the wraps off its highly anticipated Nismo treatment for its seventh-generation Z car, with the Z NISMO confirmed for an Australian launch later this year, or early 2024.
After launching the RZ34-generatin Z, the automotive world has been waiting on bated breath for news of the Z NISMO, though spy shots of a test mule reassured lovers of the Z brand that we will in fact see a Z NISMO.
Now, though, we’ve got a confirmation of Nissan’s tweaks to the Z coupe, with the company offering a range of powertrain, aerodynamic, suspension, body rigidity and brake improvements over the standard car.
The list kicks off with an improved air and oil cooling system, tweaks to the turbocharger turbine speed and an independent ignition spark timing inspired by the GT-R NISMO that has extracted 15kW/46Nm over the base model.
The result is combined outputs of 313kW of power and 521Nm from the VR30 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, which is channelled to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic only – with Nissan moving away from the manual transmission.
That said, Nissan’s nine-speed auto has been revised for faster shifts, with new engine management software dropping downshift times by “almost half” over the Z Performance, while the launch control system is said to be more aggressive.
To handle that added power, the Z NISMO comes riding on a set of 19-inch alloys wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 rubber which measure 10mm wider at the rear than the standard Z Performance at 285/35.
Stopping power for the Z NISMO comes supplied by a set of upgraded brakes, with larger 15-inch rotors at the front and 13.8-inch rear discs.
Underneath, there’s an upgraded suspension system with new stabiliser bars, a larger set of dampers and stiffer springs, while the platform itself is said to be 2.5 per cent stiffer thanks to some added reinforcement.
On the visual front, the Z NISMO picks up a new aero package headlined by the ‘G-Nose’ that prodrudes further than the standard Z, and is said to hark back to the iconic Fairlady 240ZG.
The front end receives a reshaped grille with honeycomb mesh, a set of race-inspired canards at each corner to create a vortex over the front wheels and, in typical NISMO style, a bright red splitter.
At the rear there’s a wider rear wing, a reshaped bumper inspired by the GT-R NISMO and red surrounds flanking the exhaust outlets.
The Nissan Z NISMO will be offered in a choice of five colours, including Black Diamond, Brilliant Silver, Passion Red, Everest White and NISMO-exclusive Stealth Grey.
Inside, you’ll find a set of sporty Recaro seats finished in Alcantara and leather, and a new steering wheel with red accents for both, and some updated NISMO graphics for the TFT instrument cluster.
Nissan is yet to confirm timelines for Australian deliveries, though the Z NISMO will be hitting the streets in the final quarter of the year, which means a late 2023 or early 2024 release here in Australia.
The release of the Z NISMO has been accompanied by some upgrades to the standard M24 Z range, which it will be offering in Sport and Performance variants.
Power for both comes supplied by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 producing 294kW/476Nm, with both a six-speed manual and nine-speed automatic available for buyers.
You can check out our full review of the Nissan Z here, as well as a video walkaround and usual 0-100km/h testing below.
