Nissan
The Z badge has a certain reverence in the world of Japanese achievement. Aside from a one-year hiatus in 2001, Nissan’s two-seater has been in continuous production since 1969, and the formula developed by the original 240Z continues more than half a century later: striking proportions, driver-focused design and a six-cylinder engine. which sends the power to the rear wheels.
For decades, the Z was embroiled in a rivalry with the Toyota Supra for sports car supremacy, but in 2002 Toyota decided to pull the plug on its sports coupe. Perhaps in part due to the absence of its natural sparring partner, the outgoing 370Z – which originally made its debut in 2008 – really began to show its age in recent years, but any idea that Nissan could afford to rest on its laurels has been to bed in 2019 when the Supra rejoined the fray.
Rather than teaming up with another OEM to build its new sports car (as Toyota did with BMW to develop the new Supra), the Z is an entirely Nissan product, which has both inherent advantages and some notable drawbacks. But as we discovered while chasing apices on the road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, carving turns on the twisting desert tarmac at Nevada’s Lake Mead, and cruising through Sin City, the Z fundamentals are thankfully still intact.
Remastering a classic
Interest in vintage Japanese performance cars has exploded over the past decade, a trend that has clearly not gone unnoticed by Nissan. The design of the new Z is clearly inspired by the first and second generation cars, with the long curved nose and short deck layout of those machines, while other elements such as the LED taillights, reminiscent of the 300ZX from the 90s, take clues from throughout the model’s history.
Nissan
Under the hood is a new 3.0 L twin-turbocharged V6 that generates 400 hp (300 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm), with improvements of 68 hp (50 kW) and 80 lb-ft (109 Nm) across the naturally aspirated 3.7 L V6 in the 370Z. According to Hiroshi Tamura, the chief product specialist for the Z, the beefed-up motor needs significantly more airflow to keep it and all its associated coolers well-fed, hence the large grille achieves that goal while remaining consistent with the throwback styling.
The new powerplant is mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard, and Performance-trimmed models get beat-up automatic rev matching and a no-lift upshift function (along with a number of other upgrades). A nine-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters is also available as a free option.
The new car is supported by the same architecture as the 370Z, a platform that actually dates back to the 350Z’s launch two decades ago, but it’s been significantly reworked for Z-duty. Nissan sees a 23.9 percent increase in body stiffness and a 10.8 percent increase in torsional stiffness over the 370Z, both of which translate into improved steering response and overall handling. Suspension geometry has also been revised to allow for more caster angle for better steering feel, and that should provide some comfort to those who may be dismayed to find that the Z uses a new electronically controlled steering rack rather than the hydraulic unit from the 370Z. Stiffer springs, re-tuned front and rear anti-roll bars and new monotube dampers are also part of the mix, the latter of which provide faster damping force response than the twin-tube units used in the outgoing car.
The interior has also been thoroughly reworked, with a new 12.3-inch customizable digital gauge cluster, an optional 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a new leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel that does a lot to meaningfully modernize the procedure. In keeping with the retro theme, Nissan wisely chose to keep the analog gauge pod on top of the dash. It’s a style cue that dates back to the original 240Z; here, the three gauges measure turbo pressure, turbocharger turbine speed, and the number of volts generated by the vehicle’s electrical system. While some of the switchgear and a few other knick-knacks have been carried over from the 370Z, it’s a big step forward making the interior feel modern from a technological point of view and stylistically in line with the exterior.
