The 2024 Nissan Z NISMO has been a sizzling subject amongst sports activities automobile fans, combining a nostalgic nod to its lineage with efficiency upgrades aimed toward fashionable driving. We lately visited Japan for the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon and whereas within the nation had the pleasure of touring round within the 2024 Z NISMO courtesy of Nissan.
We had the automobile for a few week and simply put over 300 miles on it. Our tour consisted of quite a lot of environments, from metropolis cruising by Tokyo to placing the automobile’s dealing with to the take a look at on the Hakone Sky Line go. With this vary of experiences and the period of our Check Drive we’re ready to take a look at this car by the lens of a possible day by day drive sports activities automobile — significantly for the Japanese market — contemplating it’s priced at an affordable 9,200,400 JPY or $60,000 USD.
Listed below are 5 standout options we skilled whereas touring within the Z NISMO, every with its personal execs and cons.
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Enhanced Efficiency
The center of the Nissan Z NISMO is its 3L twin-turbocharged V6 engine, delivering 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. When in comparison with the common Nissan Z, the NISMO variant has 20 extra hp and a further 34 lb-ft of torque, whereas numerically this may occasionally seem to be a small soar, it’s a noticeable one, largely as a result of enhanced drivetrain that contains a NISMO unique Sport + mode. The automobile is paired with a 9-speed computerized transmission that options noticeably fast shifting and enhanced cooling. We have been pleasantly shocked with how participating the drive was, there was a transparent sense of urgency when pushing the automobile by its gears.
Whereas some fans have expressed disdain over the shortage of a handbook choice for the NISMO, it’s value noting that the 9-speed is not any common auto-configuration however as an alternative is NISMO-tuned and options shorter gear ratios. The metallic paddle shifters are additionally extraordinarily responsive, providing fast shifts and a bit of additional enjoyable. Throughout our time with the automobile on the twists and turns of the Hakone Sky Line, we additionally appreciated the boldness and management the automated transmission supplied.
The NISMO upgrades prolong to the chassis as properly. Wider tires, mounted on solid 19-inch wheels, present elevated grip, whereas stiffer anti-roll bars maintain the automobile planted throughout aggressive cornering. This mixture ends in exact dealing with and in our opinion makes the Z NISMO track-ready from manufacturing facility.
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Steering Precision
One of many standout options of the Z NISMO is its steering. The Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel provides a layer of luxurious and tactile engagement, which contributes to the automobile’s total driving enjoyment. The burden and suggestions from the steering wheel have been fine-tuned, offering a exact connection to the street. This was particularly noticeable throughout high-speed cornering.
Suggestions by the steering is direct, with minimal numbness. We felt full management over the car’s motion, permitting for faster and extra assured inputs when maneuvering. The one draw back we discovered was when navigating dense areas within the metropolis like Shibuya and Shinjuku. Albeit a really minor con, the sporty tuning of the wheel made it really feel nearly too heavy in these low speeds, particularly when parking. Nevertheless, it’s a worthy tradeoff for the uncooked, mechanical really feel the efficiency steering gives.
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Observe-Centered Suspension
The Z NISMO’s track-oriented nature shines by in its suspension setup. Nissan has geared up the automobile with stiffer springs and dampers, in addition to enhanced chassis bracing for elevated rigidity. These changes work collectively to ship a composed and secure experience throughout aggressive driving. Whereas we didn’t get out to a monitor like Fuji Speedway, we have been in a position to run the automobile by its paces in different managed environments and seen that the Z NISMO particularly excels in its capacity to stay planted, with minimal physique roll and wonderful weight switch throughout cornering.
One of many solely drawbacks and tradeoffs of this track-oriented setup is that there is no such thing as a adaptive suspension, which ends up in a barely lowered consolation however solely on less-than-ideal roads. Given the atmosphere we drove in and the standard of roads all through Japan, we discovered the suspension to be ample and cozy sufficient for drives of as much as three hours. General, the suspension feels purpose-built, offering a pleasant stability of predictability and functionality.
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Inside Design and Consolation
On the inside the automobile options some noteworthy upgrades, together with supportive Recaro seats that saved us firmly in place throughout spirited driving. The supplies used within the cabin, like Alcantara and purple accents, emphasize the automobile’s sporty persona. The structure is driver-centric, with controls and gauges positioned for straightforward entry and readability, which aligns with the automobile’s performance-first ethos.
Nevertheless, the inside does really feel barely dated, significantly compared to some rivals. A number of of the elements, just like the infotainment system and dashboard design, seem to have been carried over from earlier generations, missing the premium really feel that some would possibly count on in a automobile at this value level, particularly within the States, the place the automobile can value upwards of $70,000 USD.
Moreover, whereas the Recaro seats present wonderful assist and nice styling, we did discover one factor to be barely annoying throughout lengthy drives and that was the squeak of the highest of the seat towards the roof. That being mentioned, this was largely as a consequence of us having the seat within the furthest potential place for consolation throughout longer drives and one thing that was simply tuned out by the eight-speaker Bose stereo setup.
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Yuki Kawaguchi/Hypedrive
Weight Concerns
At 3,704 kilos, the Z NISMO is the heaviest mannequin within the present Z lineup however is on no account a “heavy” automobile. This weight improve comes from the extra chassis reinforcements, upgraded suspension elements and wider tires. Whereas these modifications contribute to the automobile’s improved dealing with and stability, in addition they seem to have a slight influence on agility, significantly throughout fast transitions or in stop-and-go visitors.
When evaluating to equally classed automobiles just like the GR Supra or Cayman, we seen that the Z is barely much less nimble than these lighter rivals. The additional heft is most noticeable in tight corners, the place the automobile’s dynamics can really feel barely slower in comparison with the lighter, extra athletic competitors. Nevertheless, the NISMO’s wider tires and improved suspension assist to counteract a few of these results, with total grip and stability remaining robust.
Taking the entire above into consideration, we’re fairly impressed with the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO and really feel that it’s actually a kind of automobiles that captures the most effective of each worlds, in that it gives thrilling on a regular basis driving in addition to track-ready efficiency for these seeking to push it to the redline.
