5 reasons that make the Nissan Z NISMO an exciting coupe

As most car enthusiasts know, creating a race-capable car with oodles of performance takes a lot of know-how and elbow grease. The Nissan Z NISMO – engineered to dare the road and track – breaks the mold by coming straight from the factory with all the right stuff to be a canyon carver or even a certified track star.

Sure, many who are wearing nostalgia goggles can see the merits of the top-spec next-generation Z car from its well-storied family alone. Regardless, the modern iteration, which traces its roots all the way back to the first-ever Fairlady Z, has gone above and beyond to stand as a technological marvel that stands on its own. 

But what are the qualities of the Nissan Z NISMO that makes it so desirable to car enthusiasts? Let’s find out. 

Striking design

While the Nissan Z Premium has a look with more finesse, the Z NISMO's exterior is athletic – designed to excite customers at first glance.

The vehicle has a low-slung stance that’s seemingly taut and ready to be unleashed. Its long bonnet is enhanced with noticeable character lines – shaped to evoke a similar look and feel as a muscle car’s “power bulge.” It also bears a pair of retro-iconic LED headlamp clusters, the protruding G-Nose, which blends together with prominent NISMO bumpers and canards, that help plenty when it comes to generating downforce. 

From the side, the model is a proper nod to the classic 240Z. It wears a sloping roofline, a lengthy bonnet, bulging rear haunches, shapely side sills, as well as a prominent tailgate spoiler. Its rear end, on the other hand, further adds more visual appeal – thanks to its hefty-looking diffuser, its twin-exhaust setup, and its GT-R NISMO-inspired rear bumper. 

Moreover, the top-tier Z variant further stands out from the premium variant with a dark gray metallic version of katana-blade, which is a clear nod to its Japanese roots. It also rides on a wider NISMO exclusive set of 19-inch gloss black RAYS forged alloy wheels, while sporting a youthful two-tone look combined with red-tinged contrast colors.

Tech-laden with an analog feel

Inside the Nissan Z NISMO is a cockpit with enough flair to match its exterior’s rakish nature.

To keep its occupants planted and prevent them from being jostled around during spirited driving, the Nissan-made coupe was kitted out with a pair of Alcantara and leather-upholstered NISMO Recaro bucket seats.

As one would expect, the aforementioned seats are comfortable, and they also provide a great deal of eye candy for the interior due to their bright red seatback and headrest coloring. 

This pair of NISMO Recaros comes with manual adjustability, which goes along well with the vehicle’s physical knobs, buttons, manual parking brake, and its center-mounted analog triplet of gauges. 

All of the aforementioned is a far cry from the “fully digital” feel of modern cars. Sure, the Z NISMO still carries a lot of tech, but many will greatly appreciate the analog sports car feel that the Japanese-made coupe provides. 

Speaking of tech, the Nissan sports car features a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and an eight-inch central touchscreen display. Plus, connecting one’s smartphone to the infotainment system was done without issues through its wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Nissan likewise provided the two-seater sports car with an eight-piece BOSE speaker set. As such, sound quality inside the vehicle is guaranteed to be a blast regardless of whatever genre of music you’re listening to. 

Not compromising safety

While the Nissan Z NISMO is an all-out performance car, it also doesn’t compromise when it comes to safety. On the contrary, it actually boasts a generous amount of safety technologies. 

For its basic kit, the car comes with modern safety features.

These are further reinforced with Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility advanced driver-assist suite, which includes the following:

•     Intelligent cruise control
•     Intelligent forward collision warning (with predictive functionality)
•     Intelligent emergency braking (with vehicle and pedestrian detection)
•     Lane departure warning
•     Blind spot warning
•     Rear cross-traffic alert
•     High beam assist
•     Hill-start assist
•     Tire pressure monitoring

Its intelligent cruise control and emergency braking system will see significant use in keeping you and other road users safe while driving through the hustle and bustle of in-city roads. Its lane departure warning and intelligent cruise control system, on the other hand, will make long highway cruises during out-of-town trips a breeze. 

Since humans do not have 110-degree vision like owls, the Nissan sports car’s blind spot warning system will undoubtedly be helpful in any driving situation. This is especially true on busy highways and urban thoroughfares.

Tons of power

Propelling the Nissan Z NISMO is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine capable of producing a healthy 414 horsepower and 520 Newton-meters of torque. Power is sent to the model’s rear wheels via a NISMO-tuned nine-speed automatic transmission. 

Mind you, there are far more powerful cars in the market, but the Nissan Z NISMO’s combination of acceleration, superbly stiff chassis, and raw sound feels visceral. 

Even without a manual option, the nine-speed automatic does a stellar job of predicting what you intend to do as a driver.

Due to its very close gear ratios, shifting feels lively and quick, especially when cajoling the car out of a standstill. But with the Sport+ mode combined with the paddle shifters, one can easily make the 1,680-kilogram coupe feel like a go-kart. 

Pair the aforementioned with its direct steering feel and manual hand brake, and the result is a very engaging car for folks who really want to connect with their vehicles. 

Even then, the powerful VR30DDTT six-cylinder mill behaves well on public roads. It can purr smoothly at low speeds, and despite its stylish-looking twin-exhaust setup, it isn’t the type of car to cause a ruckus in the neighborhood. 

Certified corner carver

When taking corners, the Nissan Z NISMO is as sharp as a katana. Its suspension system is deliciously stiff, and it returns virtually no body roll at all. Mind you, the NISMO version of the Z comes with very wide Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubbers and an additional array of body-stiffening components, so one can imagine it can return some impressive lap times on a race track. 

Additionally, the Z NISMO isn’t just a good-looking car. In fact, its exterior, with all of its minute details, was designed from the get-go to ensure optimal downforce. 

According to Nissan, the vehicle adopts what the brand learned from racing the GT500 race car. In fact, its broad side spoilers, rear-mounted air splitters, and ducktail spoilers are strategically placed to keep the vehicle planted without creating nasty speed-robbing drag. 

Moreover, its red-colored brake calipers aren’t just for show as well. In fact, those are from Akebono - a reputable Japanese brand that has extensive experience in endurance and rally racing. As such, the Z NISMO can provide an immense amount of stopping power, whether on the track or during spirit driving through back roads. 

Nissan Z NISMO: specifications

Model	Nissan Z NISMO
Engine	3.0-liter VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6
Fuel type	Gasoline
Transmission	NISMO-tuned nine-speed automatic
Drivetrain	Rear-wheel-drive
Maximum power	420 PS
Torque	520 Nm
Front suspension	NISMO-Tuned Independent Double-Wishbone Front Suspension
Rear suspension	NISMO-Tuned Independent Multi-link Rear Suspension
Brakes	Front and rear discs (Akebono calipers)
Other mechanical features	Limited slip differential Launch control Paddle shifters with rev-matching NISMO-tuned front and rear stabilizer bar NISMO-tuned electronic power steering

 

Final thoughts

With regards to how it drives, it is a true blue sports car like its predecessors. It keeps its drivers well-engaged and involved, and it might just be the closest thing to a full-blown race car you can buy right now for a relatively affordable price.

But for something that’s shaped up to be a corner carver and a track monster, the Nissan Z NISMO is a surprisingly well-behaved road car as well. It boasts a comfortable cockpit, and its Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite will help a lot in navigating the usual bumper-to-bumper chaos of Philippine cities. 

For reference, it starts at P4.688 million, so if you like what you see in this high-performance coupe, we urge you to visit the nearest Nissan dealer to give this puppy a good ol’ test drive. involved. So, with its starting price of P4.688 million, the Nissan Z NISMO might be the closest thing you can buy right now to a full-blown race car.

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