Just one year after debuting its latest Z car, Nissan is pouring on the motorsport mojo with the 2024 Z NISMO. Massaged by Nissan’s motorsports arm, the Z NISMO thoroughly reworks the Z with upgrades to the engine, suspension, wheels and tires, brakes and bodywork.
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Automatic Disappointment
Power and torque are up 20 horsepower and 34 pounds-feet over the regular Z, to 420 hp and 384 pounds-feet, respectively. Nissan says it achieved these increases through wastegate revisions that allow the turbos to spin faster and build more boost, as well as improved cooling and spark timing. A NISMO oil cooler keeps the lubricant temperature at safe levels longer for owners who push their cars on track.
Z fans may be disappointed to learn that the NISMO will be offered only with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Not only that, but Nissan says the NISMO-specific Sport+ drive mode “is designed to be so responsive for performance driving that a driver does not need to use the shift paddles on track.” That’s due to revised clutch packs and tweaked engine software that Nissan says cut downshift times nearly in half.
To help the Z move faster through corners, the NISMO sports additional underbody bracing nose to tail, stiffer springs and bushings, unique anti-roll bars and retuned shock absorbers. The steering rack also benefits from a sturdier mount to enhance steering fidelity. The NISMO rolls on black 19-inch wheels that are, despite being half an inch wider than those on the lesser Z Performance trim, slightly lighter. The wheels wear Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 rubber, with the rears being wider than those on the Z Performance. The NISMO gets unique brake pads, plus larger 15-inch brake rotors up front and 13.8-inch rotors from the Performance variant in the rear.
She’s Got the Look
Nissan says the Z NISMO’s unique styling produces positive downforce. Most prominent are the taller, wider spoiler and a new nose that increases the Z’s overall length by 0.8 inch. Canards on the front corners and reshaped sills and rear bumper corners are said to contribute to the improved aerodynamic performance.
Along with subtle red pinstriping on the nose and tail, the NISMO wears a dark-gray version of the silver roofline blade that adorns other Zs. Nissan will offer the NISMO in a reduced five-color palette of four grayscale hues plus red.
Changes to the interior are minimal. The Recaro seats are upholstered in a mix of leather and simulated suede, with red center sections and NISMO logos in the head restraints, and the driver grips a new steering wheel with a red centering stripe at 12 o’clock. The engine start and drive mode buttons are anodized red for additional racy flair.
The 2024 Nissan Z NISMO will go on sale in the fall. Nissan hasn’t announced pricing yet, but based on the premium affixed to the last-generation car, expect a base price closing in on $60,000.
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