| Pros | Cons | ||
| ✓ More power! | ☓ It is $68,000, and that can hurt | ||
| ✓ Rewarding handling experience | ☓ No manual option | ||
| ✓ Respectable fuel economy (for what that’s worth here) | ☓ Tight quarters inside |
Enhanced for the track, how does the Nissan Z Nismo perform on a road trip?
Sure, many of us have driven the Nissan Z Nismo in anger on a track, and/or a challenging mountain road. We’ve blasted it down dragstrips, scrutinized its athleticism and bemoaned its lack of a manual transmission option. Few have taken it on a road-trip, or driven it as a commuter. Well, I did just that.
Nissan sent a Z Nismo loaner to me just in time for my excursion north to Santa Barbara, CA. Just over 100 miles from my home, (minus a few side-trips through the mountains) the journey takes about a half a day – if you stick to the Pacific Coast Highway. Taking the freeways, it takes a few hours, but I wanted to enjoy the ride – and I did.
Not only did the Nismo-fied Z sports car perform well, but it also returned a respectable 25 mpg. That’s with me driving hard through a few canyons boarding the highway. I mean, you can’t have a car like this and forgo opening the taps, right? It was just as good as I remember, with the blur between fun and extreme driving dissipating powering through each turn.
There’s a good reason for this: Nissan did a ton of work making this Z into a NISMO.
Adding 20 horsepower, and 34 lb-ft of torque certainly helped. With a new total of 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque, the Nismo Z is extremely competitive with other sports cars in its segment. Many components were upgraded, and/or replaced to make this Z zippier. That includes faster spinning turbochargers, and additional cooling. Thanks to its big brother GT-R, the Z Nismo inherits its independent spark controller, making ignition more precise. The end result is a powerplant that spins up faster, giving you the torque you want when you need it.
The drive modes are few in number, but they all have different personalities. Daily driving in Normal mode makes the driving experience not that much different from the Z Performance. Bounce up to Sport mode and the soul of the Nismo Z begins to emerge. It’s the right mode for most driving, and was just fine for a road trip as well. If you tap the Sport + mode, the shifting, acceleration and overall feel is far more intense. This mode is only available on the NISMO, and not other Zs.
Clicking through the gears is pretty rewarding, though I would personally prefer larger, thicker paddle shifters. Good news: the 9-speed automatic transmission is beefier too. Software enhancements, higher performing clutches aid in its lightning fast, precise shifting. This is a far more usable transmission than what’s on offer with other Zs.
Sure, a manual option would be cool. That is for the 83 of you who will buy one. Sorry, but the numbers don’t support a massive push for an upgraded clutch, beefier gears and a shorter throw shifter. At least, that’s my take on it. Perhaps Nissan will build it; but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The Z Nismo’s suspension tuning is outstanding — for the track.
Everything, and I mean everything has been stiffened underneath. Many suspension and structural components were lightened as well. The structure is stiffer, thanks in art to additional structural bracing and beefier steel surrounding the steering mount. Mounts for all suspension components are thicker, and sway bars have grown. In addition, stiffer bushings and heftier shocks along with revised spring rates are all part of the upgrades.
Nissan added huge Akebono four-piston brakes up front, and significantly improved brake feel. If you even sneeze near the brake pedal, eyeballs may need to be returned to their sockets. I’m barely kidding. Additionally, Nissan fitted lightweight RAYS forged wheels and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber to the Z Nismo.
None of this makes for a buttery ride. In fact, if you want a less jarring ride, look to any other Z, Mustang or even the base model Corvette. It will track straight through almost anything, but you’ll feel it in your bones, and maybe your gut too. Eating a chili burger at Tommy’s in Oxnard was a mistake.
The interior is…something.
Honestly, the 2024 Nissan Z Nismo not earth-shattering with its interior innovation. You have the stiff driving seats, the three Nissan Z gauges and an infotainment screen… and that’s about it. While I’d prefer the Z Performance seats, I was still more comfortable than driving the Toyota Supra. I won’t bore you with the antics of a chunky monkey like me getting in and out of the thing, nor regale you with my lack of shoulder room…but just know that it’s an issue for larger drivers.
There’s a few storage nooks, and some trunk space, but you’ll be lucky to find enough space for weekend baggage for two. Golf clubs should fit in one section, but there will be space for little else. Still, sports car gonna be a sports car. If it’s a bother, the Mustang GT has a lot more usable space.
It can still roadtrip, as long as you remember why you’re driving it.
At a tested $68,000, it’s significantly more expensive than the standard Z — over twenty grand if you can even find a “stripped down” Sport model. Still, that begs the question, “is it worth $20,000+ more?” As long as you treat it like a track car, drive it hard, ignore the Toyota/Ford/BMW/Chevrolet fanboys…the answer is yes, absolutely.
Even on the highway, I felt like I was driving something special. It’s more than the sum of its parts, and something that made me smile in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It turned a few heads with its overwrought styling, and absolutely annihilated any challenging curve. Next to Lotus Emira I recently drove, steering feel is about as good as it gets.
The bottom line is: THIS is what a Nissan NISMO-badged vehicle is supposed to be. It’s faster, sharper and more audacious than the vehicle its based on. In this regard, Nissan did well.
As for a grand-touring vehicle on the PCH? Yeah, it was a lot of laughs.
