I broke down in the Nissan Z NISMO

That’s a pretty salacious headline. Modern cars don’t really break down. Maybe it wasn’t the car that had the problem though, and you’ll have to read until the end for me to pay it off. In between will be 2,000 words on why the Nissan Z NISMO is perhaps the best sports car you can buy today.

And absolutely no one will.

The 2024 Nissan NISMO Z Overview

A perfect score is very hard to come by on Machines With Souls, ironic since I’m publishing two in a row. After all, if I gave them out like candy, they wouldn’t mean much. And the Z NISMO is by no means a perfect car.

How could it be – look at what it’s based on?

The regular Nissan Z isn’t selling very well – Nissan sold 966 in 2023. Lamborghini Huracans are produced in greater numbers (3,705, if you’re wondering). With the way the economy is, purchasing a second fun car for yourself is difficult to justify, so that little sports car better be good. The Z was merely average.

On paper, the Z NISMO isn’t much of an improvement. A little more power. Bigger wheels, larger brakes, a stiffer suspension, chassis bracing and a NISMO-tuned limited slip differential. Pretty standard “sporty edition” stuff. But luckily, I don’t just experience the cars on paper – I drive them. And this Z might just be the best sports car on sale in 2024.

You heard me.

Performance Score: 9. Just enough

In the quest for more horsepower and torque, manufacturers forgot about feel. With every modern car I drive, the steering is too light, the computer too smart to let you kick the tail out unless everything is just so. And if you do want raw, prepare to pay 911 GT3 or Z06 money.

The Z NISMO is in no man’s land for performance and price.

Engine

Nothing here transforms the Z NISMO’s engine. On tap is 420 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, up 20 and 34 from a regular Z, respectively. It’s a welcome addition – I thought the Z could have used more power in base form. And though the power peaks at the same 6,400 RPM, the NISMO feels stronger everywhere.

Stronger, but not smoother. This is no S58, or even the B58 in the Supra. Despite that, I love this VR motor. It brings a vibration into the cabin as you drive, and the scream turns almost primal as you rev it out. Combined with the Z’s overall lack of sound deadening, you hear this car in every sense of the word. There’s a larger oil cooler too, so this version can withstand more intense driving for longer.

There are faster cars, but in this Nissan, there is the perfect amount to enjoy. I wouldn’t want another pony.

Transmission

I don’t lament the fact that there’s no manual option – it wasn’t great. Instead we have a nine-speed automatic that gets NISMO-only clutch packs and retuned engine management software.

It’s a bit clunky and dim-witted in normal driving, but any ramp up in intensity brings very fast and firm shifts that immediately whisper in your ear, “Faster you fool, FASTER!”. You don’t need to pull the paddle shifters, especially in Sport+ mode, but it’s fun to do so.

Speaking of, Nissan gives you Normal, Sport, and Sport + that will make the Z more responsive with the throttle, and more eager to downshift and hold revs. I actually found myself driving it mostly in that serious setting, simply because it’s the most fun. Since it’s not tied to the suspension, there’s no ride penalty.

If you’re sitting there thinking that even a bad manual is better than no manual, stop. I don’t need to heel and toe or clutch kick to enjoy this car on a back road (or get the tail out). But Nissan has said that if the demand is there they’d make one, so get to demandin’.

Steering and Chassis

It’s here where my opinion of the Z really starts to differ from other publications. First, the steering – there’s almost no power assist, even at low speeds, and it is SO GOOD. Better than the GT4, the GT3, the Supra – anything. NISMO retuned the rack to be quicker and more direct, and it shows. Every pebble is felt, and as you approach the limit of grip, it’s communicated clearly back through the rack and into your spine.

The chassis too shows a lot of improvement. There’s additional bracing underneath the car, larger shocks and firmer springs, and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires that might just give a set of PS4s a run for their money. It’s such an improvement – eager to kick the tail out in a predictable manner, but also feeling just soft enough to communicate the level of grip left to you. It’s not refined like a Porsche, but it does provide all the raw sensations a GT car does.

I did not think the standard Z was a car you’d use every day, even though they suggest it can play the GT part. The NISMO is an even worse ride. BUT – it’s much different in this car, and all that stiffness and harshness become sensations that connect you even further to the experience. What is a sin in the regular Z is excused here because of its singular mission.

Brakes

The brakes see changes as well. In front are four-piston calipers with larger 15.0-inch brake rotors, and 13.8-inch rotors in the rear, all clamped by unique brake pads. To be blunt, they will stop you sooner than your mother walking in on you and your girlfriend.

I cooked them on a backroad run – I could smell them. But they never faded, and the pedal was perfect in its feedback. You want confidence in this car, and the brakes allow you to have that.

I think I’m most proud of NISMO for really going in and dissecting the Z to find out what to improve. While BMW deletes arm rests and adds more look-at-me carbon fiber to save 3 pounds on a CS, Nissan took the time to really make sure you could feel a difference beyond the body kit and badge.

Lifestyle Score: 4. No penalty here

The price you pay for all of this feel and feedback over a standard Nissan Z is…nothing.

The trunk is exactly the same size – no strut bars or braces slicing through to make the car more impractical. It’ll hold plenty to get you through your day.

In the front we have unique NISMO seats (with Recaro branding) that are merely acceptable. They are short on the bottom, thinly padded, and made out of a mix of hard leather and Alcantara. They are always hot, but do hold you in place.

This is absolutely not a thing you want to drive every day – it’s like eating chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The NISMO is loud, rough and unpleasant unless you’re using it as intended. The transmission tunnel still gets downright hot, the mirrors shake enough to be useless on anything but the smoothest of roads…you get it.

But that’s okay – that’s why an M3 makes such a good daily, and this NISMO makes such a good weekend ride.

Fuel Economy: 7. Feel the beat

This Z sure did feel a beat down of epic proportions while I was behind the wheel. Every on ramp was an excuse to punch it. Still, I managed over 21 MPG. Score one for the automatic, because the manual could only muster 20.

Hybrids and electric cars have their place, but it’ll never be as a replacement for a sports car like this. Getting over 300 miles to the tank while having the time of your life is no hardship for me.

Features and Comfort: 6. Time travel

I suppose now is a good time to mention the MSRP: $68,280.The last fully loaded Performance example I had? $54,055.

From a logical standpoint, this car is simply overpriced. But from an emotional standpoint, for the thrills it delivers…it’s a steal.

Welcome back

Sitting inside the Z NISMO made me look around for my book of CDs. For real, I bet some part numbers haven’t even changed from the 350Z.

Door handles? Same. E-brake handle? Yup. Locks and switches? You betcha. In fact, I might even consider it a step back – the 350 had some cool detailing on the stalks and whatnot that this new Z doesn’t bother with.

All that said, there’s nothing here to detract from the experience. Nissan leaves in the very average Bose stereo, but leaves out heated seats. There’s Apple CarPlay, a digital gauge cluster, and automatic climate control that’s again from the turn of the century, but is very easy to work.

Though not as bad as the BRZ inside, there’s still a multitude of shades of plastics and panels, as if you were driving a Lego. Nice things include a perfectly-sized steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara, floor-mounted aluminum pedals, and no distractions to pull your attention away from the amazing chassis.

The three dials atop the dash remain. Traditions. But if the 350Z had a digital dial for one of them, why did they take that out? Who needs to know turbocharger speed…like ever?

Zexy Time

One thing Nissan got right was the exterior styling – NISMO simply adds to it.

Limited to White, Black, Red or this fetching Stealth Grey (an exclusive), the NISMO has a unique full body kit with red striping, RAYS forged wheels, and special badging.

NISMO editions have not always been this subtle – check out the wing that came on the 350Z or the GT-R, but I think the effect here is really nice, lending a level of aggression that the standard Z doesn’t have. It’s enough to separate you at a car show, so that the cool people will know the difference.

It’s true, the Nissan Z NISMO made me break down

Not the car – that performed flawlessly. Instead, it made me cry because it was so beautiful to experience.

Come on. I don’t cry. Pssh.

Being a car enthusiast in 2024 just isn’t a peaceful life. Everyone has an opinion, and there’s always something better at the Sunday morning car show. The result is that you’re never really happy with yourself. Work harder and you can afford that Porsche, says the voice inside your head.

Well, you know what? F*** that. The Nissan Z NISMO won’t really get attention, nor will it get a ton of likes on your YouFace channel. It’s not the fastest on track day, and the girls aren’t going to line up for rides.

This is a car for the real ones – a Porsche-level driving experience without the extra baggage (or payments). It’s what an M2 CS should feel like, but won’t because BMW doesn’t have the balls to make it like this.

I didn’t want to give the Z back, and I’m now scouring the internet for a deal on one, if there’s one to be had. Hopefully, I’ve encourage you to try one as well. Look past the cheap interior and rough ride, and you might just fall in love.

I know I did.

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