By Otsile Kadiege

After the unveiling of the concept, countless spy images and renderings we have seen on the internet, Nissan has finally taken the wraps off the successor of the 370Z – the Nissan Z. The car drops its numerical prefix in the U.S. for the first time. The new Nissan Z sports new looks, a host of new technologies and more powerful powerplant to list a few. 

Exterior design 

Those who fell in love with design of the concept car Nissan unveiled last year will be happy to know that much of the concept’s design remains unaltered. The all-new seventh-generation Nissan Z fresh, sleek exterior design with an appearance that communicates respect to its lineage thanks to its long hood and short deck. it also features a squared grille with horizontal slats and LED headlights with two half-circles that take their inspiration from the Japan market-only 240ZG of the 1970s. 

The side profile links back to the original Z thanks to its clean, uncluttered surface and wide rear haunches. The new Z is fitted with 4-wheel ventilated disk brakes. The Z Sport grade rides on dark-painted 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with Yokohama ADVAN Sport high performance tyres, while Z Performance grades features 19-inch RAYS super lightweight forged aluminum-alloy mounted with Bridgestone Potenza S007 high performance tyres. 

The rear-end of the Z Performance grade features an integrated spoiler, a black bar which extends in the 3D signature LED tail lights and dual-exhaust outlets with a performance grade muffler. The new Nissan Z is available in 3 monotone exterior colors – Black Diamond Metallic, Gun Metallic and Rosewood Metallic. The new Z is also offered with a two-tone exterior, including six colors combined with a Super Black roof: Brilliant Silver, Boulder Gray, new Seiran Blue, new Ikazuchi Yellow, Passion Red TriCoat and Everest White Pearl TriCoat.

Interior design and technology 

Inside, the new Nissan Z seamlessly blends modern technology with vintage Z touches. It has a premium-looking multifunction steering wheel, a 12.3-inch configurable instrument cluster, three analog pod gauges on the instrument panel, an 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay or 9-inch with navigation, and Nissan Connect Services with Wi-Fi hotspot. Also included is an 8-speaker Bose Audio system with Active Noise Cancellation and Active Sound Enhancement with the Performance package. 

The Nissan Z Sport grade offers black woven cloth seats with an 8-way manual driver’s seat and 4-way manual passenger seat. The Z Performance grade adds leather-appointed seating surfaces, 4-way power driver’s seat with manual lifter, lumbar and thigh support, 4-way power passenger seat and heated seats. Three interior color environments are available – Black, Red and Blue. The special Z Proto Spec edition features yellow accents throughout the cabin, including stitching on the instrument panel.

Performance

The new Nissan Z is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 twin turbo engine producing 298 kW and 475 Nm. Power is sent to the rear-wheels via a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission which includes an EXEDY high-performance clutch or the optional quick-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission. The Japanese automaker hasn’t shared the 0-100 times yet. 

The engineering team has enhanced the new Z’s body rigidity, they’ve fitted an electronic power steering with rack assist and for a strong mechanical feel, and wider front tyres (on both Sport and Performance grades) help increase maximum cornering G up to 13 percent. 

According to Nissan, both front and rear dampers use a new monotube shock absorber design with a larger diameter than the outgoing 370Z, resulting in an approximately 20 percent reduction in dampening force to help minimize impact shock over uneven surfaces, enhance road-following performance and improve handling stability. The new Z is also equipped with a mechanical Limited Slip Differential.

Safety features and driver assistance systems

All models include a range of standard driver assistance and safety technologies, including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, High Beam Assist and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning.

Nissan Z Proto Spec 

One special edition is available, celebrating the distinctive Z Proto introduced in 2020 – called the Proto Spec. Limited to just 240 units in the U.S., the Proto Spec model includes yellow-colored brake calipers with Z logo, bronze-colored 19-inch RAYS aluminum-alloy wheels, exclusive shift lever knob (6MT only), exclusive Proto Spec leather-appointed seats with yellow accents, exclusive Proto Spec suede + cloth door trim with yellow stitching and special Proto Spec interior stitching. 

Local availability is yet to be confirmed.