About a year ago Nissan unveiled the Z Proto. That car was supposed to be a precursor to a version that was under consideration for production. The response must have been overwhelming as the Nissan Z Sportscar has made it into production and it is virtually unchanged from the design study. 

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“For us at Nissan, the Z is a part of who we are, and represents years of our commitment to customers. Through the Z, we bring the latest sportscar design, performance and excitement to as many people as we can,” said Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer/chief performance officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

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US-first

The US market has always been important for Nissan’s Z cars. We need no more indication of that than the global launch which took place in the wee hours of the morning (SA time) but plumb in the middle of the working day in the US. The model will go on sale in the US first and in its home market as the Fairlady. We checked with Nissan SA and the latest Z car is still under consideration for local market introduction. 

True to its roots

The Z car heritage goes back to 1969 and it has always represented a sportscar built for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts, something that Nissan was keen to continue with the latest Z Sportscar. Key to that is maintaining the ingredients that have helped sell 1,8 million units globally to date. The recipe includes a front-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout with a cab-back design. 

“Our designers listened to thousands of current Z owners, made countless studies and sketches as we researched each generation and what made them a success,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design. “Ultimately, we decided the Z should travel between the decades, including the future.”

V6 power

The latest Nissan Z Sportscar has a V6 engine, much like its most recent predecessor the 370Z. The new unit displaces just 3,0-litres but is force fed by twin turbochargers for maximum power of 298 kW and 475 N.m of torque. Importantly for the company the Nissan Z Sportscar had to maintain maximum levels of engagement between car and driver.

To this end the Z offers a six-speed manual transmission as standard (a nine-speed auto is also available). For the first time both transmission options offer launch control. Manual-transmission-equipped versions also feature a carbon-fibre composite propshaft and rev matching on downshifts.

Retro-modern

Nissan’s designers have given the new Z car a retro feel and look, but employed all new materials and technology into the cabin. There are retro touches such as the gauge pod, which we’ve seen on previous Z cars while the instrument cluster is completely digital. A three-spoke steering and the shifters – for both manual and automatic versions – were custom-engineered for optimised grip and comfort. The wheel also has remote controls so the driver doesn’t have to let go too often.