For any Z enthusiast, these are exciting times. The 2023 Nissan Z brings a nice touch of contemporary styling without compromising its heritage. It is a nice blend of paying tribute to an iconic line of sports cars while looking to the future of its legacy.
Every generation of Z offers drivers a sporty and thrilling experience behind the wheel, but many past versions pale in comparison to modern performance. This is the case across every great sports car history book, technology advancements are always making performance improvements possible.
This is what makes the factory numbers from Nissan’s new Z so enticing to anyone who has had the pleasure of driving a Fairlady in the past. Right out of the box you get a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 engine pumping 400 horsepower to the rear wheels. That’s a few more ponies than some vintage Z drivers have.
Best of all, in the true spirit of all things Z, you can still get the 6-speed manual transmission experience. This is a redesigned transmission for the reimagined Z, featuring upgraded synchros in first and second gear to assist with the power increase over previous versions.
Everything else you love about the Z is still here from the long hood to exceptional handling ability. This is a rear-wheel drive sports car, adding another tip of the cap to Nissan for keeping the 2023 Z pure to its historic experience.
Of course, there is also an optional 9-speed automatic transmission available as well. It is a fine transmission choice and even gives you the option of manual control through the same paddle shifters found on the popular Nissan GT-R.
Inside and out, the new Z is sharp. From the sporty seats to the race-inspired gauges, you feel like you’re flying even when you are sitting motionless behind the wheel. There is even an all-new triple-pod gauge cluster in the middle of the dash featuring access to your boost, turbine speeds, and voltage.
For the record, Nissan states the turbo turbine speeds can reach 220,000 revolutions per minute. Seriously, give it a whirl.
Could the 2023 Nissan Z be the best version of the company’s accomplished Japanese sports car yet? The next step in finding out is the most important one, driving one. If you can walk away from that test drive without wanting to take it home, maybe sports cars are not your bag.
Disclosure: Clicking on these links and making a purchase may earn us a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Learn more here.
