Two long-awaited changes to the Nissan Z address the two biggest complaints about the car. We reported in January that the Japan-market Fairlady Z appeared at the Tokyo Auto Salon with a facelift. That’s officially coming to the US now. Also, the 420-horsepower NISMO variant, initially available as an automatic only, is getting a stick shift, as promised. Additionally, Nissan has announced some more details about the facelifted RZ34.
First and foremost, all Zs now get a redesigned grille that ditches the gaping rectangle look of the zenki. Although it did match the opening of the S30 Z it was inspired by, the original had a separate bumper that visually bisected the area so it didn’t look so vast. For the 2027 model year the integrated bumper splits the grille on its own while adhering to the spirit of its progenitor. As a bonus, the new shape and internal ducting improve cooling and also reducing lift and drag.
All Z trims receive a new gas tank, shaped to mitigate the fuel starvation issues during high-G cornering that have plagued Nissan FM-platform cars for years. The Performance also gets larger-diameter monotube shocks for improved stability. The twin-turbo V6’s output remains unchanged at 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.
Visually, the Z goes a bit more retro, replacing the “Nissan” logo on the nose with a classic “Z” emblem. A new color, called Unryu Green in Japan (unryu refers to a mythical Asian dragon emerging from the clouds), is renamed Shinkai Green Pearl Metallic (shinkai means “deep sea” in Japanese). It’s said to have been inspired by the Grand Prix Green of the S30.
It can be ordered with a new tan interior, but is sadly paired only with a contrasting Super Black roof. Performance trims also gets new Rays Engineering forged 19-inch wheels finished in dark gray metallic with a machined lip that Motor Trend says were inspired by the 15-inchers on the 1986 Z31.
As for the NISMO, the manual transmission grabs the headlines, but that overshadows a whole host of other improvements. The NISMO receives two-piece iron-aluminum brake rotors derived from the R35 GT-R They reduce total weight by 19 pounds, and Nissan has retuned the suspension to match the lighter front end. Redesigned cooling channels help keep the brakes cool as well.
The MT also has a shorter-throw shifter as compared to non-NISMOs. For stick shifts, throttle and ignition timing have been remapped for better throttle response, and the Active Noise Cancellation system adjusted to compensate too. And Nissan says they reduced internal friction of the steering rack by 20 percent.
Finally, the Z Performance and NISMO see a more powerful 15‑watt wireless phone charger, complete with cooling fan to keep devices chill and a magnet so they don’t jostle around too much. It should be compatible with more phones on the market as well.
“We’ve listened to everything Nissan Z fans and owners have been asking for, and we’re answering the call with the most exhilarating, driver-focused version of the seventh-generation Z yet,” said Nissan North America’s VP of product planning, Marco Fioravanti.
Initially, Nissan only offered the NISMO with a 9-speed automatic because it was faster. track times. It was thought unseemly that an AT non-NISMO might clock better track times than a MT NISMO. But fans protested, and Nissan listened. Even better, this combo paves the way for a high-performance manual Skyline in the eighth generation. The 2027 Z and Z NISMO will be available this summer.
Images courtesy of Nissan.
Hey, now those are some genuinely nice upgrades. I like to see that they are still refining it as it grows in popularity. They really are pretty in person.