Nissan’s iconic ‘Z’ sports car enters 7th generation for 2023

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Completely redesigned – with some styling cues from the past – Nissan’s long-running Z sports car has arrived for 2023 in its seventh generation.

What began in the U.S. market as the Datsun 240Z in the early 1970s, the Z has morphed along the way into the modern high-performance sports car it is today.

The 2023 Z car replaces the previous generation’s 370Z, and for the first time in the U.S. market, there is no numerical designation in the vehicle’s name. Now, it’s just the Z.

That might be in part because Nissan had been changing the numerical part of the name over the years each time a different-size engine was introduced, with the number usually designating the engine’s displacement.

But with last generation’s 370Z having a 3.7-liter engine, and this newest iteration going with a 3.0-liter, Nissan would have been going backward to the third and fourth generations, when the car was called the 300ZX, and came with a different 3.0-liter engine.

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Now under the hood is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine that boasts an increase of 68 horsepower over the 370Z, along with a 30% bump in torque. This newest engine produces 400 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque.

The Z car has a front mid-engine with rear-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not available. There is a choice of either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission, but the prices are the same no matter which gearbox is chosen.

There are two grades – the Z Sport, which begins at $40,990 (plus $1,095 freight), and the Z Performance, starting at $50,999, which is the one we tested for this report.

All models with the automatic transmission come with Launch Control, while only Z Performance models with the manual gearbox have this feature, which helps move the car more quickly from a stopped position to highway speed.

The six-speed close-ratio manual transmission includes an Exedy high-performance clutch. The manual models also come with a carbon-fiber composite drive shaft. On Performance models with the manual, SynchroRev Match is included for quicker, seamless shifting.

Aluminum paddle shifters for simulated manual shifting are standard on all automatic models, but the Z Performance trim gets a unique paddle shifter design like the one found on Nissan GT-R sports car.

All Performance models come with a mechanical clutch-type limited-slip rear differential.

Automatic transmission models come with two driver-selectable drive modes, standard and sport.

Nissan says the standard mode provides the smoothest ride for normal commuting and road trips. Sport mode “unlocks the Z’s performance potential, offering faster acceleration control, a sports-mode steering algorithm, active sound enhancement and sports-mode vehicle dynamic control setting best matched to take on a spirited run through a winding road,” Nissan says.

But simply put, that’s exactly what this car is for anyway, so I would expect to use Sport mode most of the time if I had a Z.

Braking is superb, something we found on the fun twisty roads we like to test sporty cars on where we live. The Z has four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, but on Performance models like our tester, there are larger sport brakes with red-painted calipers.

As for the wheels, the Z Sport model has dark-painted 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with Yokohama high performance tires.

The Z Performance grade gets 19-inch super-lightweight forged aluminum-alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S007 high performance tires.

Great care was taken with the suspension and steering systems to provide predictable, responsive handling, especially for spirited driving and high-speed cornering. The body’s rigidity helps, as well.

There is electronic power steering with rack assist, and wider front tires on both Sport and Performance trims to help increase cornering stability.

Front and rear dampers use a new monotube shock absorber design with a larger diameter than those of the previous Z, resulting in a 20% reduction in damping force to help minimize impact shock over uneven surfaces, enhance road-following performance and improve handling stability, Nissan says.

Up front there is a double-wishbone aluminum suspension, along with a two-point front strut tower brace. At the rear is an independent multi-link aluminum suspension.

Nissan says the new Z’s exterior “communicates respect to its lineage,” including the traditional long hood and short rear deck. The design theme was “tradition with modern technology.”

The door handles are flush mounted, and the rear hatch is ultra-thin, but more rigid than the previous 370Z design. The rear blister fenders direct flow air past the horizontal rear panel, Nissan says. Z Performance models feature a rear spoiler.

As for the exterior paint, the new Z is available in three monotone colors – Black Diamond Metallic, Gun Metallic and Rosewood Metallic; and six two-tone exterior schemes, all with a Super Black roof and a choice of a Brilliant Silver, Boulder Gray, Seiran Blue, Ikazuchi Yellow, Passion Red TriCoat or Everest White Pearl TriCoat body color.

Our tester came with the Passion Red TriCoat color and the black roof ($1,695 extra for this combination). We also had the black-and-red leather interior.

The center stack takes inspiration from the generations before it, Nissan says, with three analog pod gauges on the instrument panel, a nine-inch touch-screen audio display with navigation was included on our Z Performance model, in the center dash, and climate-control switches are near the center-console-mounted shifter.

There is a 12.3-inch customizable digital meter display, “arranged to help the driver grasp it at a glance,” the automaker says.

There are three display modes to suit driver preference: “Normal” offers a sporty feel with the center area for navigation, audio and vehicle information; “Enhanced” pushes the tachometer and speedometer to the edges of the display, giving more space in the center for a larger map; and “Sport” prioritizes the tachometer in the center with shift-up light at the top.

There is a new deep-dish leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Other standard features include Intelligent Cruise Control; NissanConnect with built-in Wi-Fi, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; heated outside mirrors; universal garage opener; front chin spoiler; heated front seats; four-way power/heated seats; USB Type A and C ports for data and charging; LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights; aluminum hood, doors and hatch; sport muffler (automatic transmission only); automatic headlights; Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start/stop; automatic climate control; and auto-dimming rearview mirror.

EPA fuel-economy estimates are 19 mpg city/28 highway/22 combined with the automatic transmission, and 18/24/20 with the manual.

Safety technology includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Other safety features include seat-mounted side air bags; door-mounted side-curtain air bags, seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, tire-pressure monitoring, and a security system with vehicle immobilizer.

Besides the premium paint, our Z Performance model came with illuminated kick plates ($500) and floor mats ($400).

Our tester’s total sticker price was $54,680, including freight and options.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at chambers@auto-writer.com or on Twitter @gchambers3. His driving partner Emma Jayne Williams contributed to this report.