{"id":26823,"date":"2022-07-14T09:03:41","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T13:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=26823"},"modified":"2022-07-14T09:03:41","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T13:03:41","slug":"2023-nissan-z-road-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=26823","title":{"rendered":"2022 Nissan Z Road Test | A boomer rejiggered for zoomers"},"content":{"rendered":"

One could credibly argue that I\u2019d already made up my mind about the 2023 Nissan Z<\/a> before the first example rolled off the production line. In short, Nissan<\/a> set my expectations pretty high by pushing fast-forward on the 370Z<\/a>\u2019s impressively obstinate price creep \u2014 potentially too high to be met by a car that could be charitably described as \u201clovingly overhauled\u201d rather than fundamentally redesigned. In a world of Supras<\/a> and world-class pony cars, can a little more power once again make the Z<\/a> relevant in the performance car discussion?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll get to that, but let me talk about this particular Z, which is about as loaded as they come. It\u2019s a Performance model, which means it was equipped with big brakes<\/a> (+1.4 inches up front; +1.7 inches out back), a firmer suspension and a limited-slip differential not found on the standard Z. Since it was an automatic, we skip the 6MT\u2019s rev-matching feature (downshift blips are standard on the AT, at least) and the stick\u2019s carbon-fiber driveshaft.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with the past two generations of Z cars and their Infiniti<\/a> equivalents, plopping down in the driver\u2019s seat of the new model will feel very familiar. Sure, the cabin\u2019s been worked over from the ground up, but the conspicuously elevated seating position and high cowl are immediately familiar. It\u2019s simultaneously (and somewhat incongruently) not as upright nor as cockpit-like as the Supra\u2019s cabin, though the latter does feel more upscale.<\/p>\n

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In the process of packing for a day on the road with Fairlady<\/a>, I confirmed yet another carry-over element: The Z\u2019s cargo area still sucks. Its meaty rear suspension towers still intrude significantly, and even though the bracing between them was moved forward from its original location in the 350Z<\/a>, there\u2019s still virtually no room to work with back there. A well-stocked backpack will take up most of the available space. This is definitely a day-trip vehicle, not a long-haul tourer. If you plan to go solo, at least you can use the passenger seat and footwell as extra luggage room. None of the similarities are at all surprising, of course. Sure, the Z may be new, but it\u2019s still based on the outgoing car, and Nissan did not go out of its way to pretend otherwise.<\/p>\n

Prior to its redesign, I would have told you the Z needed nothing but better interior materials and an overhauled infotainment system \u2014 two things for which the 370Z was woefully desperate<\/a>. But that\u2019s not all we got. Nissan also kicked the old 3.7-liter naturally aspirated V6 to the curb in favor of a modern, 400-horsepower 3.0-liter mill with a pair of turbochargers slapped onto it. New to the Z but a known quantity in its own right<\/a>, it should be the star of the show. Going in, I was a bit apprehensive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I hate to be that guy, but what I most appreciated about the 370Z was the rev-happy V6 and relatively lightweight chassis. Tech and turbochargers \u2014 two things the 370Z lacked \u2014 come with mass. While Nissan managed to avoid price creep with the outgoing Z, curb weight creep was definitely a thing. Over the course of more than a decade in service, the 370Z added nearly 200 pounds of bloat.\u00a0That’s particularly annoying in this case because the 370Z was a product of the early Great Recession era, when reducing curb weights still topped many manufacturers\u2019 priority lists.<\/p>\n

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You may not remember, but the 2009 370Z was actually lighter<\/em> than the 2008 350Z, but Nissan managed to give back those weight management improvements over the course of its lifecycle, turning that advantage into a deficit. Now it’s a point of continuity; this automatic checks in at 3,606 pounds \u2014 200 pounds more than the 3.0-liter Supra and just 150 pounds shy of the Chevy Camaro<\/a> SS and Mustang<\/a> GT. I hate to be the \u201cyou could have had a V8\u201d guy, so how about this: You could have had a V8, two more seats and<\/em> a proper trunk. Yeah, I\u2019m using \u201cproper trunk\u201d to describe the virtues of a Camaro<\/a><\/em>. Ponder that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But then you look at them, and there\u2019s really no contest. The Z has a throwback elegance that the Mustang reaches for and the Camaro can\u2019t even comprehend. That dash of old-school glamour really works for Nissan\u2019s little two-door. It both asserts itself as one of the most affordable nostalgic motoring shapes and calls into question just exactly what Toyota<\/a>\u2019s designers were going for with the Supra. And let\u2019s not be quick to write the Supra off to the constraints imposed by its BMW<\/a> chassis.<\/p>\n

Toyota may have been hamstrung by BMW\u2019s hardpoints, but at least its engineers had, you know, a budget<\/em>. The new Z\u2019s spec sheet reads like the checklist of a skunkworks team with nothing but pocket lint and an enthusiastic engineer\u2019s can-do attitude. Now, I can\u2019t say for certain that the specter of a new stick-shift Z was enough to scare Toyota into throwing the a manual transmission into the Supra<\/a>, but I\u2019m saying it anyway. If a Toyota product planner would like to make a compelling case otherwise, my inbox is always open.<\/p>\n

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But for all the manual bruhaha, this particular Z doesn\u2019t have one, and frankly this automatic\u2019s only so-so. Rev-match shifts from a torque converter automatic were pretty cool when the 370Z was introduced for 2009. Today, that\u2019s pretty much expected from anything with a \u201cSport\u201d option on its drive mode dial. To make matters worse, this Z was an early prototype build. Tugs on the left paddle only commanded downshifts maybe 60-70% of the time, and more than once I found myself reaching for third or second gear from fifth or sixth only to land in fourth with my foot already down, confusing both the transmission computer and myself in equal measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But when it worked, it worked, and despite everything you know about turbocharged engines, the Z\u2019s six is absolutely intoxicating near the top end of the rev range. It sounds great, hits like a hammer and manages to retain some of the high-strung character that made the 370Z so charming but without making a chore of day-to-day driving. The Supra by contrast is a bit more earnest \u2014 like a puppy, it\u2019s cute when called for but can be tiring after a long slog through rush hour traffic.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, neither the Supra nor the new Z will take an unwanted dump on your expensive new rug. The list of satisfying Japanese sports cars<\/a> is one longer this year than it was in 2021. Even if the Z\u2019s greatest contribution to the sports car scene is arguably pressuring Toyota into doing right by its enthusiasts, we\u2019re better off for it.<\/p>\n

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