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Nissan Z revealed with 298kW of twin-turbo power

New Nissan Z confirmed: lots of power, new retro look, and technology upgrades for Toyota Supra rival.

Nissan has shown the new production Z and it hardly differs at all from the Z Proto concept first shown.

Revealed on a livestream from New York, Nissan’s new Z – the replacement to the 370Z and referred to previously by some as the 400Z – will retain retro-styling design cues and most importantly a belter of an engine underneath the bonnet.

Powered by an Infiniti-sourced VR30DETT, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine develops a peak output of 298kW at 6400rpm and 475Nm from 1600-5600rpm – more power but less torque than its direct rival the Toyota Supra which makes 285kW and 500Nm from a BMW engine. However, one point of difference the Toyota can’t touch is that the Z will continue with the option of either an automatic transmission or manual gearbox. Like the Supra, it is rear-wheel drive.

The automatic is a nine-speed transmission with manual shift override via aluminium steering-wheel-mounted paddles and launch control. The manual has six cogs with an EXEDY light-weight clutch, carbon-fibre driveshaft and automatic rev-matching.

Sitting on the same platform as the 370Z, the new Z has a revised double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension setup. The Larger passive dampers are fitted with increased caster up front, larger front and rear stabiliser bars bolted in, a mechanical clutch-type limited-slip differential in the rear and 14-inch front, 13.8-inch rear Nissan Sport brakes. The wheels on the US Performance model are 19-inch RAYS forged aluminium alloys with Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber. The Sport variant gets 18-inch alloys with Yokohama Advan Sports.

That raises the question of local specification for Australia but there has been no mention of pricing or spec here. We might expect the Performance model to arrive as the only trim level at a price circa $75,000 – a clear advantage over the Austrian-built Supra which costs almost $90,000 for the entry-level model (and the Nissan will be built in Japan).

Inside the cabin, the exterior retro influence carries on, with a 240Z-inspired dash housing three analogue gauges for boost pressure, turbo speed and volts. The black cloth sports seats have suede highlights and share access to an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and the driver enjoys a 12.3-inch digital cluster.

There is four-way electric adjustment available for the seats along with heating, and optional leather trim beyond the top-spec. Other optional equipment in the US is a larger 9.0-inch screen and eight-speaker Bose sound system.

A significant upgrade to safety sees the model now come with AEB with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring, though adaptive cruise has not been specified.

Australian specifications will be unveiled closer to the model’s on-sale date in early 2022.


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Practical Motoring

Practical Motoring