2023 Nissan Z Second Drive Review: Zee Grows Up

This event is about history.

The 2023 Nissan Z is a car defined by its history. I mean, just look at it: a rolling presentation of design cues from over half a century of sports car greatness. It looks fantastic on the roads around Quebec’s awesome Mont Tremblant race track, but it isn’t the only reason we’re here.

Nissan Canada has centered its national launch of the Z around the homegrown Sentra Cup. In a result that couldn’t have been scripted better, we arrive in time to watch the final race, after which Valérie Limoges makes history as the first woman to win an all-category title in Canadian motorsports.

The Z faces a very different automotive landscape than it did the last time it was really new, in 2009 with the 370Z. It won’t set the sales charts on fire. It won’t lure people out of their comfy SUVs. But, thanks to a renewed focus on affordable performance, the new Z does what the 240Z did 50 years ago. It reaffirms Nissan still knows how to make a great everyday sports car.

I won’t regurgitate too many of the new Z talking points: instead, I point you to Chris Tonn’s excellent Z first drive from last May. The salient details: a twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, hooked up to a six-speed manual or new nine-speed auto. Two trims, Sport and Performance, plus a limited-production Proto Spec. A heavily revised version of the Z34 platform found under the 370Z. Electrically-assisted power steering. Modern infotainment and safety suite. No convertible or Nismo models … at least, not yet.

Over a year of seeing the final production model has done nothing to dull its impact, at least for these eyes. The new Z looks excellent on the road, with classic proportions and call-back detailing. The familial ties are well-documented, but in gray, I see a new angle from the rear three-quarter: a hint of early-aughts Aston Martins. The Z is altogether classier than that other Japanese two-seater.

Inside, there are hints of the 370Z in the door panels and dashboard-mounted ancillaries, but with a thoroughly modern display approach. A 12.3-inch digital instrument panel sits ahead of the reprofiled steering wheel, with an 8.0- or 9.0-inch central touchscreen, depending on trim. The larger screen brings with it wireless smart phone mirroring. All models also receive automated emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

The initial drive route takes us from the Montreal airport to Mont Tremblant in a deliciously non-direct way. It’s minimal highways, maximum backroads. The gray coupe comes with the nine-speed, and left to its own devices, it’s a fine enough auto-box. Shifts happen reasonably quickly and when expected, including multiple kickdowns when it’s time to pass. Throttle response is crisp too: Nissan uses a recirculation valve to send compressed air back to the turbos whenever the driver lifts off. The company has given the auto its own sport exhaust as well, with a louder, richer note that’s sure to make three-pedal owners jealous.

It’s the paddle shifters that disappoint in the auto-equipped Z. There’s a decent actuation feel here, but the transmission can take its time responding to requests, even in Sport mode. This tardiness is exacerbated when there’s multiple pulls on the left paddle, like when you’re heading into a hairpin. I’m sure it will be fine for most owners—they’re buying an auto to avoid shifting all the time, after all—but it’s no match for the Supra’s sweet ZF-sourced eight-speed. The drive home the next day has us in the manual, which has a sweet, pleasantly mechanical feel to its throws. It doesn’t like to be rushed across the gates, however. Both transmissions now feature launch control.

Back-country Quebec is not known for its smooth tarmac. Yet Nissan has tuned the Z’s double-wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension to soak it all up. The Z features new monotube shocks that let the car breathe with the road, with the softness to handle bumps, but the firmness to settle quickly after them. Body roll is kept to a minimum, with just enough to telegraph the limits to the driver. The result is a car that feels at home on twisty tarmac. The upgraded brakes on the Performance (14.0-inch front, 13.8-inch rear) haul the nearly 3,600-pound (1,632-kilogram) car up without issue, though the brake pedal has some initial squishiness to work past.

The Z’s seats are supportive yet comfortable, keeping us in place no matter how tight the corner. The controls on both sides do take some getting used to, however. This car’s blue interior might look like a lot in pictures, but a) you don’t notice it much while driving, and b) fun colors are always better.

Mont Tremblant is one of North America’s best circuits. Not so much constructed as it was poured onto the landscape, the fifteen-corner circuit is full of elevation changes, including the down-up-down, long right-hander that starts the lap. It’s a challenge on a good day—and today it’s drenched.

We’ll be skipping the high-speed South Loop, but that still leaves us with a dozen corners to explore. I’m out first in the auto, with Limoges in the lead car providing tips over radio. Stay a gear higher through the corners, she says. It takes just seven turns for me to put that advice to the test. The new Z’s prodigious low-rpm torque and the close stack of the auto’s ratios, combined with the slick surface, is enough to quickly spit the tail sideways, even with driving aids active. It’s a shock, though the Z’s intuitive, well-weighted steering makes it easy to collect back up. In the wet, the Z is happiest without any trail braking, allowing it to cleanly turn in. Exercise a little patience on corner exit, and the car finds grip, allowing the full might of the V6 to hit the road.

The manual-equipped Z is unexpectedly the friendlier, easier car to drive here. With only six forward gears, there’s more distinction between each. This lets drivers hang onto each gear for longer, resulting in smoother power delivery. The mechanical LSD ensures both rear wheels can put down the power—though the rain is doing its best to stop that. Without the South Loop, the entire track can be tackled in third gear, with a drop down to second for Bridge Turn if you’re brave. Or fourth on the main straight if you’ve got a good run out of Namerow.

All the cars at this event were Performance models, which start from $51,015 ($60,448 CAD), including destination. That’s quite a jump from the outgoing model, not to mention a $10,000 ($12,000 CAD) gap from the entry-level Sport model. If you’re planning on any sort of modifications that one sounds like a steal, since it has the same 400 hp and balanced chassis. The only other additional cost is the two-tone paint option. Well, except in Canada, where opting for the automatic transmission costs an additional $1,500 CAD.

There’s also the limited-production Proto Spec. One for collectors and hardcore Z fans, it’s $54,015 ($66,198 or $67,698 CAD). There will be just 240 in the US and an unknown, very limited amount in Canada. The latter does get an additional perk: a unique black-and-yellow Roots letterman jacket.

Even in top trim, the Z is several thousand cheaper than the Toyota GR Supra. The interior is where that gap is most obvious, as the carryover parts like the cheap-feeling door pulls give away the game. The Nissan has more horsepower, at least on paper: the Supra feels quicker, and its BMW-sourced engine is famously underquoted. Look beyond the Toyota, and there’s precious few options at this price that provide at least 400 hp. The Camaro and Mustang are the most obvious choices, but they’re bigger, heavier two-plus-twos. Porsche Cayman? Not at this price, and you’d be down 100 hp even if it was.

The 2023 Nissan Z is not some rip-snorting, blood-spitting hardcore sports car. That was never the goal the last 52 years, so why would it be now?

What the new car does is lean into the Z’s historic strengths, while peppering in modern conveniences. It’s super stylish in a classic way, without being a slave to the past like the current crop of pony cars. The Z is quick but comfortable too, as at home on the road as it is attacking a race track—even a soggy one. This two-seater is a consummate all-rounder and, much like the original 240Z, something of a performance bargain. Retro, done right.

FAQs

How much does the 2023 Nissan Z cost?

The new model starts from $41,015 ($48,448 CAD) for the basic Sport trim. It’s a $10,000 ($12,000 CAD) jump to the Performance trim.

When can I order the 2023 Nissan Z?

The Z is available for order now. Dealerships in the US have a small supply of cars now; Canadian dealerships will see the car in spring 2023.

Is the 2023 Nissan Z AWD?

No, the Z is only available in rear-drive format. Check out the related Infiniti Q60 if you need AWD.