2023 Nissan Z is a cool drink on a sweltering summer day
Well, it’s about time. It seems like an eternity since we’ve had a new Nissan Z — and it has been. The 370Z debuted in 2009, and its predecessor, the 350Z arrived in 2002. Since the two are somewhat related mechanically, you can be excused for thinking the 2022 Nissan Z is older than Methuselah.
Before you throw rocks, consider its archrival, the Toyota Supra. It vanished from the scene sometime during the Clinton Administration after having grown noticeably in size and price alongside the Z. But whereas the 350Z returned to its roots in 2002, Toyota simply gave up on the Supra — until 2019.
But upon its return, Toyota didn’t engineer its own car, despite being the largest automaker in the world. Instead, it gussied up the BMW Z4 with little resemblance to any Supra ever produced.
Despite being the smaller automaker with far less cash, Nissan engineered an all-new Z itself. It arrives as sports car sales in the U.S. have risen 25% in the past four years. Given that 75% of the Z’s sales come from the U.S., the new Z’s arrival is welltimed.
What the company has wrought should be as welcome as a cool drink on a sweltering summer day, one that’s clearly a modern take on its most iconic vehicle.
Its look is familiar, resembling the concept revealed two years ago and wearing not only classic 240Z styling cues, but also others nicked from other generations, such as the tail lamps derived from those on the 300ZX. Up front, you’ll find headlight shapes straight from the first generation, but updated with latest lighting technology. The Z’s body lines and window shapes are updated, but archetypal Z. It’s grille shape, said to be taken from the first Z, is the only part that seems off. Its plain, sizable maw seems a bit artless.
The new shape sits on a wheelbase that’s unchanged from the 370Z, although the car is five inches longer overall. The new Z is at once familiar and fresh, a new take on an old acquaintance.
Remarkably, the vehicle’s underlying architecture doesn’t reveal its age, proving to be a solid, stiff foundation for the task at hand thanks to a 10.8% increase in torsional stiffness aided and abetted by wider tires. What results is a consummate sports car. Nissan delivers a car that’s a joy to drive, with precise steering and handling.
Best of all, the cozy two-seat cabin keeps the updates to the essentials, so you can concentrate on driving.
The Z is offered in Sport and up-level Performance trim. An eight-inch touchscreen and a six-speaker audio system are standard on the Sport; a nine-inch screen and a Bose eightspeaker audio system with noise cancellation and a Wi-Fi hotspot are standard on the Performance. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and SiriusXM Radio are standard on all models.
But no matter what hue you opt for, you’ll find it will color your with a performance vibe that can only come from a new old friend.