Nissan has sold 1.8 million units of its Z sportscar across the globe
The all-new Nissan Z has made its debut in the USA. This seventh-generation model continues the lineage of the widely loved sportscar which began its journey back in 1969.
The USA-spec car, which will go on sale in the Spring of 2022, measures 4379 mm long, 1844 mm wide, 1316 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2550 mm.
Externally, the new Nissan Z looks identical to the Z Proto which was unveiled in September last year. The long bonnet, short deck and a proper mix of sharp lines and curves seen on the prototype are all present and correct.
In many ways, the design pays homage to the first-generation Z. However, it is a modern machine and thus comes with LED head lamps, 3D signature LED tail lights, a front splitter, rear spoiler and twin exhaust outlets.
Nissan will offer customers 3 monotone and 6 dual tone exterior colour choices including 2 new shades – Ikazuchi Yellow and Seiran Blue.
On the inside, the Nissan Z packs modern technology. The instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch digital display, while there is also an 8-inch touchscreen at the centre.
However, there are some old school touches like the 3 analogue gauges on the dash, and they are angled toward the driver.
Nissan says the steering wheel, gear levers(both manual and automatic) and seats are all new. Further, there are 3 interior colour choices – Blue, Graphite and Red – available too.
In the USA, the all-new Z will be offered in Sport and Performance trims. A limited edition (240 units) Proto Spec will also be on offer and it will feature bronze-coloured alloy wheels, yellow-coloured brake calipers with Z logo and yellow accents and stitching in the cabin.
Power comes from a twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 that makes 400 HP and 474 Nm of torque. The gearbox choices include a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic.
In a first for a rear-wheel drive Nissan vehicle, models equipped with the manual transmission feature a launch assist control system (Performance variant).
They also come with downshift rev matching, while automatic-transmission-equipped models come with a launch control and 2 drive modes – ‘Standard’ and ‘Sport’.
Nissan has not only increased the body rigidity, but has also given the car a double-wishbone aluminium front suspension, wider front tyres, stiffer dampers, and improved brakes (the calipers are aluminium).
The base Sport model rides on 245/45-R18 tyres (front and rear), while the Performance and Proto Spec variants come with 255/40-R19 rubber upfront and 275/35-R19 at the rear.