Driving report: Nissan Z MJ 2023
Nippon Cayman
Nissan Z MY 2023
© press-inform – the press office
Nissan shows its sporty side in the USA with the Z. The 299 kW / 406 hp two-seater attracts attention like an expensive sports car and is also a lot of fun!
Tell me what you drive and I’ll tell you how you are. Applying that saying, the Nissan execs must think we’re pretty fun-loving folks. No, at this point there will be no discussion about the prohibition society, but a reference to the normative power of the factual. Because in this country you look for the Nissan Z in vain. The two-seater sports car is a real source of joy. The well-known American talk show host, comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno, who is convinced that the new Nissan Z is doing quite a lot right, agrees.
arguments anyone? The Nippon Cayman, which weighs just under 1,500 kilograms, is equipped with a twin-turbo engine (internal code VR30DDTT) which, in a different configuration, provides propulsion for the Infiniti Q50, the Q60 Coupé and the Nissan Skyline. In the Z, the three-liter engine delivers 299 kW / 406 hp and has a maximum torque of 475 Newton meters, which is already present at 1,600 rpm and is maintained up to 5,200 rpm. That is 51 kW / 69 hp and 30 percent more torque than the previous 370 Z.
The Nissan Z is not a speed booster, even if it completes the standard sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h. Apart from the fact that the latter is wasteland in the USA anyway, Japanese two-seaters are concerned with lateral dynamics, with fun driving. So the Nissan engineers put a classic mechanical limited-slip differential on the rear axle and pushed the V6 engine behind the front axle. This front mid-engine concept promises agility. A cross brace behind the two occupants and a second in the front end stiffens the body. The performance model is decelerated with Akebono four-piston brakes and if you want it really puristic, you can take control of your shifting luck with the manual six-speed gearbox. The alternative nine-speed automatic comes from Mercedes and offers shift paddles behind the steering wheel.
Purism runs through the entire car. The Nissan Z is an archaic, old-school sports car without much frills. The steering is direct and sporty and tight, even if the data sheet suggests otherwise, the real fun starts at 5,000 rpm and lasts until 7,000 rpm, where the red zone begins. What happens in between is an acoustic summit dance. The six-cylinder sucks, slurps and saws screeching so full of devotion that one thinks it is intoxicating itself with its own combustion symphony. The driver feels the same way, and if you really want to move the Nissan Z in a sporty way, you can really spin the pistons.
The double-declutching when downshifting is now also part of the good manners on the other side of the Atlantic. The appearance of the canary yellow athlete is in no way inferior to that of a sinfully expensive Italian sports car. Even in celebrity-spoiled Los Angeles, road workers applaud and young women in tight tops jump out of their flip-flops in ecstasy at the arrival of the Nissan Z. But the ultimate accolade comes from a Latin American Mustang GT pilot who appreciatively taps the peak of his baseball cap.
The good thing is that the Nissan Z follows its peppy appearance with action. When it comes to cornering, the increased rigidity of the body has a positive effect and the 19-inch mixed tires (Bridgestone Potenza S007 High Performance, P255/40R19 at the front and P275/35R19 at the rear) help with traction and steering. The fact that the Japanese technicians have remembered the engineering wisdom “if you can do something mechanically, then do it mechanically” when it comes to the locking differential is noticeable with every cornering. The 2.55 meter short wheelbase (the Z is only 4.38 meters long overall) helps with agility. Just so we understand each other correctly, the Nissan Z does not reach the level of a Porsche Cayman when it comes to cornering dynamics, the tires whine too quickly for that. When the Nissan Z is called upon, the front end rolls and nods a little when braking. But this is by no means annoying or worrying. The steering could be a little more responsive, too, but the Nissan Z puts a grin on the driver’s face. On the other hand, the monotube dampers do pretty well on bad roads, without negating the sporty orientation of the vest pocket athlete. And that for a base price of $39,990 and $49,990 for the performance version.
The fact that the Nissan Z is on an outdated platform can be seen in the assistance systems, which lack a stop-and-go function and a lane-keeping assistant. But let’s be honest. If you drive such a classic sports car, you can do without this support. After all, the Nissan Z has a blind spot and a cross traffic warning. The cockpit matches the vehicle and plays with automotive tradition: analogue instruments inform the driver about the boost pressure of the turbo, the oil temperature and the battery voltage. The nine-inch infotainment monitor and two USB ports (type A and C) show that modernity does not leave this Nissan untouched. All that remains is a request to the Nissan managers: Please bring this car to Germany.