Most of us, admittedly, would be hard-pressed to say we grow better as time goes on. Sure, we can cite increases in knowledge or experience as proof we’ve improved, but at the end of the day, the lines on the face and the grays in the hair and the aches in the bones force us to admit the truth: aging sucks.
Cars, though, are a different story. Every model year, every generation offers an opportunity for refinement. The 2027 Nissan Z may still be based on a revised version of its predecessor’s chassis, which was developed during the Dubya years, but constant adjustment has given the Z repeated opportunities to prove its virtues. And in a market that has all but given up on affordable sports cars, the Z’s continued improvement gives it yet another way to try and woo buyers who might otherwise be tempted to succumb to the appeal of a four-door, a front-driver, or an EV.
The big news here, of course, is that the sharp-edged Nissan Z Nismo variant now comes with an available 6-speed manual gearbox, a transmission that was available on the base version from launch but excluded from the sportier variant for … reasons. The new Nismo’s stick works in concert with an upgraded clutch and a fresh shifter packing a shorter stroke, while the twin-turbo V-6 has seen its throttle and ignition timing rejiggered to deliver a more potent response when you punch the go pedal. (Of course, you can still choose the 9-speed automatic if you want, but know that you’ll face plenty of judgment at every Cars & Coffee you visit.)
The Nismo also picks up a new front brake design, with a two-piece iron-aluminum brake rotor and improved cooling channels—a combo that both helps keep the brakes in their happy place on track and shaves 19 pounds of unsprung weight from the car. The suspension has thus been retuned to adjust, of course, while the steering rack has been massaged to reduce wheelsawing when pushing hard.
Non-Nismo [Nisless? —Ed.] versions of the Z also see changes for MY2027. Chief among them is a new front fascia, which boasts a body-color crossbar on the front grille and a “Z” in lieu of a “Nissan” logo on the snout. The mid-tier Z Performance model also comes with larger-diameter monotube shock absorbers for a smoother ride, a new black-and-tan interior option, forged 19-inch wheels with black spokes, and a 15-watt wireless charger (which also comes to the Nismo) that has a magnetic connector to keep your phone from flying off at the first cloverleaf. And all 2027 Z models also come with a redesigned gas tank that’s designed to resolve any issues with fuel delivery during high-speed cornering.
The 2027 Z hits dealerships this summer; pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but given the nature of the changes, we wouldn’t expect drastic alterations from the current MSRPs of $44,265 for the base Z Sport, $54,265 for the Z Performance, and $67,045 for the Z Nismo.
Will Sabel Courtney is a contributing editor at Road & Track. A 12-year veteran of journalism, he formerly worked at Gear Patrol, The Drive and RIDES Magazine, and contributed to the New York Daily News and Jalopnik, among other outlets. You can often find him test-driving new cars in New York City, cursing the slow-moving traffic surrounding him.
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