Nissan Z Nismo Video Is So Captivating It Makes You Want To Live In The USA

On this side of the ocean, the Nissan Z is often overlooked because it's not available here, but it's considered one of the best classic sports cars on the market. In the United States, it is well received and represents one of the main competitors of the Toyota Supra.

However, the car had a little something missing. Nissan recently unveiled the new Z without offering a truly performance version, anything truly radical. There was no Nismo version, as had been the case for the Nissan 350Z and 370Z. Now, thanks to a preview from Nissan, we know a Z Nismo is in the works, and we have a clear idea of ​​what it will look like.

Nissan tapped Formula Drift legend Chris Forsberg to get the most out of the power of this high-performance model, the Z Nismo, and put on a show to announce its arrival.

Regarding the details of the new car, including the technical aspects, Nissan is keeping silent for the time being. Luckily, the video already reveals a few things that give us some clues about how the new model will look.

The highlight is the more aggressive design, characterized by more angular bumpers highlighted in red along the lower part. The Z also features a wrap-around spoiler that extends from the tailgate to the rear window. Finally, the exclusive bucket seats with the Nismo logo (although they appear to be Recaro) do not go unnoticed.

The video features a Nissan Z that looks a lot more aggressive, as you might expect. However, it does not provide any information regarding the suspensions, settings or mechanical aspects of the car. It is nevertheless obvious that the model presented in the video is equipped with an automatic transmission, as confirmed by the presence of paddles behind the steering wheel.

It should be pointed out that the automatic transmission, especially when it comes to a dual-clutch transmission or an eight-speed ZF transmission, is not necessarily a disadvantage in terms of sportiness (Porsche uses the PDK transmission competing since the 1980s). However, in the American market, where a sports car equipped with a manual transmission gives its owner a certain prestige at local gatherings such as "Cars & Coffee", the presence of an automatic transmission on the Z Nismo is of some significance.

Mechanically, the rest remains unknown. In the previous generation, the Nissan 370Z Nismo did not show a very spectacular power increase (+13 HP in Europe and +18 HP in the United States). It is likely that in this case, too, the increase will be minimal.

In the video, it looks like the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine is the same as the Nissan Z, and the tachometer shows the same 7,000 rpm limit. In any case, it would be strange to see the Z Nismo with the same 400 hp as the Z Coupe.

However, this is all just to point out that the Nissan Z is not available for sale in Europe and Nissan has no plans to import it. It is a model developed mainly for the American market, where coupes still have a large market share. That said, there are always parallel importers for those who really want to get one.