Can a factory race-ready performance car ever serve as a daily driver? In the case of the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO, the answer is a surprising yes, at least much of the time.
I did not think that when I tested a 2020 370Z NISMO, the last year of the previous generation of Nissan’s long running sports car. Although I enjoyed the 350 horsepower produced by its normally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 and optional six-speed manual transmission, the ride was so stiff that I described it as “punishing” on poorly maintained city streets. That was largely because its chassis was 13 years old by then, and desperately in need of a complete redesign.
Nissan delivered the goods with the all-new 2023 Z. Modeled after the early Z cars that revolutionized the sports car world in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it came with an even more powerful 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and much more sophisticated suspension, among other improvements. Widely acclaimed, it can be driven on a daily basis as much as any genuine sports car.
But what about the NISMO version reintroduced for 2024? Most auto writers don’t think so because of its stiffer suspension. I agreed after driving a pre-production version late last year. Although it offers a Standard drive mode that is softer than the Sport and Sport+ choices, I found it unpleasant on many of my neighborhood roads.
But then I drove a production version at Drive Revolution 2024, the most recent comparison of advanced and performance vehicles organized by the Northwest Automotive Press Association in early September. Despite my initial apprehension, the suspension seemed more livable over the country roads around the Iiani Resort outside of Ridgefield, Washington.
But because my test drive only lasted about 20 minutes, I jumped at an offer to test the same vehicle for a week at home. I’m not sure whether the suspension in the production version was actually different or my tolerance for stiff rides has changed, but I now think the NISMO version could double as a daily driver for true enthusiasts. The suspension in all settings was not that much stiffer than the equivalent ones in my previous test vehicle, a 2024 Mercedes AMG GLA35 4MOTION, which is the factory upgraded version of the company’s compact hatchback.
Exceptions include deep potholes and parking lot speed bumps, which can be jarring. But if you keep your eyes open for them, the Standard ride mode did not seem all that harsh this time around.
At the same time, all non-NISMO versions of the Nissan Z are excellent sports cars and cost a lot less. It starts at a reasonable $44,100 for the base Sport version and goes up to $54,110 for the Performance version without additional option. But for nearly $13,000 more, the NISMO version is a completely different animal. It has 20 more horsepower, the aforementioned stiffer adjustable suspension, bigger brakes, Recaro seats, and more. It is also only available with the automatic transmission. Although purists may complain, Car and Driver found it sprinted to 60 in a mere 3.9 seconds, which was significantly faster than either version of the non-NISMO model.
NISMO is Nissan’s in-house performance division founded in September 1984. The name comes from “NISsan MOtorsport,” and it is responsible for the company’s motorsports activities and specialty performance cars. The first NISMO-branded roadgoing model, the Skyline GT-R, was released in 1987, although none were factory imported to North America.
The first NISMO car sold in America was the 350Z NISMO, which debuted at the New York Auto Show in 2007. A Juke NISMO was launched in 2013 as the first mainstream model, followed by the Sentra NISMO in 2017. Nissan continued offering NISMO versions of the Z through the final year of the previous generation, then waited a year to bring it back on the new version.
The exterior redesign has drawn a lot of praise for capturing the spirit of the early Z-cars. The NISMO version looks even better with a lower front air dam, rear spoiler, lower body trim, and wider wheels with bigger tires. But the interior deserves recognition, too, for harkening back to the original design while upgrading the materials and, of course, technologies. The Recaro seats are deeply sculpted for additional support during hard cornering. The result is everything a genuine sports car should be — especially since the turbo V6 provides instant acceleration through the quick-shifting nine-speed automatic.
The availability of a race-ready factory performance car is not a problem for anyone who can afford multiple vehicles. But enthusiasts on a budget might not be able to afford a second car, or want to bother with it. That is one reason why the rally-oriented STi version of the Subaru WRX will be missed. Perhaps the biggest challenge to driving my test 2024 Z NISMO year-round are the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires that came on it. They have minimal tread, which is great on dry roads but problematic when it rains. A set of all-weather performance tires would be a wise investment for anyone wondering if it could their only ride.
The rebirth of the Nissan Z is a cause for celebration. And the company deserves credit for offering the even more performance-oriented NISMO version, even if it is not available with a manual transmission. Enthusiasts who give it a chance should still be pleased with its track-ready capabilities. And treated right, its collectability should help offset its higher asking price.
2024 Nissan Z NISMO
Base price: $64,990
Price as tested: $68,290
Type: Compact sports car
Engine: Twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 (420 hp, 384 lbs-ft)
Transmissions: 6-speed manual; 9-speed automatic
Drive modes: Standard, Sport, Sport+
EPA estimated mileage: 17/24
Overall length: 172.4 inches
Curb weight: 3,602 pounds
Final assembly: Kaminokawa, Tochigi, Japan
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