Driven: 2027 Nissan Z NISMO Is a Purist's Track Car
Key takeaways
- Nissan gives the 420-hp Z NISMO a manual transmission and creates a two-seater unlike anything else on the market.
- View exterior photos Nissan As a professional car reviewer, it is my job to complain.
- The 2027 Z gets a timely refresh across all its trims.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Nissan gives the 420-hp Z NISMO a manual transmission and creates a two-seater unlike anything else on the market.
View exterior photos Nissan As a professional car reviewer, it is my job to complain. Even when a car is very good, there's always something to critique. For instance, I never drove the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO when it debuted, but if I did I probably would have said something like, "So the Nissan Z with the most horsepower only gets an automatic transmission? Hey, 1980s GM called and it wants its product strategy back!" I might also have pointed out that the Z NISMO's natural rival, the Toyota Supra, offered a manual transmission. Those would have been valid points and, in the first case, also a sick burn. But for 2027, Nissan will offer the Z NISMO with a six-speed manual transmission just as Toyota cancels the Supra's manual transmission, along with the rest of the car—2026 was the Supra's final year. But there's probably still something to complain about, so I went to Sonoma Raceway to find out what.
The 2027 Z gets a timely refresh across all its trims. The front end is reworked with a less rectangular grille, wider toward the bottom and intended to evoke the original 240Z. The Nissan badge on the hood is now a simple "Z." On the functional side, the damper tubes are larger in diameter, a change that Nissan says is aimed at improving handling rather than ride. And the Performance trim can be had in a killer color combo, two-tone Shinkai Green (think British racing green) with a tan leather interior.