2024 Nissan Z NISMO: Track-Ready Right Out of the Box

“Dude, I heard Angeles Crest is closed,” said Matt, my co-pilot and videographer. This wasn’t surprising after the ridiculous amount of rain we had just received in L.A.

We were looking for somewhere to shoot video of the new Nissan Z NISMO. We checked the map on our phones and saw that the famed California State Route 2 was indeed marked in red with a closed symbol through it.

“Maybe it’s closed a bit higher up?” I said, hopefully. “Let’s go see!”

We pulled out onto the freeway entrance ramp and I punched it. It was one of the first times I had really put my foot into this car. It downshifted, the engine sang, and we were thrust back in our seats. We both smiled. No matter what we found on Angeles Crest, we were going to have some fun today.

The New Z—Enhanced

The latest, 7^th generation of the Nissan Z—which was launched as an all-new 2023 model—is already offered in Sport and Performance versions. But for 2024, it’s now also available as a NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) version. This edition’s 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo puts out 420 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque—and peak torque is delivered from 2,000 rpm all the way through 5,200 rpm. We felt it as the car just kept pulling and pulling and pulling as we entered the freeway. (Luckily, it was mid-day, the rain had stopped, and the L.A. freeways were wide open.)

Nissan’s Z models have a long and successful history, often synonymous with performance, style, and affordability. This started in 1969 with the Datsun 240Z and Fairlady Z from Japan, followed by the likes of the 280Z, 300Z, 350Z, and 370Z models that came over the next 50+ years.

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NISMO editions are a bit rarer. This model is only the third generation Z to be worthy of the NISMO badge. (The others were the 2007–08 350Z and the 2009–20 370Z NISMO.) It earns this moniker with upgrades specifically engineered for track performance including additional horsepower and torque, specially-tuned suspension and brakes, revised aerodynamic bodywork in front and rear—including a taller and wider rear spoiler—and wider wheels with a more aggressive tire compound.

What does all of this mean? It means it’s damn quick and truly sticks to the pavement (or, race track).

Wide-Open Road and Zippy Shifts

We got off the freeway and headed to our spot. So far so good. Not only was the road not closed, but the sun was shining and no one was around. Obviously, most folks were smarter than us to heed the warnings and stay away...but we lucked out. A nearly wide-open twisty two-laner awaited—with the only traffic being the occasional snowplow truck or emergency vehicle heading up the route to higher elevation where the earlier rain had turned to snow.

After we shot some stills, I was able to take some runs up and down the road. The car is extremely fun to drive—one of those vehicles that just puts a smile on your face.

The NISMO’s interior enhancements include red-anodized engine-start and drive mode buttons, manual-adjust Recaro seats and a leather and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with a red marker at the 12 o'clock position.

Some folks don’t like that the Z NISMO doesn’t come with a manual transmission—but I didn’t mind. It’s nine-speed automatic transmission shifts incredibly quickly, having been enhanced for track use. The revised clutch packs and engine management software have cut downshift time by almost half, compared to the Z Performance model. And it also features launch control—for aggressive standing-start acceleration and 0-60 times around four seconds.

I played with the various modes: Normal, Sport, and Sport+. This vehicle could definitely function as a great daily driver in Normal and Sport modes. It’s fun and zippy—but the shifts are still smooth. Sport+ mode, however, is track-ready. Nissan says the shift programming is designed to be so responsive that a driver does not need to use the shift paddles on track. While I didn’t push the car too hard on these roads, I can attest that the shifts are lightning fast. Here, the NISMO lives up to it motorsports heritage.

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Track-Ready Performance at a Price

While the standard 2024 Z Sport model starts at $42,300, this high-end NISMO version comes in at $65,000—which is comparable to the performance versions of BMW’s M2 or Toyota Supra, and less than a new Corvette.

It includes convenience features like Amazon Alexa built in as well as a range of driver assistance and safety technologies like automatic emergency braking that includes pedestrian detection, along with sensors to warn for blind spots, lane departures, and forward collisions, plus more.

Luckily, we didn’t have to test any of these features—but we did enjoy a rare wide-open road that day and our journey back home in the Z NISMO. And let this be a reminder—if a road shows as closed on your map…sometimes it’s worth double-checking.