Or maybe I should have said “did”. But either way, I’m sorry to admit that I’m not sure that I did.
So yes…It’s almost hard to believe that Nissan’s Z has been with us for as long or longer than most readers will remember. The first Z rolled into America back in 1970….and was an instant hit. If you wanted one, you were told to just put down your deposit and get in line…and wait.
It was an eye-catching, weatherproof, reliable, honest to goodness fun-to-drive genuine sports car. After decades of somewhat questionable British sports cars, heck…who didn’t want something like that back then? Today, if you still want an original, you’ll probably have to pay around 10X the original 240 Z’s roughly $3,500 window sticker for a well-preserved example.
But if you’re still looking for an eye-catching, weatherproof, reliable, honest-to-goodness fun-to-drive genuine sports car, a better idea might be to just pony up the $40-something to mid-$50’s for today’s Z.
Here’s why:
0 to 60 in a blink over 4 seconds.
150+ top end.
And handling that’ll tempt you to break the law every time you see a curve.
And let’s go back and think about that roughly $45,000 - $55,000 window sticker for a quick minute, OK? In an age when $60 - $90,000 is not uncommon for a loaded SUV or pickup, you could look at Nissan’s ‘24 Z as almost a bargain.
Your “Sport” and “Performance” Z’s come with a 3.0 liter, 400 HP twin turbo and your choice of a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed auto. We lucked out and had the stick-shift Performance edition for a week.
Can a stick-shift get a little tiresome in stop-n-go traffic? Sure. But there’s an upside, too. When you have 400 HP at your service, you can just about select whatever gear YOU choose. It almost becomes a matter of sound. Do you want to keep it in second or third around town and just listen to the engine growl a bit? Fine. It’s your call to make. Again, this is a sports car…and fun is a reason that you buy a vehicle like this…right?
Here’s some of the “go” pieces that make Nissan’s “Performance” Z the real deal: 19” super-lightweight alloys with performance vented discs with red calipers, speed-sensitive steering, double-wishbone sport-tuned suspension,
Front and rear stabilizer bars, a two-point front strut tower brace, a limited-slip differential, a synchro-rev-match feature that’ll make you feel like an F-1 driver, and an EXEDY high-performance clutch synched with launch control.
Serious pieces for a serious sports car.
But the last 50+ years have also brough an expectation for comfort, too….and the Z delivers.
The most noticeable on our test Z was the synthetic blue suede heated seats. In real life, they just kinda’ explode on your eyeballs. As for me…love ‘em. And with the Z’s low-stance on the road, you’ll appreciate the front and rear parking sensors, too. Plus you’ll get a 12.3” monitor + a special 3-gauge cluster.
Want to know the G-Forces that you’re pullin’? Your turbo boost and turbo RPM’s? It’s all there…and more.
Like I said, this is a real genuine performance sports car. If you need more, Nissan has an almost track-ready NISMO version with an additional 20 HP for about 10K more. But, again, the NISMO needs little more than for you to paint a number on the side and head to Road Atlanta. Your around-town ride is going to be on the harsh side in something like that.
So what do you get besides “fun”? Today’s Z is a two-seater….no “pretend” rear seats with one or two inches of legroom. And that gives you room in the rear hatch to buy more cases of wine than you should ever admit to…or a pack a couple of inflatable paddleboards or kayas for a long weekend on the water…or simply stow enough for a couple to hit the road for a week…or even two.
In short, Nissan’s Z has gotten more chiseled and buff over the past 55 years. Wish I could say the same. And in an era with $300,000 supercars that require $10,000 routine service, if you’re looking for affordable performance, Nissan’s Z has a lot to offer these days.
