The Z has always been more than a car in my family. My late mother loved the Datsun 280Z back in the mid-1970s. She wanted one badly, and my father even considered buying the 2+2 model in 1975. In the end, it never happened, but the 280Z stayed her dream car.
She was not just a dreamer—she was a driver. My father still says she was the best behind the wheel, good enough that he let her teach my brother and me how to drive. To this day, he tells me I drive just like her. That’s why the Z isn’t just another review for me—it’s personal. When I got behind the wheel of the 2025 Nissan Z NISMO, I drove it the way I knew she would have: spirited, deliberate, and with a smile on my face.
Then vs. Now: 1975 Datsun 280Z vs. 2025 Nissan Z NISMO
The 1975 280Z was all about balance. With its long hood, short deck, and simple, driver-focused cockpit, it wasn’t the fastest car on the road, but it didn’t need to be. It offered about 150 horsepower, smooth inline-six power, and a look that turned heads without trying too hard. It was approachable, attainable, and deeply stylish.
The 2025 Z NISMO carries that torch into a vastly different era. The proportions are unmistakably similar—long hood, squared-off rear, katana-blade roofline, and even the triple-pod gauges on the dash. But where the 280Z relied on simplicity, the NISMO leans into brute precision: 420 horsepower from a twin-turbo V6, chassis bracing, stiff suspension, wider Dunlop GT600 tires, and exclusive NISMO aero work.
Both cars, though, share the same philosophy: they give the driver confidence and joy in every mile.
Living With the Z NISMO
The NISMO-exclusive Recaro seats hug you in place, the Alcantara steering wheel, featuring a red stripe, feels like something from a race car, and the digital cluster, with NISMO graphics, blends old-school inspiration with new-school precision.
But the ride? Brutal. Just like the old 280Z could feel raw compared to cushier coupes of its time, the NISMO transmits every road imperfection into the cabin. It’s track-focused, not commuter-friendly. On smooth pavement or in tight corners, though, it rewards you like few cars at this price.
One rainy Atlanta night reminded me of the limitations. The summer tires on this car had no business in a downpour. I turned back, parked it, and grabbed something else from the garage. That’s when it hit me: owning a Z NISMO is like owning a ’75 Z—it’s the special car, not the only car.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Z NISMO isn’t perfect—it’s stiff, weather-dependent, and expensive, with a price tag of nearly $70,000. But just like the 1975 280Z, it has something more valuable than perfection: soul.
It’s a car that makes you feel something every time you see it, sit in it, and drive it. For me, it’s also a way to honor my mother’s dream and carry her love of driving into the present.
The Z has always been about making the driver smile. Fifty years later, that hasn’t changed.