2024 Nissan Z 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo AT

The Dream

If I were to build a dream garage, it would go something like this: my daily car would be a second-generation Mitsubishi Pajero while my go-fast car would be a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V. Seeing a trend? Yes, I’m a bit of a Mitsu fan. But I’ll add one exception: my weekend cruiser car would be a classic Nissan 240Z. In orange, with black wheels and those black fender flares. I may even go all-black for it.

Of course, we’re just talking about a fantasy, but the fun part of this job is sometimes I get to live out the dream, even for a few days. Such was certainly the case when Nissan handed me the key to the Z.

Rarely does a car in my garage get me to simply pull up a chair on a Sunday with a hot mug of coffee in hand and just sit there and admire. But for some reason, the Z did. The lines are clean and the silhouette is gorgeous: long hood with the two-door cab set back, finished off with a fastback look. It’s a modern homage to the original from 1969; a bygone era when cars were penned to be sexy, elicit oohs and ahhs from the people around it.

It’s hard to not just sit there and take the experience all in. The Nissan Z is a beautiful car, despite what the naysayers may think. Yes, the 370Z was nice, but it just didn’t capture the classic feel. This one does, particularly in the way they shaped the headlights, the radiator intake, and even the taillights. Yes, it’s a modern homage much in the same way that the 911 will always have those original characteristics that make it so unique.

And then you open the doors and step in. The first thing we really notice is that the seat isn’t as low as we thought it would be. Compared to a GR86 or an MX-5 which both have low seats, the seat of the Z is a bit higher. If anything, it somewhat feels like a Mustang seat with the height of the cushion above the ground.

Then there’s the seating position: it doesn’t feel too racecar-ish in the sense that it demands you to conform to the 100% racing driver seating position. It has quite a bit more give in that, like a grand tourer that you could enjoy while cruising down the highway or a scenic coastal road.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s very much a sports car with a driver-oriented interior. The steering wheel position is perfect, the digital cluster is clear and concise, the pedals are just right, and the triple analog gauges on top of the dash make sure I know what voltage the car is doing, along with the turbo’s RPM and pressure in bar. Actually, if anything, the interior does seem rather plain, but there’s nothing wrong with that because this ain’t a luxury car.

The only thing I really do not like is the transmission control. It’s a more ergonomic version of the whiteboard eraser drive selector in the Kicks e-Power, but it works. I would much rather prefer a proper 6-speed manual gearbox and three pedals, though I think the 9-speed automatic is a better compromise for everyday driving.

Pop the hood, and you’ll see a 3.0L V6 filling up that engine bay. But it’s not an ordinary V6, as you’ll spot a pair of turbos serving all six cylinders. Nissan knows this setup very well, as they’ve already been using the VR twin-turbo engine in other displacements with the GT-R and even the upcoming Patrol, as well as a variety of upmarket Infiniti models.

The Z gets 383 PS and 475 Nm of torque, though it doesn’t sound like it when you power it up. When you do put your foot down and let it do its thing on the tarmac, then that engine just comes alive… with the sound of music.

The shifting logic as we carve through the mountains is nice, but it’s definitely more fulfilling if you row through the gears on the manual paddle shift. The steering is nice, but definitely not as sharp as other lightweight rear-wheel drive sports cars like the BRZ/GR86 or MX-5. The same goes for the suspension: it’s softer compared to other sports models like the BMW Supra while being a bit on the heavy side. This isn’t a lightweight coupe; this is more of a GT.

Yes, if you play it right, the Z delivers a very rewarding drive, but it’s better to think of it like a big power muscle car. The engine has a lot of thrust being sent through the rear wheels, so you must be careful about how you modulate the throttle when you power out of corners, otherwise, you might find the Z in a ditch. I’m sure the stability control will try to save you, but we have no desire to exceed its limits just for the sake of saying we tested it. By that logic, we don’t want to test the airbags either.

As I said, this is a great GT type cruiser. It’s fast, it’s fun, but it’s not a featherweight that loves going around very tight corners again and again. This is great for those long sweeping curves and doing speed runs on the highway (within reason, of course). We won’t care too much about things like fuel economy either (5.2 km/L in the city, by the way) or cargo space (there isn’t much) because this isn’t meant to be a practical everyday car.

What the new Z presents is a different take on a performance car for 3.88 million pesos. When I reviewed it, we also had the Civic Type R (FL5) which was priced exactly the same as this. Then there’s also the prospect of the upcoming GR Corolla all-wheel drive which will be in the same price range as well. Even the all-new Mustang is being launched too, and that will offer over 500 horses for 3.99 million. This sub-4M performance car class is definitely getting very interesting this year.

Nice as it may be and as powerful as the new Z is, I still think the 240Z is safe on my list for a dream garage, even though it will likely stay as just that: a dream.