There are three ways to develop a new sports car in 2024: sell enough pickup trucks to fund the project (aka the General Motors and Ford method), platform share with another company (the Toyota, Subaru, BMW strategy), or you do a heavy update on an existing platform (the path Nissan chose). The 2024 Nissan Z is technically an all-new seventh-generation of the legendary sports car nameplate, but it shares but in common with the outgoing 370Z, including its platform. Hence why the new Z uses the internal code RZ34, an evolution of the 370Z’s Z34 designation.

You’ll notice that Nissan had to keep certain elements from the outgoing car, like the overall shape, interior trim, and more. Nissan changed what it could, redesigning the exterior and giving the interior a much-needed technology overhaul. The result is an interesting blend of modern and retro and a vehicle that wants to be a sports car but ends up as something else.

Reading the recipe – a 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine, rear-wheel-drive, and a manual transmission – the Z has all the makings of a great sports car, yet instead, it feels more like a grand tourer. In the same way that flour, cheese, and tomato sauce make a pizza, those same ingredients can also make pasta.

Exterior: Retro Meets Modern

Nissan wanted the Z to take elements from past Z cars and incorporate them into one vehicle. Mission successful. The headlights hark back to the original Datsun 240Z, the taillights remind us of the 300ZX from the ’90s, and the overall shape is similar to the 370Z. There are some key visual differences between the base Sport trim and our Performance trim tester. The sport rides on 18-inch wheels, while the Performance gets 19-inch RAYS wheels. A rear spoiler is added for a sportier appearance. It also gets larger brakes with four-piston calipers up front and two-piston calipers in the rear, making the Performance trim far better at stopping compared to the Sport.

The Z comes in a range of exciting colors with three monotone and six two-tone hues with a black roof. Our tester wore Boulder Gray Pearl with the black roof, a more muted but still interesting color. We took the Z to a Cars & Coffee event, where even amongst Ferrari and McLaren supercars, it was a star of the show. Almost everyone in attendance commented on how good it looks, but also noted that it was the first one they had seen in Central Florida.

Interior: Old And New Collide

The theme of mixing the old with the new continues inside where anyone who has ever spent time in a 370Z (or even a 350Z) will notice some similarities. Most of the switchgear, including the HVAC controls, window switches, dome lights, door handles, and air vents mounted on the doors are all ripped right from the old car. This is to be expected since there are certain things that you can’t change when updating an old platform, but we think Nissan made the right calls on where to put the updates.

A modern eight-inch infotainment system comes standard, while the Performance upgrades to a larger nine-inch screen. It’s not the newest system Nissan has in the lineup, but it has all the modern features like wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a new 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that can be configured to put the tachometer front and center. These screens are a welcomed touch of modernity, but Nissan left the analog dashboard gauges from the 370Z, now showing boost pressure and turbocharged speed. It’s a lovely blend of retro and modern.

The Sport gets cloth seats, while the Performance offers three interior colors with leather and suede: black, red, and blue. Our tester had the blue option, which adds a unique touch to the cabin.

Performance: Thanks, Infiniti

For years, Nissan enthusiasts wondered why the company developed a potent twin-turbocharged V6 engine and only put it into two Infiniti models. The 3.0-liter unit from the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport has finally taken its rightful place under the Z’s hood, boosting the output to 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque (420 hp and 384 lb-ft in the Nismo model). You can get this car with a six-speed manual transmission or an optional nine-speed automatic. For reasons we will talk about in the driving impressions segment, we actually prefer the automatic. Upgrading to the Performance trim adds a limited-slip differential, a key feature that keen drivers will want.

Despite having more power than its closest rival, the Toyota GR Supra, the Z is considerably slower to 60 mph, 4.3 seconds with the automatic compared to 3.9 seconds for the Supra. Adding a third pedal, the Z takes 4.5 seconds to hit 60 mph while the Supra does the deed in 4.3 seconds. The Supra will also finish the quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds – 0.4 seconds quicker than the Z. Weight is the enemy here, with the Z tipping the scales between 3,486 to 3,704 pounds. Even the heaviest Supra is only 3,411 lbs with the four-cylinder model weighing just 3,181 lbs.

Driving Impressions: Softer Than Expected

If you want to purchase a new Z expecting a thrilling sports car, you may end up disappointed by the end product. Is the Z fast? Moderately so, yes. Does it handle well? Sure, to an extent. But is it a true rival for the best America and Europe have to offer at this price range? We aren’t so sure. Soft suspension, even on the Performance trim level, doesn’t inspire confidence when you want to drive the Z at its limits. This issue is exacerbated on a race track, where the car feels too heavy and sloppy. Luckily, Nissan’s Nismo division sorted the suspension and handling, making the Z Nismo a far more competent track weapon.

The standard Z, especially the base Sport trim, ends up feeling like a fast cruiser. In other words, a Grand Tourer. It sounds pretty good, rides well, is quiet on the highway, but it can still be entertaining when hustled just below the ragged edge on a windy road. Expectations make or break this car. If you just want something fast and comfy, the Z delivers. If you want a track monster, you either get the Nismo, or look to another brand.

This is my first time spending an extended stint with the Z’s six-speed manual transmission, and I came away not loving it. Go ahead and take away my car enthusiast credentials. The problem for me lies with the Exedy clutch, which is supposedly designed for high performance. The clutch pedal itself feels too light, the travel is too long, and it’s hard to feel where the bite point is. As a result, shifting smoothly is nearly impossible, much to the chagrin of your passengers.

Since the Z feels more like a GT car anyway, we wouldn’t fault anyone for getting the nine-speed automatic, which is the only choice for the Z Nismo. The manual gearbox itself is quite nice with short throws, clicky engagement points, and a great rev-match feature, but the clutch makes it difficult to enjoy rowing through the cogs. Nissan’s automatic is smoother, faster, and better overall.

Practicality: GT Space

It’s tough to claim that a car is a ‘grand tourer’ if it’s incapable of bringing you and your passenger’s luggage along for the ride. Since the Z retains the liftback design from the 350Z and 370Z, it accommodates a relatively large amount of stuff – for a two-seater. The trunk holds 6.9 cubic feet with a wide opening that can easily fit two medium-sized suitcases. Unfortunately, the trunk area is not very deep and the wheel wells take up a significant amount of the usable space. The Toyota Supra has a narrower but deeper trunk area, so it beats out the Z with 10.2 cubic feet of space. On paper, the Toyota seems more practical, but the shape of the Z’s cargo bay makes it more usable than the numbers might suggest.

Pricing & Verdict: Spend For Performance

The 2024 Nissan Z Sport may seem like the best value starting at just $42,210. Yes, that is more than last year’s price ($40,990), but you still get a whopping 400 hp in the low $40,000 range. A Toyota GR Supra 2.0 is considerably more ($46,440) but only comes with a four-cylinder engine producing 255 hp. On paper, this makes the Z seem like a tremendous value, but the small brakes, softer suspension, and lack of a limited-slip differential make the Z Sport a compromised enthusiast vehicle.

If you are ok getting a cool-looking car that’s quick in a straight line, the Sport should be ok, but buyers who crave superior handling should shell out $52,210 to get the Z Performance. For the track, we highly recommend the Z Nismo, though it is expensive at $65,090.

There are other vehicles at this price range, namely the Supra, that we like better as a sports car. However, the Z is more comfortable, arguably better looking, and more unique. It may not be the sharpest driving experience available, but it works great as a fast GT car. If that’s all you want from a car, the Nissan Z won’t disappoint.