New 2023 Nissan Z’s performance is insufficient

2023 Nissan Z’s performance

2023 Nissan Z’s performance, The finest Z in recent memory will need better tires and more smart dampers to stay up with the pack leaders. Can we give a standing ovation to plate tectonics? After all, it is this uncontrollable tectonic process that has resulted in the numerous spectacular driving routes that crisscross the valleys and mountain slopes that surround the massive Los Angeles basin. It’s the ideal location for testing a new sports car like the 2023 Nissan Z, and our West Coast testing facilities are conveniently located on the other end of the spectrum. A journey to the track is the ultimate commute if you work on the West Coast test crew.

During our brief contact with the Z at the launch event, we were completely captivated by its well-executed vintage design and searing 400-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 borrowed from the Infiniti Q50/60 Red Sport. The driving routes, on the other hand, were more scenic than challenging, and the track session was way too short and scheduled. That’s why we’re here, smelling hot brakes and jotting notes after a lengthy exercise in a turnout high above Los Angeles.

A couple in a 370Z arrives into the overlook as we’re standing there. They notice the Z and go to a nearby spot. He can scarcely contain his delight. “Oh, dude. Is it the 400Z for the first time?” We don’t have to explain that it’s just Z this time since it’s a turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, not a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated one, and replicating the 300ZX wasn’t an option. “How’s it doing so far? After all, it has to be better than my car, right? “he says, gazing over the Z with approval. We both agree, “Yeah.” “Especially the engine, it’s a lot better than the 370Z.”

That is obviously correct. The new Z surpasses the 370Z by a wide margin. However, that vehicle was initially unveiled 14 years ago, according to the calendar. The 370Z should be outperformed by the new Z. When asked to complete sports car tasks on our own roads, we wanted to see if Nissan had gone far enough, if the 2023 Nissan Z Performance lived up to the standards of a modern $50,000 sports car. Fault lines were beginning to emerge on that note.

The fact that the Z is an evolution of the 370Z rather than a complete redesign explains a lot of this. The two cars share a wheelbase, overall width, and roof height, as well as much of the chassis—save for a few welded-on components that enhance torsional stiffness by a meager 11%.

The front control arm and multilink rear suspensions haven’t changed much, with the exception of a revised upper control arm for greater caster and monotube dampers rather than twin-tube dampers, which are incremental bolt-on upgrades. The new engine with its stacked layer of coolers (engine, AC, oil, gearbox, and intercooler)(How often synthetic oil change?) add 180 pounds to the previous 370Z we tested (3507 vs. 3327 pounds), with the weight of the front axle increasing by one percentage point (56 versus 55).

Up to about six-tenths of the way, the Z Performance seems synced and willing. In terms of linearity and predictability, the new electric power steering is acceptable, and the chassis seems well-coordinated as it arcs around corners. The shifter action is substantially less heavy and clumsy than the 370Z’s, thanks to reprofiled detents, and it snicks into place smoothly when operated with a relaxed grip and an open palm. The brakes provide a strong feel underfoot and are easy to operate. The pedals are likewise well-placed for heel-toe footwork, although the SynchroRev Match function comes in useful if you haven’t mastered the steps.

The Z does not behave like a sports car should when the speed and intensity are raised. When the suspension is pressed forcefully, the damping becomes insufficient, and the suspension bounds vertically excessively, especially if the corners are unequal, as they are in a fault zone.

Understeer occurs when the Z’s nose weight increases, and the Bridgestone S007 B-Silent summer tires rapidly show that they don’t provide current levels of sports-car stick, as seen by their 0.93-g rating on our skidpad. In terms of fade resistance and feel, the brakes hold up their end of the bargain, but the tires limit the Z’s stopping distances from 70 mph to 166 feet and from 100 mph to an underwhelming 331 feet. Both are better than the 370Z (0.89 g and 180 feet), although they are far from the best in the class.

On the open road, the engine seems strong and eager, and that feeling persists if you push harder, with the exception of a slight hint of turbo lag that tends to creep in after exercising tremendous caution on the run-up to the types of blind turns you seldom see on a racetrack.

However, it never sounds as thrilling as a Pathfinder, and as your shift inputs get more careful due to hurry, the shifter becomes more rubbery and less satisfying. On the track, its 4.5-second 60-mph time and 13.0-second quarter-mile at 111 mph are underwhelming. Sure, these numbers are better than the previous 370Z, but 68 more horsepower, 80 pound-feet of torque, and no-lift-shift launch control should translate to a 0.4-second time to 60 mph and a half-second time in the quarter.

Those figures didn’t just come out of nowhere. To keep it working properly, our Z required more cooling runs and a few key-up restarts than usual. The 400-horsepower rating of this engine necessitates 93 octane, however 91 octane is the local brew in the Western United States. The engine-control unit may have lacked final production software because it was a pre-production sample.

In Michigan, Nissan gave us another car to test on 93 octane, and the 60-mph time dropped to 4.1 seconds on the way to a quarter-mile time of 12.6 seconds at 115 mph. Despite this, earlier 370Z findings found no difference between 91 and 93, suggesting that either the new turbocharged engine is more octane sensitive than the outgoing normally aspirated engine, or our California test car experienced some pre-production teething issues. All we know for sure is that as soon as Z production autos become available, we will follow up.

The new Z’s cockpit design is inviting, and its physical accommodations are similar to the 370Z’s, with similar head-, leg-, and hip room measures. The steering wheel now telescopic, making finding a comfortable driving position much easier. The seat is almost unchanged, with the exception of repositioned cushions. To be honest, we wish they’d done more here, because having the power-seat fore/aft switch on the transmission tunnel side is just as foolish as it always has been, especially if your significant other is significantly shorter than you.

We like the new reconfigurable instrument panel even more after spending some time with it, with both the dual-dial Normal and central-tach Sport layouts proving to be straightforward to operate. The touchscreen and traditional buttons on the infotainment system function effectively. The primary climate control dials, on the other hand, are completely black, aggravating their small, incomprehensible characters. Then there’s the huge heated-seat and trunk-release controls, which seem like they’re straight out of an Altima parts bin, complete with three-box sedan iconography.

Other than paint, the Z Performance begins at $51,015 and has little options. Ours is the most expensive, at $1695, due to the two-tone Passion Red metallic color, and there isn’t much else to select from. Because of the paint, $500 for illuminated door-sill scuff panels, and $400 for floor mats, Nissan z 2023 price is $53,610. We passed on the new nine-speed automatic because it would have been no more expensive, so we went with the six-speed manual. As one could anticipate.

On paper and at first glance, the 2023 Nissan Z appears to be a tempting possibility, but it isn’t the inexpensive world-beater Z-cars have been in the past. The key phrase appears to be budget, however in this case it refers to Nissan management, who certainly did not set aside enough of one to adequately shake up the market. The new Z has a little too much 370Z in it, and it might need some beefier tires and smarter multimode dampers. This was hardly the seismic shift we had predicted.