Fans asked. Nissan answered: The manual Z NISMO and more for 2027

The 2027 Nissan Z and Z NISMO (expected availability summer 2026) will bring several performance and design changes that further elevate the iconic sports car. The Z NISMO will be available with a manual transmission tuned to handle its 420 horsepower and 384 foot-pounds of torque. It also receives front brake rotors derived from the legendary Nissan GT-R.

All 2027 Z models receive fuel tank design revisions that help maintain consistent performance during aggressive track driving, and Z Performance models add larger-diameter shock absorbers to enhance stability and damping capability.

Z Sport and Performance models receive a restyled front fascia and available Shinkai Green Pearl Metallic paint. Z Performance arrives with redesigned 19-inch wheels and available tan interior upholstery.

Many of these enhancements follow conversations with Z owners and enthusiasts, who Nissan consulted while refining the beloved seventh-generation car.

To discuss the updated Z in detail, Chris Karl, Executive Director of the Z Car Club Association, spoke with Paul Hawson, director of Advanced Product Planning & Strategy at Nissan North America.

A summary of their conversation is below.

2027 Nissan Z NISMO adds manual transmission option

Karl:
What I love about the Z is just how connected Nissan is to the enthusiast community. Going all the way back from the classic Z to what we’re going to talk about here today – the new Nissan Z – that really differentiates your brand.

Hawson:
We try to be. We actually went to ZCON when we were in the concepting stage of this new Z, and we talked to all the different generations of owners. You guys are a key part of that history, so I’m happy to be doing this with you.

Karl:
This latest Z NISMO has some updates coming out. Can you give us the background as to why we have another version of the Z NISMO coming out?

Hawson:
We try to do something every year for the sports cars to keep them relevant and top-of-mind. We love working on these cars for our customers, and it’s a joy for us to continuously improve these things. We’ve been listening to our customers and talking to them. I think we’ve made a substantial improvement.

The big thing everyone kept talking about is the desire for a manual transmission option for Z NISMO. It’s now here. Initially we didn’t launch with it because it’s a track-focused car. If you want to go faster in a modern car, shifts are faster with an automatic transmission. We listened to the customer and they said they still wanted a manual NISMO, so we did it. It’s not just a cut-and-paste of the regular manual. You’ll have a different clutch and different pressure plate to handle the extra torque on the vehicle. We’ve also tuned it so the shift stroke is shorter by about 5 or 6 millimeters. It doesn’t sound like a lot until you’re in there driving.

Karl:
Believe me, the drivers will notice.

Hawson:
The NISMO is also lighter – a lot of that comes from the new brakes we’ve put on this car. The front rotors are derived from the R35 GT-R. The vehicle is nearly 10 pounds lighter on each side. It’s not just jewelry – in our testing, the brakes were about 100 degrees Celsius cooler after 10 laps compared to the previous brakes.

The shocks were tuned for about 5% less rebound, so it is a little more comfortable and stays a little more planted.

Karl:
A lot of customers will look at these changes and say, ‘You took things off my list that I was going to modify.’

Hawson:
Absolutely. We wanted to enhance performance across the board but we know some owners will always want to customize.

Karl:
You guys are giving us a platform that’s hugely extensible.

Hawson:
One of the things I love about going to the ZCCA events is that everyone gets along, whether their Z is stock or heavily modified. There’s no animosity – everyone enjoys each other’s creations.

2027 Nissan Z design changes

Karl:
The model-year 2027 cars also get some design changes. Can you tell us about those?

Hawson:
The biggest change is the front face. When we launched this generation, there was a lot of discussion around the front face and the big grille for cooling. We’ve been able to maintain that cooling but have leaned further into the nostalgia by adding a horizontal bar through the mouth so it looks more like the S30 generation.

We went really into the details to make that happen. The front sonar has been adjusted to achieve this look. 

Karl:
There’s another cue right above the bumper – you made another slight styling choice with the logo.

Hawson:
Yes, that’s one of the things I hope that people notice. It’ll be a Z logo instead of the Nissan logo. People are proud of that badge, so that will be there.

On the Z Performance grade, another homage to heritage are the 19-inch wheels, which are inspired by Z31 wheels.

Finally, we’re launching this in a color that also leans into Z’s legacy. We’ll have Shinkai Green Metallic and a tan interior available, influenced by the S30 generation.

Karl:
Super excited for the tan!

Hawson:
The Shinkai Green Metallic was a bit of a passion project. We had our design team working on it for quite a bit and apparently, green pigments tend to react with the clearcoat in some way that can cause fade and oxidization. So, the green you’ll see has a little bit of extra blue and yellow, and it creates this nice, deep color that is more resistant to fading.

Nissan Z Sport and Performance enhancements for 2027

Karl:
You made some performance tweaks to the refreshed Z Sport and Performance as well, right?

Hawson:
Yes – one of the major changes was with the suspension.

We’ve taken the monotube shocks from the NISMO and tuned them uniquely for the non-NISMO Z’s, so you should feel a difference in comfort and performance.

To help prevent fuel starvation, we also added a baffle to all 2027 Z grades. We heard people say that they wanted that, and we said, ‘OK, got it – you really enjoy high G-forces in this car, so we need to put a baffle in there.’

Karl:
In addition to the tan upholstery option, I believe you did another interior tweak — we get wireless charging now, don’t we?

Hawson:
Yes, there is a wireless charger on Z Performance and Z NISMO.

I’ll admit I was initially against adding a wireless charger because they can overheat your phone, but this Qi2 wireless charger is different – it performs really well. It’s magnetized, so it’ll hold onto your phone³. There’s a little bit of space between the magnetized surface and the phone to enhance ventilation. Our engineers really outdid themselves in the packaging of this.

Karl:
When do you expect we can see the refreshed 2027 Z’s on the road?

Hawson:
We expect availability this summer.

Karl:
Like you, I’m pretty excited about everything your team has done, the evolution of the Z, and seeing these cars on the road and at events. People really gravitate toward them, and there is almost no one out there who doesn’t have some semblance of a Z story. To see them evolve with customer feedback is fantastic.

What gets you most excited about the refreshed Z?

Hawson:
As a Z owner, that’s a tough one. The green-and-tan combination and the story behind it is really exciting. There’s a latent demand for this color combo – people love it. But the driver in me really wants to get my hands on a Z NISMO manual to thrash around and have some fun in, so I’ll have to make that my answer. It’s the easy answer, but I think it’s just awesome.

Karl:
It is – I have been waiting for a Z NISMO manual, and here we are. I just need to prepare my wife for another purchase now!

Hawson:
One more thing: When you start up the car, you’ll notice a new startup sequence on the Sport and Performance grades. It includes previous Z generations popping out in an animation. It’s more nostalgia – we’re trying to pay our respects to the generations before, so I think you’ll enjoy that one.

Karl:
It’s been an honor to be a part of this process. Thanks so much for including me. I hope to see you at ZCON in Phoenix in September.

Hawson:
I’ll be there!

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