Nissan 400Z 2023 – Full review

Nissan 400Z

Since the release of its sister model, the 370z, in 2008, motor enthusiasts and fans alike have eagerly anticipated the launch of the Nissan 400Z. Now, as we approach the end of 2020, Nissan has finally announced the beginning of production of the eagerly awaited addition to its Z line, the Nissan 400Z, scheduled for August 2021.The Nissan 400Z acts as a testament to Nissan's unwavering commitment to progress, showing clear, substantial improvements from its predecessor, the 370z. It brings to the table a robust VR30DDTT 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, a marked upgrade from the 370z. Buyers also have the choice between a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic transmission, ensuring a tailored driving experience.While the Nissan 400Z evokes a sense of nostalgia with its distinct, vintage-inspired exterior design, it incorporates modern elements seamlessly. All of this contributes to a unique blend of tradition and innovation, establishing an individual personality for the 400Z that sets it apart in the market. As for performance, the focus isn't just on raw power. The Nissan 400Z is built to deliver an unrivaled driving experience, with a specific focus on horsepower and fuel efficiency. This ensures an exhilarating drive that's equally responsible.Available in three different models with a starting price of $39,990, the 400Z ensures a tailored experience suiting the diverse needs of various buyers. Each model comes equipped with unique features and variations, providing prospective buyers with a range of options.In our current age of technology, safety is paramount. Accordingly, the Nissan 400Z doesn't compromise on safety standards, packing state of the art safety features to ensure a secure driving experience.In summary, the Nissan 400Z is more than just a car; it's a grand fusion of tradition and innovation, delivering power and performance without neglecting safety and efficiency. We await the official unveiling with bated breath, excited to see all the unique features in action.

But unfortunately, they delayed the production to 2022 summer, saying they had “unforeseen supply chain issues”, anyway the distribution started in July of 2022. New Nissan Z comes in Three Models, Nissan Z Sport, Nissan Z performance, and Nissan Z ProtoSpec. They only made 240 cars on the Proto Spec model and every one of them was already sold out, but you can buy the other two versions from your nearest Nissan Dealer.

Nissan 400Z Price

Nissan 400Z SPORT ; $39,990

Nissan 400Z PERFORMANCE ; $49,990

Nissan 400Z PROTO SPEC ; $52,990

Nissan Z Brief History

Nissan Z car line is a well-known coupe sports car with remarkable history since 1969. These cars got globally recognized in no time because they were affordable, fun to drive, and two-door cars.

First Generation

The First Nissan Z car(1969) is Fairlady Z, also known as the Z car, was made for 9 years and sold about 520,000 units in that period.In 1970 they made the Datsun 240Z which was popular in America and it won the 19th East-African Safari Rally.

Second Generation

Datsun 280ZX (Nissan S130) was first launched in 1978 and is most appreciated among sports car customers for its luxurious interior.

Third Generation

Nissan 300ZX (Z31) was first manufactured in 1983 and produced until 1989. Nissan 300ZX s most attractive fact was its turbo V6 engine, Also its leather upholstery and air condition features made it popular.

Fourth Generation

Nissan 300ZX(Z32) was introduced in 1989. Its wide body and low-proportioned Design gave it a fabulous look and this style is just a downgraded version of the modern Nissan GTR, so now we know where that incredible design of the Nissan GTR came from.

Fifth Generation

Nissan 350Z first started production in 2002 and has a 3.5 litre V6 engine with a 5-speed transmission for manual models and 6-speed for auto models. It was an extremely successful car which made many sales for the Nissan company.

Sixth Generation

Nissan 370Z first introduced in 2008 and was being manufactured until 2020. It has a 3.7-litre V6 engine and 6-speed transmission for the manual and 7-speed transmission for the auto model. This model is also equally successful for Nissan as its predecessor Nissan 350Z.

Back to Nissan 400Z,

Exterior Design

It’s not great, but fine, it doesn’t give a luxurious look like the new supra or an exquisite look like GT-R. But at first glance it looked to me like a perfect JDM sports car, it seems like Nissan decided to keep the vintage inspiration contemporary with the new Z.

The tail lights are undoubtedly inspired by the old Z32 300ZX, and the headlamps are from 240ZG which have a semi-circular, oval-shaped design, Front grill is filled with large silver-coloured rectangular pieces also like the old 240G, it seems like the criticism people had for the big black grill when Nissan revealed the prototype back in 2021 caused this change in the original model.

Interior Design

The interior design is kind of a mix of the old 370Z model interior and new technology, the handbrake, climate controllers, and door panels are entirely lifted from the old z model, although the steering wheel and the front display are completely new to the Nissan and it has various options.

What I found kinda interesting is that the manual transmission model of the Z car doesn’t have any driving mods like sport mode, eco mode or comfort mode, and Nissan says they’ve already built this car sporty and it’s not necessary to include the driving modes in manual transmission because the driver can control the car as he wants, so like I said before, Nissan is going with classic JDM type, but there is one mode called S mode and it is for Automatic rev-matching downshift feature which is a cool thing to have in a sports car but you only get this feature in the performance model.

In the front centre, you will have the infotainment system with an 8.0-inch display and it’s reasonably good, easy to use and pretty intuitive. It also has apple car play and android auto. Also, it has a cup holder in the open and if you pull back the arm holder you get another hidden cup holder which is a clever trick if you want two cupholders in the front.

At the top of the dashboard, you get three gauges, the left – turbo boost gauge, and centre – turbo speed gauge, it is to show you the speed of the turbocharger is rotating which is a cool thing to have, but on the right, you get the battery volt meter gauge which not comply with other two gauges and its kinda funny. Typically the new Nissan Z interior comes in a standard black colour but this time they offered a light blue interior and it looked pretty awesome.

Engine, Transmission and Performance

Nissan upgraded the old Z versions engine to VR30DDTT 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 that is also equipped by Infiniti Q50 sedan and Q50 coupe, and this engine produces 400 horsepower and it spits out 350 lb-ft torque contributing 1,600 to 5,600 rpm. I can assure you that this Nissan Z makes you feel the power under the hood more than its competitor supra 3.0 since our Z has 140 extra horsepower.

Nissan 400Z comes with either 6-speed manual transmission with rev-matching or 9-speed automatic transmission which feels like a big improvement considering 370Z s 7-speed box, And like all other cars in the Nissan Z line, the new Nissan Z has stuck with the rear wheel drive.

Nissan Z with automatic transmission hit 0-60 in just 4.0 sec, just 0.2 sec behind the new Supra 3.0 and Mustang Mach 1, and it achieves 116 mph in a quarter mile (400m), spending 12.3 seconds. Also, Nissan Z has a launch control system which helps you to get a quick start. It is also easy to handle and has very predictable steering, in corners it performs quite well, you will feel flat and small in corners because of its better aerodynamics and exquisite design.

Fuel Efficiency

According to the EPA (United States environmental protection agency), the new Z automatic transmission is more efficient than the manual, it will give you 19 miles per gallon (30 kmpg) in the city, and 28 mpg (45 kmpg) on the highway. If you use the manual the fuel efficiency will be reduced to 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

Safety Features

In all 2023 Nissan Z models you will get advanced driver assistance features. You can drive safely and confidently with better safety features like Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert to prevent accidents and Zone Body Construction along with Rear and Front Crumple Zones, Energy Absorbing Steering Column to reduce damage in an accident.

There are several more features for safety in Z such as,

Intelligent Cruise Control,

Blind spot Warning,

Lane Departure Warning,

Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.

Models and Features

Nissan has released three models for the new Nissan Z.

Nissan Z Sport
Nissan Z Performance
Nissan Z Proto Spec

Nissan Z Performance and Proto Spec come with leather, heated, power seats which are not in the Sport model.

The Performance model has a Rev Matching feature for its manual cars, and Revised Shift Paddles in automatic ones, This Revised Shift Paddles feature comes from Nissan GTR, so it gives you more like a GTR feeling in the Performance model.

Also in the Performance Model The Infotainment System is 9 inches wide and comes with Built-in Navigation, but in the sport model Infotainment System is only 8 inches and did not come with a Built-in Navigation System, anyway, Navigation won’t be a problem since all z models have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Another feature in the performance and Proto spec versions is its Bose sound system with 8 speakers, but the Sport Model comes with a non-branded sound system. The Proto Spec version which is already sold out came with some exclusive designs like Bronze wheels, yellow brake callipers and yellow interior accents, It also have a special plaque to identify them as one of 240 in the World.