Nissan finally renewed their legendary sportscar last year but instead of continuing with a name with performance-type numerals, it just has the Z name. This year’s Tokyo Auto Salon sees the company introduce the Nissan Z to its home market.
Similar to previous generations, the new 2022 Nissan sports car in Japan will continue to bear the Fairlady Z name. Nissan has also made special emphasis on the Fairlady Z name, designing a beautiful emblem that is placed on the rear of the vehicle, a great throwback to the Z32 300ZX model.
Available in both manual and automatic transmission, four variants of the new Nissan Fairlady Z will be made available to Japanese fans. Differences between each variant will be subtle, with the braking system, suspension stiffness and wheel sizes the only performance differentiator, as all Fairlady Z models will come equipped with the 3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine with outputs of 405 hp and 475 Nm.
The all-new nine-speed automatic transmission features a Sport mode with faster powertrain and steering response, less restrained stability control as well as more pumped-up Active Sound Enhancement (synthesised engine note into the cabin).
No mention of the benchmark 0 to 100 km/h sprint times, but Nissan says the new powertrain should trim 15% compared to the outgoing model, which is 5.6 seconds for the 7-speed automatic and 5.2 seconds for the Nismo model.
Similar to the North American market, a Proto Spec variant will also be offered on a lottery as it will only be limited to just 240 units at a price of just under JPY7 million (RM257k)! The Proto Spec variant gets yellow-coloured brake calipers with Z logo, bronze-coloured 19-inch Rays forged wheels, exclusive manual shift lever knob, Proto Spec leather seats with yellow accents, Proto Spec suede and cloth door trim with yellow stitching and finished with Proto Spec interior stitching.
Like the colours of the new Fairlady Z? you can get sneakers in matching yellow or blue!
To recap, the body rigidity has been increased for the new Nissan Fairlady Z, with new monotube shock absorbers, new suspension geometry and high-performance tyres help increase the maximum cornering G by up to 13%. Nissan has also fitted an updated mechanical rear limited-slip differential (LSD) in the new Nissan Z, replacing the viscous-based unit.
Inside, the driver gets a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel with a large tachometer at the centre with a racing driver-inspired redline (7,000 rpm) and shift-up light at the ‘12 o’clock’ position. Other vital information such as fluid temperatures and oil pressure are also displayed in large circular gauges.
Similar to many older generations of Fairlady Z cockpits, the driver’s instrumentation is completed with a three-pod analogue gauge set consisting of the turbocharger boost meter, turbocharger turbine speed (up to 250,000 rpm) and battery voltmeter.
GALLERY
Nissan Fairlady Z at TAS 2022
Nissan Z, USA
