Categories: Cars

The Manual Nissan Z Nismo Is Real—And It’s Spectacular

When Nissan launched the new Z for 2023, it did so without the high-performance Nismo variant. The automaker rectified that a year later, but it made another misstep: that car only came with a nine-speed automatic. Now, more than three years after its launch, the Z will have a proper lineup with a manual Z Nismo.

The Z Nismo MT will debut early next month at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and Nissan shared a couple of photos of the car ahead of time. It’s the right-hand-drive version, but the ball-shaped grip and the six-speed shift pattern are clearly visible.

The announcement doesn’t come as a complete surprise. In an interview earlier this year, Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier confirmed, “we have a Nismo manual transmission coming” for the Z. He didn’t elaborate as to when it’d arrive, but now it looks like we’ll get the car next year for 2027—and it might coincide with the arrival of a restyled sports car.

Nissan said in its Tokyo Auto Salon announcement that a refreshed Fairlady Z will launch in Japan this summer, which will “feature new design styling aimed at increasing the aerodynamic performance.” It’s showing off a new Nismo concept car, too.

Photo by: Nissan

That doesn’t sound like a major overhaul, but it might include a new fascia, a rear wing, or other tweaks. 2027 will be the Z’s fifth year on the market, which is around when automakers often refresh a model. We don’tbelieve it’ll include any mechanical changes, but Nissan could easily tweak things.

The Nismo’s manual gearbox will pair with the car’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, which gets a power bump over the non-Nismo cars. It makes 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 20 hp and 34 lb-ft on the standard Z, respectively, and soon you’ll be able to row your own gears with this boosted engine.

If you can’t wait for the Nismo MT to arrive, you can get a standard Z. The Z Sport, Z Performance, and newly added Z Heritage Edition are available with the manual gearbox.