- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
3.0TT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
298kW, 475Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 9.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2023 Nissan Z review: DCOTY 2023 – Best Sports Coupe
Winner of the 2023 Drive Car of the Year Best Sports Coupé
- Epic acceleration
- Sharp styling
- More usable cabin
- On-the-limit handling requires attention. Noisy tyres
- Exhaust sounds is muted given the performance
- Lacks embedded navigation and wireless charging
The Nissan Z is the 2023 Drive Car of the Year Best Sports Coupé.
Now with a twin-turbo V6, it is the most powerful Nissan Zed car to date – and a fitting send-off for what will likely be the last petrol version before a switch to an electric model next decade.
Although the new Nissan Z shares the same platform as its predecessor – but with a new body and interior – the designers and engineers sweated the details on making seemingly minor but worthwhile improvements.
The cabin is more user-friendly and now has most mod-cons. The revised styling – with a nod to Nissan Zeds of the past – has the makings of a future classic.
The big news, though, is under the bonnet. The twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission transforms the Nissan Z into a missile. The powerful combination has presented a new challenge: grip.
In normal mode, the Nissan Z did the 0 to 100km/h dash in 5.1 seconds. After mastering the rather complicated launch control setting, we dipped to a run of repeatable 4.9-second times after leaving some subtle tyre marks and developing a bit of a wriggle on take-off.
Key details | 2023 Nissan Z Coupe Auto |
Engine | Twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol |
Power | 298kW @ 6400rpm |
Torque | 475Nm @ 1600–5600rpm |
Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission | Nine-speed torque converter automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 182kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1633kg |
Turning circle | 11.0m |
The brakes are the largest among this year’s contenders, though oddly the Nissan Z took longer to stop in our emergency braking test from 100km/h than did the Toyota and Subaru twins (38.3 metres for the Nissan and an impressive 35.9-metre stop for the Toyota GR86).
We repeated the brake test on the Nissan Z days apart to make sure there wasn’t an error with our technical equipment.
The Nissan Z delights the senses with its sharp reflexes in corners, though it must be said it feels twitchy after the Toyota and Subaru twins which, in this company, felt more secure.
And that’s why this was one of the toughest categories this year. It came down to a choice of handling prowess versus power. In the end, the Nissan Z won by a whisker.
Who said fun is dead? The new Nissan Z celebrates an exhilarating era of pure driving through a steadfastly modern experience.
Truth be told, there is much to like about all three cars. The Nissan Z is a worthy winner, while the Toyota and Subaru twins have price and poise on their side.
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Note: These ratings have been pulled from the most recent Nissan Z review (read it here) and as part of Drive Car of the Year 2023 all finalists will be freshly reviewed in the near future.