Nissan Fairlady Z Gets The Nismo Treatment - More Power, More Aggression

• Nissan Fairlady Z Nismo launched in Japan.

• Gets exterior enhancements for a racier look.

• Tuned 3-litre twin-turbo V6 now makes 420PS and 520Nm.

• Same cabin layout, but with hints of red accents and Nismo insignia

• Revised mechanicals offer better torsional rigidity and improved shift times.

Nissan has upgraded its cute little Fairlady Z sports car by giving it the Nismo treatment. In doing so, its cuteness has been transformed into hotness with a host of exterior enhancements which give it a sharper look. The upgrades aren’t just all for show, given that the engine has been tuned and the mechanicals have been revised to combine and provide a more enthusiastic drive experience.

Design

The standard Z is a fairly appealing car to begin with. That appeal has been further spruced up here by its exterior tweaks; starting with the bigger curved grille which replaces the rectangular piece on the standard car. Then there’s the very apparent red outline running the circumference of the body.

The 19-inch alloy wheels have been forged from aluminium and painted in a glossy black hue. These wheels also have an increased rim width and sit on Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 tyres. Changes to the rear bring a sportier bumper design along with a three-piece spoiler for improved aerodynamic efficiency and increased downforce. 

Overall, the Nismo treatment has worked its magic and has made an already appealing sports car even sportier and more aggressive to look at.

Cabin

The sporty quotient of the Nissan Z Nismo continues on the inside with exclusive Recaro sports seats. And while the overall layout of the cabin is the same, you do get red stitching and accents on the steering, and Nismo badging on the seats highlighting the nature of the car. The steering wheel gets an Alcantara leatherette wrap as well, while the digital screen behind it gets Nismo-exclusive graphics.

Performance upgrades

Let’s finally get to the performance part of things, because that’s where Nismo has created a reputation for itself. Powering the Z Nismo is the same 3-litre twin-turbo V6, but it has been tuned here to produce 420PS and 520Nm, or 15PS and 45Nm more than the standard car. There’s no manual (sadly), and it is still geared using a 9-speed AT that delivers power to the rear wheels only.

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Now, that bump in power might not seem too much on paper, but couple that with the changes underneath the skin, and you’ve got a pretty dynamically poised sports car. Nissan says the torsional rigidity has been improved, and so has been the transmission shift response. 

The tuning to the chassis and its traction control system will help deliver better traction and grip, while there’s a new Nismo-exclusive Sport+ mode to extract all the performance the car has to offer.

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The chances of this model coming to India are close to zero, considering we don’t even get the standard car here. But on the off chance that it does, it would rival the likes of the BMW Z4.