Living in Laguna means having access to lots of open roads and twisties. So whenever assistant managing editor Leandre or I get test units—especially performance cars—we try to enjoy them responsibly as much as possible.
We wake up early for morning drives and stay up late for chill tambay nights. We would sleep inside them if we could. For a week or so, we rack up miles in the cars to get to know them well. By the end of every test drive it’s always the same for me: I’d get a bit emotional and say that I’ll miss the car and I would daily drive it if I were given the chance to own it. It’s always the same story until we tried the Nissan Z Nismo. This P4,688,000 car is simply too much for me.
I always say that the Nissan Z is one of the most beautiful cars of this generation. Every line, every curve, every angle is just pure art. The Z Nismo takes this to another level by making it sportier than the regular Z without excessive additions.
Those 19-inch Rays wheels are just perfect. The Nismo badges and red trims accentuate the sleek design and make the overall look more aggressive, not to mention the Stealth Pearl Gray paint job which grew on me day by day. I just want to look at it every single minute. It’s a car that you would glance back on every time you walk away from the parking lot. And because of its timeless design–like most Nissan sports cars–this will definitely age well.
The cockpit also gets its fair share of Nismo upgrades. The engine start button and the drive selector are now painted in red, and holding the steering wheel feels better thanks to the added alcantara material. There’s also a new layout for the instrument cluster.
The biggest change inside is the pair of Recaro Nismo seats which provide better support and protection when cornering. These are manual seats and adjusting them may be challenging for some passengers. My 110kg body fits perfectly, and while they are stiffer than the seats you get from the regular Z, they’re still bearable for short drives. It’s a different story, however, after driving it for a couple of hours every day.
My personal car is a lowered Honda Civic with sport shock absorbers, so my standards for comfort are not that high. I normally say that I would drive a sports car daily even if it has a stiff ride. But after bringing the Z Nismo to Esteban Street in Makati, I think I found my limit. The Nismo-tuned suspension makes the car very nimble but very sensitive to every bump. This car is way too snappy for city driving or for cruising in the expressway. It also feels very powerful—way too much for an inexperienced driver.
Nismo engineers managed to extract additional 42hp and 46Nm from the 3.0-liter twin turbocharged V6, giving a total of 420hp and 521Nm of torque. That’s a huge bump from the ‘regular’ variant, but what really impressed me is the power delivery.
The new Sport+ mode makes the engine response more aggressive, and power is more accessible all throughout the rev range. The sound it produces is also louder and meaner compared to the regular Z. The transmission is also now more responsive, giving quicker and more precise downshifts.
Still, I felt this is too much for a car to be driven only on expressways and city streets. That's why I decided to bring it further south, where I can drive it on open roads and twisties.
I was driving near Calauan, Laguna, when it suddenly clicked. I finally understood this Z. It wants to be driven hard, and I mean really hard. It’s designed to take corners as fast as possible and convey how steady the body is with its chassis upgrades. It demands that the driver push the tires to the limit with traction control intervening just at the very last second.
There’s no such thing as chill night drives with this car; it wants to accelerate and scream that V6 up to 6,800rpm. This car will make the driver feel alive and in control of the car. It will let you feel the thrill, but it will always save you from crashing when needed—given that you are driving within your capability while respecting the speed limit. This is the true essence of a Nismo car: To be driven to the limit and not sit in a garage gathering dust.
Yes, in some aspects the Z Nismo is still practical. It has a sizable trunk, it has decent ground clearance, and it can do 15km/L on the expressway. But if you need practicality, just get the regular Z. It’s more than enough and it still looks and feels like a proper sports car.
The Z Nismo is not a case of love at first drive. It takes time to fully understand and to be able to dance with this. It’s like bringing this car to your favorite twisty mountain road; you have to drive it first on unpaved roads and feel its ruggedness. But when you finally reach your favorite back road, believe me, it will give you an experience no other car can.
