Time behind the wheel of the Nissan Z Heritage Edition is a rare privilege, as just 10 examples will make their way to Australian shores. The reason one is on the press fleet is to try and drum up some interest and publicity for the largely ignored sports car.
This is frustrating, as enthusiasts are continually complaining about manufacturers not offering affordable sports cars, and yet here is a good-looking coupe with a 298kW/475Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, six-speed manual (or nine-speed auto).
It’s rear-wheel drive and has a limited-slip diff, for less than $80K, and no one’s buying it. Nissan probably won’t thank me for pointing this out, but in the first half of 2026 Ford shifted 1210 Mustangs, and Mazda sold 428 MX-5s.
Subaru and Toyota combined for 667 BRZ/GR86s, while the Z found 58 homes. More people bought Ferraris, for goodness’ sake! An updated version is arriving later in 2026, including a manual gearbox for the NISMO.
In the meantime the Heritage Edition aims to entice a few buyers by turning to the Z’s bigger brother. Aside from the golden 19-inch Rays alloy wheels, the only change here is Midnight Purple paint, a colour made famous on the R34 GT-R.
As someone who loves purple cars (and green ones), you could paint an empty milk carton Midnight Purple and I would covet it, so the choice of colour gets a massive tick. Judging from some the photos, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about given it’s clearly black.
It’s not, but overcast conditions or the wrong angle quite literally don’t show it in its best light. You need bright sunshine for it to display its colour-changing magic. It costs $77,410 plus on-road costs, $1250 more than the standard car.
The good news is if you’re not a fan of the colour, you can buy the regular version and have exactly the same mechanical package. Its underpinnings have history too, and as you may be aware, the Z shares its base with the 370Z.
That was, in turn, a modified version of the 350Z, so the FM platform that sits beneath it dates back to 2001. Nevertheless, this latest version of Nissan’s icon is very different in character to its direct predecessors.
It’s closer in spirit to the Z31 and Z32 of the late-1980s/early-1990s, and a large part of that is down to the return to twin-turbocharging. Being naturally aspirated, the 350Z and 370Z could be driven very hard without having to unduly worry about losing traction.
But with the VR30DDTT increasing outputs by 49kW/112Nm over the 370 in the same basis chassis, the new car needs a vastly different approach. You could make a strong case that the latest Z is overpowered.
Floor the throttle in second gear and when the boost arrives the rear tyres will break free even on a perfectly dry road. Add corners, moisture or dust into the mix and this is a car that needs to be treated with respect.
That’s especially so as your stability control choices are fully on – rather killing the fun – or fully off. It’s a fairly coarse, industrial-sounding engine but there’s no denying its potency, boost building quickly and then sticking around to the high side of 6000rpm.
Power tails off a touch from there. The six-speed manual is great. It needs a firm hand, but the ratios are really well chosen, it’s super easy to heel-toe on downshifts and definitely adds to the experience.
There’s more good stuff. The brakes are strong and the steering wheel is not only perfect in its size and thickness, but it controls an obedient front end that will relay some information about what’s happening up ahead.
One of the more curious features of the latest Z, however, is how soft the chassis is. This is not some tied-down corner carver, but a car that will let the body move around and the wheels travel freely in the arches.
This results in a remarkably comfortable ride for a sports car, unusual absorbency on a bumpy road – while still having reasonable body control – and lower but more easily read limits.
If you breach those limits – which is easily done with almost 400bhp – it can take some gathering up. This is where the NISMO version steps in. It might sound completely crazy, but the car the Z most reminds me of is a stock-standard R32 GT-R.
The way the two cars sound, the way they deliver their power, the rate of response from the steering, the soft, easily read chassis that can constantly be driven on the rear axle – they share a lot of DNA.
This perhaps isn’t a coincidence given Hiroshi Tamura, who was the new Z’s project leader, is a longtime R32 GT-R owner. On the one hand, this is a big compliment to the Z, being compared favourably to one of the most iconic performance cars in history.
On the other, it’s a backhanded compliment to describe a modern sports car as driving like it’s nearly 40 years old. But the shoe fits, as the Z definitely offers an old-school driving experience and that won’t be for everyone.
It doesn’t necessarily flatter your mistakes or inflate your ego; you need to drive it, but if you do, you have the knowledge that it’s your work and your work alone. Add to this genuine practicality.
That’s courtesy of a big boot and the ability to safely and legally install a child seat in the front passenger spot thanks to airbag delete, ISOFIX and a proper top tether. As a result, you have a car that’s surprisingly useful as well as enjoyable.
A more rousing soundtrack wouldn’t go astray and neither would a more modern infotainment system. The main cupholder is also perfectly placed for your elbow to knock your drink over when changing gears too.
But this is the car that enthusiasts are continually saying they want, a (relatively) affordable sports car with a manual gearbox, lots of grunt and challenging and engaging dynamics, so if you’re in the market for a new coupe, do your bit and go and check out the Nissan Z.
You can find out more on the Nissan Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Nissan Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
