2023 Nissan Z Performance

With 400 horsepower, the Nissan Z's 0-60-mph sprint is dispatched in around 4.3 seconds with the nine-speed automatic transmission - quick, but not as quick as the sub-four-second figure the lighter Supra posts. With the six-speed manual transmission, anything between 4.5 and five seconds has been measured in independent testing and that's very much down to driver skill. The manual is noticeably slower than the automatic due to its lack of launch control and the somewhat cumbersome shift action. Top speed is limited to 155 mph. It must be noted that maximum performance is only realized on relatively scarce 93-octane gas and there is a slight drop-off on 91-octane, but Nissan doesn't say how much.

The RWD drivetrain and engine in the Nissan Z are identical in all three trims - a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. This six-cylinder unit is familiar from some Infinitis such as the Q50 3.0t Red Sport 400 and revs smoothly and strongly to redline, unlike some turbo engines that run out of breath at high engine speeds. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, but a nine-speed automatic can be had at exactly the same price. Rear-wheel drive is the only drivetrain option.

A buyer of a sports coupe will likely not be too concerned about the Nissan Z's gas mileage or mpg figures, but here they are nonetheless, and they're not terribly impressive. Of course, the manual fares worse than the auto and returns EPA estimates of 18/24/20 mpg for the city/highway/combined cycles, while the nine-speed automatic musters 19/28/22 mpg, respectively. For comparison's sake, an automatic 3.0L GR Supra manages 26 mpg combined. With a fuel capacity of 16.4 gallons, the manual will manage a range of only about 328 miles on a tank, while the auto should reach 360 miles.