Journalists in the U.S. recently had the opportunity to put the 2023 Nissan Z through its paces and while the first reviews remain under embargo, Matt Farah from The Smoking Tire has published a clip that shows him driving the new sports car on the track.
This video doesn’t include any commentary due to the embargo but does allow us to see the 2023 Z in action while also hearing its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine at full tilt.
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The engine powering the Nissan Z comes from the Infiniti stable and pumps out 400 hp and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm), giving it a healthy horsepower advantage over the Toyota Supra 3.0 but slightly less torque. This engine can be coupled to either a six-speed manual transmission or a Mercedes-developed nine-speed automatic. The car tested by Farah had the latter gearbox.
Throughout the video, we get a great chance to hear the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in action and it does sound quite impressive and does appear to have slightly more character to it than the engine of the Supra. What doesn’t seem to be so good, however, is the oftentimes slow response of the gearbox to change up through the gears when Farah pulls the paddle. That’s quite a surprise given Mercedes’ pedigree of offering some very good transmissions.
Farah notes that in his full review of the Z, he will test the car on the street and with the available six-speed manual which will likely prove to be the most popular transmission among enthusiasts. Will the combination of the powerful engine and the stick shift make the new Z one of the most compelling sports cars on the market? We will have to wait for the full reviews to find out.