The evolution of the Z was felt well even on winding roads with snow on the ground

As an automotive journalist of the Z generation, I wrote a test drive report on the Nissan Fairlady Z for AMW a year ago, where I said that I was curious to see how the NISMO would evolve. And now, I had the opportunity to test drive the latest FAIRLADY Z NISMO, albeit on snow-covered road surfaces.

Sports car-like atmosphere felt from low speeds

The test drive situation this time was mainly on winding roads with snow on the ground, but we were able to confirm whether or not what we were looking for when we test-drove the stock FAIRLADY Z had been realized. In conclusion, the ride quality was such that the desire I felt at that time to “tune it up and give it more of a sports car feel” was realized.

Even at low revs, the massive sound of the V6 comes into the cabin at a comfortable volume and makes you feel that you are “riding in a high-powered sports car”. There are only a few situations in which you can really get the full performance out of a sports car.

There may be many opinions, but the atmosphere of a sports car can be felt from the everyday range, such as the sound of the engine and the drive feel at low speeds. I think that is also an important element for a sports car.

The evolution from the normal model can be felt on winding roads

And when you enter a winding road, you get a good impression of the steering feel, which is sharper than before. The early normal model I drove before felt a little dull at low speeds, but it has evolved into a sports car-like feel that responds firmly to the driver’s inputs even at low speeds.

What also surprised me on the winding roads was the transmission. The 9-speed AT, with enhanced shift response compared to the stock model, responds to the paddle shifters without stress and with a direct feel. However, with this specially tuned transmission, there will be few complaints, unless you are a big MT fan.