The updated Nissan Z for 2027 isn’t exactly news. From executives confirming rumors to international debuts, we already knew pretty much everything going on with Nissan’s sports car for its mid-cycle update. However, one key revision remained basically a secret until now. I’m not talking about the addition of an optional six-speed manual transmission to the high-performance Nismo model, although if we’re looking at all the changes, that’s not a bad place to start.
Right off the rip, that stick-shift Nismo model unveiled in Japan last year is coming to America. How could it not? Our continent’s a key market for Nissan’s last remaining sports car, and with high local stick-shift take rates for cars like the BMW M2 and Porsche 911, Nissan aims to cash in. While hand-made shifts behind a 420-horsepower three-liter twin-turbocharged V6 are going to be slower than computer-controlled shifts from a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission, rowing your own gears is immensely more gratifying, so the added choice is welcome.
As a bonus, the Nismo Z gets a short-throw shifter that promises notchier action compared to the slightly rubbery shifts in the regular Z, along with some real hardware upgrades over last year’s automatic-only Nismo Z. Two-piece front brake discs shave 19 pounds off the car’s curb weight and promise to stay in a happy temperature window longer on the track, while steering rack stiction has been reduced by a claimed 20 percent.
Of course, if you don’t have the cash to splash on the absolute top trim, the regular Z also gets some upgrades for 2026. A new front fascia splits the gaping grille with a dash of body color surface area, an optional Qi2 wireless phone charger should juice up your phone quicker, and the optional Shinkai Green Metallic paint looks classic. Especially when paired with the Performance trim’s newly-available tan interior.
Speaking of the mid-range Performance trim, it’s getting a fresh set of monotube dampers. Time will tell if they’re tuned differently enough to really justify the premium over a base car, but a larger piston diameter is usually a good thing. However, the thing I’m most excited for is Nissan claiming to improve on an issue that Zs have experienced for generations:
All 2027 Nissan Z models have a new fuel tank design that helps maintain fuel levels around the fuel pump during high-G cornering. This helps deliver more consistent fuel delivery and engine performance during sustained, high-speed track cornering.
Oh, hello. Those who’ve experienced it firsthand will know that cars riding on the FM platform, from the Infiniti G35 through to the latest Nissan Z, feature a fuel tank that wraps around the snout of the rear differential. There’s a low spot on either side and a high spot in the middle, and this can cause some weirdness when you’re out on track. Run the fuel level low enough through a high-G corner on track, and cars in this family are known to temporarily not receive fuel. Speaking from experience, it’s a bit alarming to roll through a sweeper under power and suddenly have power cut out. It’s a prominent enough issue that various aftermarket kits exist, including this one from AMS, to address fuel starvation concerns. If this new tank solves these problems once and for all, it will be well worth it.
While a manual transmission in the Nismo Z is the headline highlight of the model for 2027, the fuel tank revisions might be the actual game-changer. Not just now, but in the future, when these cars get cheap enough to become more dedicated track rats. Best of all, there’s a chance the new fuelling setup may fit in prior models without the need to wire in a dual-pump setup. Who’s going to be brave enough to give it a try?
Top graphic image: Nissan
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