After the seventh-gen Z broke cover in August last year, Nissan has, at long last, officially announced the prices of its long-awaited and much-hyped sports car. The 2023 Nissan Z will kick off with a starting price of $39,990 plus destination, which brings it to a grand total of $41,015.

2023 Nissan Z Price

Z Coupe Sport

$39,990

Z Coupe Performance

$49,990

Z Coupe Proto Spec

$52,990


Destination and Handling $1,025. *Total production limited to 240 units combined

It was just about a month ago that Nissan announced that there was a delay in the Z's arrival owing to logistical issues, but regardless, we knew that production was underway and prices had been announced for Japan. Now, we're happy to note that the Japanese automaker has stayed true to those prices roughly starting around the $40k mark.

2023 Nissan Z Engine
Nissan

As you can see, there are three trims on offer - Sport which is the base model, the Performance, and the top Proto-Spec, which is limited to just 240 examples. Regardless of the trim you choose, you'll get the same VR30DDTT 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine that puts out a healthy 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.} All three trims can be had with either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed auto with power going to the rear wheels.

2023 Nissan Z Specifications

Engine

3.0-liter, Twin-Turbo V-6

Horsepower

400 horses @ 6,400 rpm

Torque

350 pound-feet @ 1,600 - 5,600 rpm

Tranmission

Six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic

Drive Layout

Rear-wheel-drive


The Sport

One area where the new Z stands out against the competition is with what's under the hood. I'm glad that Nissan hasn't skimped in the engine department and you get a proper V-6 rather than a puny four-cylinder like some of the competition. It stays true to the saying 'There's no replacement for displacement.' Despite being the base variant, the Sport trim has decent standard equipment and power on offer. You get

- 12-inch all-digital drivers display

- Eight-inch infotainment screen with Apple Carplay & Android Auto

- 18-inch alloy wheels

- Adaptive Cruise control

- Auto Emergency Braking

- Lane Keep Assist

- Cloth seats

The Performace

2023 Nissan Z Blue
Nissan

If the base model doesn't cut the mustard and you want a little more oomph from your Z, then you can splurge on an extra $10k and get yourself the Performance model, bringing the price to $51,015. Now, that might sound like quite the jump over the base model, but there's a lot more that you get for the extra cash. Here's a quick rundown:

- Launch Control

- Rev-matching (manual)

- Mechanical Limited. Slip Differential

- Bigger front and rear brakes

- 19-inch Rays Forged Alloy wheels

- Bridge Stone Potenza S007 tires

- Rear spoiler

- Heated mirrors

- Nine-inch infotainment screen

- Eight Speaker Premium Bose Audio

- In-Car WiFi hotspot

- Leather steering

- Leather seat heat, power-operated

Would it have been nice for Nissan to have given you the choice with the sort of upgrades you needed, i.e cosmetic vs performance? Perhaps, but for now, this is what you get, and with $10k more over the base model, the Performance sure does need to justify the premium.

The Proto Spec

2023 Nissan Z
Nissan

As I mentioned earlier, the Proto-spec will only be limited to just 240 units for the entire country. It builds on the Performance trim with the addition of some bronze and yellow accents that pay homage to the Z Proto that broke cover all the way back in 2020. But really, this limited run trim is a celebration of the iconic Z Moniker since the late 60s. The Proto-Spec will set you back three grand more, coming in at $54,015. But given the car's collectibility and hype, I wouldn't be surprised if it won't go for more than that. So, the upgrades for the Proto-spec model are mainly cosmetic. They include:

- Bronze painted 19-inch Rays forged alloy wheels

- Yellow painted brake calipers

- Leather seats with yellow accents

- Exclusive shift knob

- Yellow stitching and accents in the cabin

For the moment, the level of customization from the factory remains limited to just choosing the interior trim color and exterior paint. But, eventually, Nissan will offer accessories for the Z. As for the after-market scene, I'm sure that those are already in the works. I'm sure new owners will be eager to make their Z, their own.

The Competition

Clearly, the new Z has taken the fight to its rivals not just in terms of price, but also in terms of performance, and this is especially true for its compatriot, the Toyota GR Supra. Considering how Nissan is offering a manual off the bat, there was no way that Toyota was going to sit on the sidelines and watch the Nissan Z. That's probably why a manual Supra is finally on its way. But still, the base Z undercuts the Supra 2.0 ($44,565) by a few guards, which should certainly give it an edge. }

Here's a quick power and price comparison of the base Z against similarly spec'd rivals:

I've also thrown in one premium offering in the terms of the Porsche Cayman 718, this one is the base model.

Conclusion

In an SUV/pickup truck crazy world, it really made no sense for Nissan to develop a brand new sports car from the ground up. It just doesn't justify the costs. Instead, to keep the Z alive, they essentially took a platform that was already immensely successful in the 370Z and went to town with it. In fact, according to Jalopnik, up to 20-percent has been carried over from the 370Z.

The styling sees a much-needed revision over that car while a lot of work went into the chassis department and the suspension. Basically, the idea here was to provide an affordable and accessible sportscar, and in this digital age, I am glad that Nissan has gone ahead and made something that offers an analog experience for not that much money.