Updates are coming for Nissan Zwith a manual option – finally – for the Nismo variant and also a facelift.
The Yokohama-based automaker unveiled the first images of the Nissan Z Nismo MT – known as the Fairlady Z Nismo MT in its home country – ahead of its actual debut at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, which begins on January 9th.
No details about the Nismo MT have been revealed, but from the photos we can see that the car comes with a six-speed gearbox.
The existing Z Nismo features a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that’s been retuned to deliver 309kW And 520 Nmwhich drives the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Given the gear deficit and quicker shifts of the Nismo’s automatic, it’s likely that the manual transmission might be slower than the automatic, but as any Mazda MX-5 owner will tell you, driving enjoyment isn’t necessarily tied to 0-62 mph speeds.
It’s unknown if the Z Nismo MT will make its way Down Under, but if it does, it’ll cost a pretty penny. The automatic Z Nismo costs $94,000, and the standard Z has a sticker price of $75,800 for both the manual and automatic versions. All prices are local costs.
Nissan has also confirmed that a “refreshed” Z will make its debut in Japan in the middle of the year, in the northern summer.
Unfortunately, no teaser images or information about the Z update have been released, but it will likely be a facelift with a number of mechanical and technical improvements.
The Nissan Z was launched in 2022 with an all-new retro body, a redesigned interior and a 298kW/475Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 carried over from the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400. However, the underlying platform and structure is an updated version of that of the 370Z, which entered production in 2008 with a naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6.
MORE: Explore the Nissan Z showroom
