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Exhilarating first drive in the all new 2023 Nissan “Z”

By Craig and Deanne Conover - Daily Herald | May 16, 2022
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Deanne inside the Nissan Z with the automatic transmission as she sets off on a great canyon drive.
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Deanne with the all-new 2023 Nissan Z automatic as we began our 2 hour journey in the all new coupe.
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Craig and Deanne with a pair of new 2023 Nissan Z cars that they were able to drive in Boulder, Colorado.
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The manual version of the new Nissan Z car as we prepare for launch.

Back in 2019, Nissan committed to bringing 10 newly-designed vehicles to market as part of the Nissan Next program. The company called this their “A-to-Z” program, and we were especially interested in the Z part of that equation. Over the year, the Z car has become legendary.

Craig has memories of taking a 280Z to prom — way back in the day — and his sister Marci rebuilt a 280Z in the early ’90s from pretty much the ground up. There is a certain amount of family history in Nissan’s Z car. An important distinction to make, though, is that there will be no numerical value associated with the seventh-generation Z. The letter says it all.

We first saw the new Z in August of last year, when Nissan invited us to attend ZCON in Colorado Springs. They put one of three prototypes on display and allowed media members to sit in it and take pictures. About six weeks ago, when the invitation arrived to come to Denver and get some actual time driving in the new Z, it took us about a millisecond to answer. Of course we said yes!

The new design is fantastic. Nissan is going back to its roots and taking cues from the first line of Z cars. Echoes of the past have been combined with modern designs to make what one could consider a work of art.

In our opinion, it’s the best Z to date, and immensely better than the retiring generation. Nissan has upped its game under the hood by including a 3-liter V6 engine that produces a whopping 400 horsepower and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque. All this power and performance is coupled to the rear wheels, via a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission.

After spending an hour climbing up Boulder Canyon in Colorado, in each version of the transmission, it was hard to decide which version we liked best. Both were exhilarating to drive in their own ways.

The manual transmission gave us the thrill of shifting and maneuvering through the different gear sets. The automatic with paddle shifters was also extremely engaging, but it was glad to take over at any moment if we wanted the coupe to do some heavy lifting.

Getting behind the wheel of the new Z was an experience in and of itself. The designers have created a cabin that wraps itself around the driver, completely overtaking him and adding to the emotion of the drive. Everything is within reach and easy to understand.

The dashboard is now a 12.3-inch LED screen that can be configured to the driver’s preferences and a 9-inch, high-definition screen now takes up the center console. Going back to the car’s roots, there are three gauges (giving instant turbo boost, speed and vehicle voltage numbers) still located high in the center dash easily within the driver’s line of sight.

The seats can be had with black, blue or red trim and can be matched to the exterior colors — another piece of artistic design you’ll love in the new Z.

This car provided one of the most exciting, enjoyable rides we have had in a long time. It handles like the true two-door coupe that it is, yet we didn’t feel every bump and jolt from the road. We enjoy the coupe experience of feeling connected to the road, but we don’t like being connected to every imperfection in the road.

The new Z will take anyone’s breath away, no matter what seat they’re in. It has an outstanding appearance and a great feel, and, most importantly, it delivers on each and every promise that Nissan has made.

This new coupe would need to be on top of anyone’s list for a new car. This ride will set them apart and can’t be beat, especially for the price!

Both of the Z cars we drove were Performance trim levels and were pre-production vehicles. The difference in price is due to the different colors of paint.

Base Price: $49,990

Destination: $1,095

Automatic as driven: $53,610

Manual as driven: $53,210

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