2027 Nissan Z NISMO Finally Gets a Manual Transmission

The new Nissan Z was relaunched in 2023, and the seventh-generation car has been one of the most underrated sports cars you can buy: a twin-turbocharged V6, rear-wheel drive, proper proportions, and a low starting price that makes a Supra owner wince every time they check their loan statement. The more track-focused Z NISMO, the 420-hp track-focused flagship of the lineup, launched without a manual transmission option, a decision that kept a lot of enthusiasts at arm’s length. For 2027, Nissan has corrected the omission on the Z NISMO by giving it three pedals.

The 2027 Nissan Z NISMO adds an available six-speed manual, and the enthusiast internet can collectively exhale.

What Nissan Built for the 2027 Z NISMO Manual

This isn’t the standard Z’s 6MT dropped into the NISMO and called a day. Nissan engineered this transmission specifically for the top-tier grade. The clutch is heavier-duty than what you get in Sport and Performance, the shift lever ratio is revised for a shorter, more deliberate throw, and the VR30DDTT’s ignition timing and throttle control have been retuned to suit manual driving: sharper throttle response, more sustained torque delivery across the rev range.

The 2027 Z NISMO manual makes 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque from the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, paired with a carbon fiber composite driveshaft, a mechanical limited-slip differential, and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 rubber measuring 255/40R19 up front and 285/35R19 out back. SynchroRev Match is standard, which means heel-toe technique is optional rather than required. Whether that bothers you says a lot about you.

Nissan also retuned the Active Sound Enhancement and Active Noise Cancellation for the manual, specifically to amplify intake and exhaust tones in Sport mode. The turbos spooling and the exhaust cracking between shifts are the point. That the engineers understood that is worth noting.

EPA fuel economy figures for the 2027 Z NISMO manual are TBD at the time of publication. The NISMO automatic returns 17 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg for reference.

GT-R Brakes and a Retuned Chassis

The manual transmission isn’t where the 2027 Nissan Z NISMO updates stop. The front brakes now use a two-piece iron-aluminum rotor derived directly from the GT-R, measuring 15.0 x 1.3 inches, up from 14.0 x 1.3 inches on the Performance trim. The improved cooling channels reduce brake pad temperatures under heavy track use, and the lightweight construction saves 19 lbs of unsprung weight up front.

A lighter nose meant the suspension needed attention. Nissan retuned the NISMO’s damping and geometry to account for the weight reduction, and revised the steering rack to cut internal friction by 20 percent. The result, on paper, is a car that requires fewer corrections mid-corner. Track days have a way of confirming or embarrassing that kind of claim, so full judgment waits for a test drive.

All 2027 Z models also get a revised fuel tank design that keeps fuel circulating around the pump during sustained high-G cornering: a practical fix for anyone who has felt a V6 stumble pulling hard through a long right-hander.

The Front End the Standard Z Always Deserved

For Sport and Performance trims, the bigger visual news is the front bumper. The original Z’s rectangular, gaping grille was a polarizing design choice, and Nissan heard the feedback. For 2027, a restyled front bumper and bisected grille replace it, with a body-color bar splitting the opening in a nod to classic Nissan sports car design. A new “Z” emblem replaces the Nissan badge on the nose.

The new Shinkai Green Pearl Metallic paint joins the lineup for Sport and Performance grades, paired exclusively with a Super Black roof. The color traces its lineage to the S30-generation Z, updated with a fine-grain pearl effect that reads differently in sun versus shade. It’s the kind of detail that makes a car feel considered rather than assembled.

Z Performance also gains redesigned forged 19-inch wheels with black spokes and a machined-finish rim, and a new tan interior upholstery option covering the seats, lower door panels, center console, and dashboard. Qi2 wireless charging with a cooling fan and 15-watt maximum output is available on Performance and NISMO.

the 2027 Z NISMO Manual Changes the Conversation

The Z has spent three years being underestimated. It undercuts the Toyota GR86’s manual-only setup by offering a turbocharged V6 with substantially more torque, while sitting well below the Supra in price. The knock has always been that the NISMO, the car you’d actually want, forced you into a torque converter.

That objection is gone. A 420-hp, GT-R-braked, carbon-driveshafted sports car with a purpose-built 2027 Z NISMO manual and proper Recaro seats, at a price Nissan has not yet announced, is a desirability argument that’s hard to ignore.

The 2027 Nissan Z NISMO arrives at dealerships this summer. US pricing has not been announced.