2024 Nissan Z Nismo Will Be Automatic-Only: Report
A leaked ordering guide suggests that the new Nismo Z will not come with a manual gearbox.
The 2024 Nissan Z Nismo was finally teased for the first time with smoky drifts from Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg and a good look at its updated bodywork and interior. Astute fans would have noticed the lack of a clutch pedal and shifter in the teaser video and feared an automatic Z Nismo. Well, I might have some bad news for all of us: the Nismo looks like it will be automatic only.
An order guide for 2024 model year Nissan Zs posted to the forums on newnissanz.com appears to confirm the worst possible fear for manual sports car fans. According to the guide, the Z Nismo, which is model 41214, will not be available with a manual transmission. The guide shows what seems to be updated Sport and Performance trim levels next to the Nismo, both available with a six-speed manual. Meanwhile, the Nismo gets a nine-speed automatic.
Suffice it to say, the prospect of an automatic-only Nismo Z is unbelievably disappointing. The nine-speed automatic in the normal Z isn’t the best gearbox, certainly nowhere near the best torque converter automatics, and not even on the same planet as dual-clutch automatics. With the new Z, the choice of gearbox has always been easy: It’s the manual. To have a top-trim performance Z with a forced automatic transmission would be a misstep.
To dive deeper, we reached out to Nissan who didn’t confirm or deny the choice of gearbox. A Nissan spokesperson told The Drive “We will share full details very soon.” Of course, the forum post could be a red herring and the panic is for nothing. But reading between the lines of the teaser, having a manual Nismo Z would be something to advertise proudly.
Alas, the Z Nismo hasn’t been fully revealed. There is still hope yet.
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