2028 Nissan Z Review: Price, Horsepower & Performance

Bottom line: don’t expect a new-generation Nissan Z for 2028. Nissan has explicitly confirmed the next full redesign won’t arrive until after 2030, once the long-awaited R36 GT-R finally reaches showrooms. Instead, the 2028 Nissan Z carries forward the mechanical refresh introduced for 2027, with Nissan’s own product planning leadership signaling that heritage-inspired special editions, not an all-new car, are what’s actually coming over the next few years. This 2028 Nissan Z Review breaks down what that really means for anyone shopping this sports car right now.

2028 Nissan Z Review: What Nissan Has Actually Confirmed

Speaking with The Drive, Nissan America’s senior vice president and chief product and planning officer, Ponz Pandikuthira, laid out the roadmap plainly: earnest development on a next-generation Z won’t even begin in earnest for roughly three more years, and the car itself won’t arrive until sometime after 2030. In the meantime, Nissan plans to lean into heritage-based special editions that reconnect the Z with its roots stretching back to the original 240Z.

Anyone researching a 2028 Nissan Z Review should treat this model year as a continuation of the meaningful 2027 refresh rather than a fresh update in its own right. For a look at how another recently updated Nissan performance-adjacent model is navigating its own future, see our earlier coverage of the 2027 Nissan Frontier Review, which covers a truck facing its own more significant redesign just one model year out.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Expected Price

Nissan hadn’t published 2028-specific pricing at the time of writing, though as a carryover model, the 2028 Z should track closely with 2027 launch figures. That means a starting point around $44,480 before destination for the Sport trim, approximately $54,480 for Performance, and $67,260 for NISMO, each subject to modest annual increases consistent with recent Nissan pricing patterns.

Buyers using this 2028 Nissan Z Review to budget a purchase should also watch for pricing tied to any new heritage-inspired special edition Nissan introduces during this window, since those limited-run models have historically carried a premium over standard trim pricing in exchange for unique paint, badging, and equipment.

2028 Nissan Z Estimated Trim Pricing

• Sport: estimated starting around $44,480, plus destination
• Performance: estimated starting around $54,480, plus destination
• NISMO: estimated starting around $67,260, plus destination

2028 Nissan Z Review: Release Date

Since the 2028 Nissan Z represents a carryover model rather than a fresh redesign, it should follow Nissan’s typical annual rollout pattern, arriving at dealerships without the kind of extended anticipation that would accompany an all-new generation. The real waiting game, according to Nissan’s own leadership, is for whatever comes after 2030 instead.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Engine and Performance

The 2028 Nissan Z is expected to retain the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 introduced with this generation, producing 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque in Sport and Performance trims. The NISMO grade continues with its own higher-output tune, delivering 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque for buyers who want the most track-focused version of the car.

Since Nissan has given no indication of powertrain changes for this model year, buyers should expect the same fundamental mechanical package that’s carried this generation since its 2023 relaunch, including the option of a 6-speed manual transmission across the lineup.

2028 Nissan Z NISMO Manual Transmission Continues

The genuinely significant addition of a manual transmission option for the NISMO trim, introduced for 2027, should carry forward unchanged into 2028. That gearbox pairs a short-throw shifter with an upgraded clutch specifically engineered for the NISMO’s higher output, giving enthusiasts a genuine reason to choose Nissan’s flagship trim without sacrificing driver engagement.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Horsepower and Acceleration

With 400 horsepower in Sport and Performance trims, or 420 horsepower in NISMO form, the 2028 Nissan Z should continue delivering the same genuinely strong acceleration that’s defined this generation since its introduction. Since no engine or transmission changes are expected for this model year, acceleration figures should remain consistent with what current owners and reviewers have already come to expect from the platform.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Fuel Consumption

Fuel economy for the 2028 Nissan Z should closely mirror recent model years, since the underlying twin-turbocharged V6 and transmission options remain unchanged. Buyers cross-shopping this car against other sports coupes in its power range should expect efficiency figures consistent with a rear-wheel-drive, six-cylinder performance car, where outright fuel economy has never been the primary selling point.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Driving Experience

Behind the wheel, the 2028 Nissan Z should continue offering the sharp, driver-focused character that reviewers have consistently praised since this generation’s introduction, further sharpened by the larger-diameter shock absorbers Nissan added to Performance trims as part of the 2027 refresh. Those suspension improvements should remain a defining part of the car’s on-road character heading into 2028.

The redesigned fuel tank introduced for 2027, engineered to maintain consistent fuel delivery during hard cornering, should also carry forward, continuing to benefit track-day drivers who push the car hard enough to encounter sustained lateral loads.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Exterior Design

Visually, the 2028 Nissan Z should carry over the refreshed styling introduced for 2027 essentially unchanged, including the split-grille front fascia inspired by the original 240Z and the retro-styled Z badge that replaced the Nissan logo on the nose. Given Nissan’s stated focus on heritage-based special editions rather than further core redesigns, buyers might see additional throwback color and trim options join the lineup during this window, layered onto the existing design rather than replacing it.

Nissan has already shown a willingness to draw on its back catalog for inspiration, having previously added a Midnight Purple-inspired Heritage Edition featuring bronze 19-inch Rays wheels and unique badging in other markets, hinting at the kind of special editions that could plausibly reach the 2028 U.S. lineup.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Interior and Technology

Inside, the 2028 Nissan Z should continue with the same fighter-jet-inspired cockpit layout introduced with this generation, featuring a horizontal instrument panel design that wraps around the driver. An available 9-inch center touchscreen with a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity should remain standard equipment across the lineup, consistent with recent model years.

Given the car’s continued emphasis on weight savings, buyers shouldn’t expect power seats or other luxury-oriented additions, since that deliberate restraint has remained central to the Z’s identity as a focused, lightweight sports coupe rather than a technology-laden grand tourer.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Safety Systems

Standard safety equipment on the 2028 Nissan Z should carry over from the 2027 model year, continuing to reflect the car’s position as a compact, driver-focused sports coupe rather than a vehicle built around an extensive suite of semi-autonomous features. The NISMO’s GT-R-derived brake upgrades, introduced for 2027, should also remain a genuine safety benefit through improved stopping power and thermal management under demanding driving conditions.

Buyers wanting independent, up-to-date crash-test data can check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which periodically evaluates sports coupes including the Z alongside its closest rivals.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Pros and Cons

What We Like About the 2028 Nissan Z

✓ Proven, well-sorted powertrain carrying forward from 2027
✓ NISMO’s manual transmission option remains available
✓ GT-R-derived brakes continue offering genuine track benefits
✓ Possible heritage special editions could add fresh variety
✓ Remains essentially alone in its segment after GR Supra’s exit

What Could Be Better on the 2028 Nissan Z

✗ No meaningful updates expected this specific model year
✗ Full redesign confirmed delayed until sometime after 2030
✗ Official 2028-specific pricing hadn’t been confirmed at writing
✗ Low sales volume means Nissan prioritizes the GT-R first

2028 Nissan Z Review: Main Competitors

The 2028 Nissan Z continues to occupy a genuinely unusual position in the market, having effectively lost its only direct rival when the Toyota GR Supra was discontinued after 2026. Broader alternatives like the Ford Mustang and any remaining Chevrolet Camaro inventory offer a similar front-engine, rear-wheel-drive formula, though neither matches the Z’s two-seat layout or twin-turbo six-cylinder character. Pricier options like the Porsche 718 Cayman represent a considerable step up in both price and refinement for buyers willing to spend significantly more.

Against this thinning field, the 2028 Nissan Z continues to distinguish itself through its unmatched combination of a six-cylinder engine, two-seat layout, and mid-$40,000 starting price, a formula that remains genuinely difficult to find anywhere else in today’s market.

2028 Nissan Z Review: Final Verdict

With Nissan’s own leadership confirming that a true next-generation Z remains years away, the 2028 model year is best understood as a chance to buy the already well-refreshed seventh-generation car at its most mature and fully sorted. The proven twin-turbo V6, NISMO’s manual gearbox option, and GT-R-derived brake upgrades all continue to make a genuinely strong case for this car exactly as it stands today.

The trade-off is straightforward: buyers hoping for a dramatically new Z will need to wait considerably longer, likely past 2030, before Nissan’s next chapter for this nameplate arrives. Even so, anyone finishing this 2028 Nissan Z Review looking for a bottom line will find one of the last genuinely affordable, six-cylinder sports coupes left on the market, still very much worth buying today rather than waiting on a redesign that’s still years away.

2028 Nissan Z Review Images

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