There are fast cars, there are slow cars, and then there are cars that start fistfights in comment sections. The Nissan Z NISMO is firmly in that last, rarest category. No sports car this year has been argued about more furiously, defended more passionately, or mocked more relentlessly. Mention it in a room full of car people and watch them choose sides like it is a holy war.
Why all the drama? Because Nissan made a series of decisions with this car that range from baffling to borderline heretical, then wrapped them around a machine that, when you actually drive it, is genuinely fantastic. That contradiction is the whole story. The Z NISMO is simultaneously one of the most criticized and most quietly beloved performance cars of the year.
So let me walk you through exactly why this Nissan is the most controversial sports car going, because the case for the outrage and the case for the love are both surprisingly strong.
The Original Sin: No Manual, Period
Here is the decision that lit the fuse. For its launch years, the Z NISMO came with one transmission and one transmission only, and it was not the one enthusiasts wanted. Unfortunately, the six speed manual transmission that’s optional for other Z trim levels can’t be had with the Nismo.
To a sports car purist, this is sacrilege. The cheaper Z trims get three pedals. The NISMO, the hardcore enthusiast version, does not. And Nissan’s justification poured gasoline on the fire. According to Nissan, the company ditched a manual box for the Z NISMO because customer feedback suggested they prioritize lap times. The internet did not buy it for a second. One owner summed up the rage perfectly. The fact that it went automatic only for faster lap times is an absolute joke, especially when the Supra, M2, and Dark Horse all did rounds on the Z NISMO with a manual and at a fraction of the price.
That is controversy point number one, and it is a big one.
The Price Tag Made It Worse
If you are going to anger the purists, you had better not also empty their wallets. The Z NISMO does both. The Nismo stickers for $66,085. In case you needed reminding, that’s essentially identical to the BMW M2’s starting price, more than a Mustang Dark Horse, and apes the price of a fully loaded Supra. Load it up and it climbs higher still, to over $70,000.
That is genuinely tough to swallow, because at that price you are shopping against some absolute heavyweights, most of which offer a manual the Nissan denies you. The value math is brutal, and it became controversy point number two.
And the Cabin Feels Like 2003
Here is where it gets almost comical. For seventy thousand dollars, you might expect a cutting edge interior. Instead, you get a nostalgia trip. Sitting inside the Z NISMO made me look around for my book of CDs. Some part numbers haven’t even changed from the 350Z. Door handles, the e-brake handle, the locks and switches, you betcha. Add a forgettable stereo, no heated seats, and laggy infotainment, and you have a cabin that feels a generation or two behind its price.
The weight does not help its case either. The NISMO is 102 pounds heavier than other trim levels, with a curb weight of 3,704 pounds, making it the porkiest Z by a wide margin. Too heavy, too expensive, too old inside. The pile of grievances kept growing.
The Twist: It Didn’t Even Deliver the Lap Times
Now for the controversy that cuts deepest, because it strikes at Nissan’s own justification. Remember, the company ditched the manual supposedly so buyers could chase faster lap times. So how did it do on track? Not great. The Z NISMO posted a 1:20.47 best lap, which pales against the 1:17.85 we turned in a manual transmission Supra, and also doesn’t touch the automatic Supra’s 1:19.59.
It gets worse. A lower powered BMW M2, also with an automatic, represents every bit the Nissan’s equal in acceleration, raising eyebrows about whether the Z is overrated when it comes to power, possibly pulling power due to heat soak. Read that again. Nissan sacrificed the manual for lap times, and then a cheaper manual Supra, an automatic Supra, and a less powerful BMW all matched or beat it. That is the controversy that turns mere grumbling into genuine outrage.
Read: The $100K Secret: It’s Just a Lamborghini Urus in an Audi SQ8 Suit
How It Stacks Up
Here is where the Z NISMO lands against the rivals everyone keeps throwing at it.
| Model | Power | Manual Option | Approx. Price | Track Edge |
| Nissan Z NISMO | 420 hp | Not yet (coming 2027) | About $66,000 | Trails rivals |
| Toyota GR Supra | Around 382 hp | Yes | Lower | Quicker lap |
| BMW M2 | Around 473 hp | Yes | About $66,000 | Keeps pace |
| Ford Mustang Dark Horse | 500 hp | Yes | Lower | More power |
On paper, that table looks damning, and the harsh review scores reflect it. The Edmunds experts tested the Z both on the road and at the track, giving it a 5.6 out of 10, noting that besides the Nismo trim, the Z leans much more toward a grand touring coupe than a true sports car.
But Here’s Why It’s Controversial, Not Just Bad
If the Z NISMO were simply mediocre, there would be no controversy, just dismissal. What makes it genuinely divisive is that the people who actually drive it keep falling in love. The NISMO transformation is real and dramatic. All the dynamic complaints we served to the Z in past reviews are remedied thanks to added bracing, stiffer suspension, more aggressive stabilizer bars, wider 19 inch wheels, and mega sticky Dunlop tires. These modifications take the Z from a middling sports coupe to a dead serious sports car.
And even the dreaded automatic won converts. Shifts are shockingly quick from each pull of the paddles, losing all of the regular Z’s sluggishness, and there wasn’t one point in which I wished for a better transmission. Some reviewers went further still. This Z might just be the best sports car on sale in 2024. I don’t lament the lack of a manual, it wasn’t great, and the scream turns almost primal as you rev it out.
That is the heart of the controversy. Half the world calls it an overpriced, overweight, auto only embarrassment that cannot back up its own lap time excuse. The other half drives it and calls it the best Z in decades. Both sides are looking at the same car.
The Plot Twist: Nissan Blinked
Here is the kicker that proves the controversy was warranted all along. Nissan listened, and it is fixing the cardinal sin. The 2027 Z NISMO offers an available 6 speed manual for the first time, with a setup engineered specifically for the NISMO grade with an upgraded clutch and a shorter shift stroke, framed by Nissan as a response to fan demand, arriving in summer 2026.
So the single most hated decision is being reversed. That is essentially Nissan admitting the outrage had a point. For the enthusiasts who held the line, it is vindication. For everyone who already bought the automatic, it is a slightly awkward conversation.
Verdict: Controversial Because It’s Better Than Its Reputation
So why is the Nissan Z NISMO the most controversial sports car of the year? Because it is a genuinely thrilling machine buried under a pile of baffling decisions, and that gap between how it looks on paper and how it feels on a back road drives people to opposite extremes.
The criticisms are absolutely fair. It launched without a manual, it costs M2 money, it tips the scales at nearly 3,700 pounds, its cabin is recycled from the Bush administration, and it could not even deliver the class leading lap times that supposedly justified going automatic only. Anyone pointing at those facts and frowning has every right to.
But the car itself, the actual experience of driving it hard, is shockingly good. That primal screaming V6, the transformed chassis, the sticky tires, the surprisingly sharp automatic, they add up to a coupe that the people behind the wheel keep describing as a revelation. It is not the fastest or the best value in its class, but it is alive in a way that wins hearts the moment you stop reading spec sheets and start driving.
Here is where I land. If you want the Z NISMO, wait for the 2027 with the manual, because that single change answers the loudest complaint and makes the whole package finally make sense. If you do not care about rowing your own gears and you can find a deal, the automatic is far better than the internet will ever admit. Either way, you will own the most argued about sports car of the year, a car that is simultaneously a punchline and a hidden gem depending on who you ask.
And honestly? That is exactly what makes it so fascinating. The Z NISMO is flawed, overpriced, heavy, and dated, and it is also genuinely, stubbornly, primally fun. Both things are true at once. No wonder nobody can agree on it. Go drive one and pick your side. Just be ready to defend it.
