An Automatic Transmission Keeps the 2023 Nissan Z Up to Speed
Photo Source: NISSAN
The truth is that, at its core, the 2023 Nissan Z is underpinned by a platform that has been utilized for decades. With the Infiniti engine under the hood with the very same output found in the Red Sport trims, it is easy to assume that Nissan simply cobbled a plethora of pieces together from existing parts bins into a new body and left it at that. That actually could not be further from the truth, though, and it is surprising to know just what happened below the skin to make the Nissan Z so new that it will drive better than any Z car that came before it.
Not Merely an Engine Swap
As mentioned, there is an Infiniti engine lurking under the Z’s hood. The 350Z’s 3.7-liter V-6 accelerated at 332 horsepower and generated 270 pound-feet of torque, so this Infiniti powerhouse with 400 ponies and 350 pound-feet of torque is a significant improvement on its own. Even though the power figures are identical to those of the Q60 Red Sport 400, that vehicle is not a true-to-life sports car, so it does not have to adhere to the same principles as something like the Nissan Z. That means that Nissan had to come up with a way to make this engine better, and it all came down to throttle response. In short, the turbos need to remain spooled and ready until the second the driver is back on the throttle.
Transmission Matters
Just like an Infiniti engine powers the car, a modified Nissan Titan automatic transmission is featured in the all-new Z. The question now becomes: A nine-speed automatic truck transmission in a sports car does not make sense, does it? Nissan made some intriguing alterations to make that nine-speed automatic worthy of sports car duty. First of all, if an owner were to lay out the internal components of the Z’s automatic next to the ones of a Titan automatic, they would discover that they are practically identical inside.
However, the transmission case is completely different, with the Z’s transmission hardware being housed inside a new, lightweight magnesium case. This new case sheds a total of 44 pounds of weight – something that helps to offset the weight added by the turbos. On top of the new case, the transmission itself is quite resilient and can easily be adapted to different duties. All in all, with some software and shift algorithm changes, Nissan was able to make what is essentially the Titan’s transmission shift like a performance transmission designed for a sports car.
Evaluating the Drive
In Car and Driver’s performance testing, the new engine and transmission combination resulted in significantly improved acceleration figures. According to the editors of the article, the automatic Z predictably outpaced its manual counterpart. Indeed, “the automatic Z outran the manual car to 60 mph, requiring 4.3 seconds compared to the six-speed’s 4.5 seconds. The automatic Z cleared the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 115 mph, with the manual car recording a 13.0-second run at 111 mph.”
The automatic Z was undoubtedly the winner, but it should be noted that it is possible for the automatic transmission to function even more quickly with the addition of 93-octane fuel. It seems reasonable to expect that an automatic Z running on premium fuel could be a juggernaut, where its 400 horsepower torrent would feel relentless.
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