The upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon will see Nissan launch its long-awaited Nismo Z manual, but the three-pedal sports car has arrived early in images.
Nissan today announced it will unveil a number of new or updated models at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon – running from January 9 to 11 – with the Z being one of its stars of the show.
The brand’s executives, such as Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier, have previously said the Z Nismo would finally get a manual transmission in the near future, having been automatic-only from launch despite the base coupe being available as a three-pedal.
While Nissan will reveal the details of the Z Nismo manual at Tokyo Auto Salon, the carmaker has already uploaded two images of its cabin online, showing the six-speed gearbox within the high-performance sports car’s cabin.
Nissan hasn’t said anything outside of the Z Nismo manual being made for “customers looking for a heightened driving experience”.
At the launch of the Z Nismo in 2021, Nissan executives said that a three-pedal version would ultimately be slower than the auto base model, despite the hot model’s power and torque advantage.
There is also a question mark over whether it’ll retain the same outputs as the automatic version. Carmakers such as BMW traditionally have less power and/or torque in manual models compared to their auto counterparts, mainly to better protect the driveline.
The Nissan Z Nismo currently produces 313kW and 521Nm from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, up 15kW and 47Nm on the standard car.
In addition to revealing the three-pedal Z Nismo, Nissan will also unveil a facelifted Z, which it says “will feature new design styling aimed at increasing aerodynamic performance”.
According to a previous report by Japanese publication Creative Trend, changes will include a tweaked front bumper and more aggressive Nismo-style rear lip spoiler, with no amendments to outputs or the interior.
Nissan says the updated 2026 Z will launch in Japan over the local summer, suggesting a late-2026 Australian arrival.
Australia is still waiting for word on whether the US-market Z Heritage Edition – which pays tribute to both the Skyline GT-R of the mid-late 1990s as well as the Z32 300ZX – will be available here.
Locally, the Nissan Z is the brand’s second slowest-selling car on sale, excluding the Ariya electric SUV which arrived mid-year.
Between January and November Nissan delivered 147 examples of the Z, massively behind the Ford Mustang (3712 deliveries), and trailing even the far more expensive Porsche 718 twins (149 Boxsters, 201 Caymans).
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