SPIED: 2023 Nissan Z Nismo

Is this our first glimpse of the Nissan Z Nismo?

Spied on a Japanese racetrack, the car here appears to be the hotter version of the upcoming Z with a more aggressive styling.

Uploaded to YouTube by R Gelan, the short video shows only a few seconds of footage but that’s enough for us to spot a large rear wing and restyled rear bumper. There also appears to be a new wider front fender finished in carbon fibre.

While not much is known of the powerplant at this stage, the Z Nismo is likely to feature a tweaked and more powerful version of the regular Z’s 298kW/475Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.

We can also expect the hotter Z to pack a raft of mechanical enhancement, including increased spring, dampening and stabiliser rates, a strut tower bar brace, performance dampers and bigger brakes.

The all-new Nissan Z will arrive in Australia around mid-year, with a choice of six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission.

There will only be one trim level that brings leather-accented seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.-3-inch digital instrument cluster with three display modes. The new model will also come standard with Active Noise Cancellation to filter out tyre and wind noise, and Active Sound Enhancement to dial up engine noise inside the cabin.

On the safety front, there will be adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.