No manual transmission for 2024 Nissan Z Nismo report

The flagship race track-ready version of the new Nissan Z sports car will only be available with an automatic transmission, according to a leaked dealer bulletin in the US.

The 2024 Nissan Z Nismo – the inbound high-performance version of the sports car – may not be available with a manual gearbox for what is believed the first time for a Nissan Z-car nameplate in decades.

The sole availability of a nine-speed automatic transmission in the Z Nismo – teased last week – is shown in screenshots of what’s claimed to be a bulletin sent to US Nissan dealers, posted to the NewNissanZ forum.

The Sport and Performance variants of the regular Nissan Z available in the US will remain available with six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmissions for Model Year 2024, the bulletin shows.

MORE: 2024 Nissan Z Nismo is go! Teasers released

It is believed to the first time in multiple decades a performance version of a Nissan ‘Zed’ car – since certain turbo versions of the 280ZX and 300ZX in the 1980s, only in select markets – has been available solely with an automatic transmission.

The previous Nissan 370Z Nismo was offered with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions in Australia, while its 350Z Nismo predecessor – not sold in Australia – was a manual-only model.

It is possible the Nissan Z’s manual transmission – which was adapted from the previous 14-year-old 370Z – may not be able to support a higher torque output that could come with a performance boost for the Nismo model.

The standard Nissan Z’s 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 develops 298kW and 475Nm. Reports out of Japan have suggested power and torque boosts are planned, but it’s unclear by how much outputs will rise.

Previewed last week, the Nissan Z Nismo is due to adopt comprehensive exterior changes with new front and rear bumpers, larger wheels and brakes, a taller spoiler, and upgraded interior with Recaro sports seats and red accents.

More details of the 2024 Nissan Z Nismo are due when it is unveiled later in the northern hemisphere’s summer, which runs until the end of August 2023.

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