New Nissan Z Special Edition Rumored For The Fall

A new special edition based on the Nissan Z could arrive in the fall if a new rumor is to be believed. According to insiders who spoke to Carscoops, Nissan is hard at work on a limited edition to celebrate 55 years of Nissan Z production, a milestone it will reach in October. The report does not give much detail, but the publication says that its source has been “extremely reliable in the past.” This source says the car will arrive in the fall for the 2024 model year and that prototypes have already begun arriving on US soil, likely because a new bumper design is expected, which could necessitate new crash tests.

Fairlady Z Customized Edition Styling?

The report notes that this special edition “could” arrive with styling cues borrowed from the Fairlady Z Customized Edition, whose styling changes were first seen when the Proto Concept debuted in late 2022 before being released as a Japan-only special edition in August 2023. This had two-tone paintwork, various Fairlady Z badges, 19-inch eight-spoke alloys, and various decals, but its biggest change was the addition of a retro front bumper with a unique split grille that calls to mind the sports car’s ancestors.

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If carried over to the rumored special edition, that unique shape would require new crash tests. A new exhaust design was also seen, but no performance upgrades. If the US-spec Nissan Z special edition gets these exterior upgrades, we expect the interior will get some mild alterations, too. What about performance?

As standard, the regular Nissan Z develops 400 horsepower from its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, while the hotter Z Nismo is rated at 420 hp. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room, so we doubt that Nissan would give the anniversary model any more oomph to avoid cannibalizing sales. That being said, there are Nismo tuning upgrades for the Z, including suspension, wheel, exhaust, and intake options, so we may just get a few little improvements over the regular Z.

Our bet is that this special edition, if real, will be little more than an appearance package. Given the lukewarm reception the Nismo version of the Z received, that may not be enough to realize a marked increase in sales. Whatever the case, a fall reveal would mean that teasers won’t take too long to arrive. CarBuzz has reached out to Nissan for comment, but automakers do not make a habit of confirming or denying speculation about future products.