Nissan has finally corrected one of the most controversial decisions surrounding the current Z NISMO: the company’s most focused version of the sports car can now be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission. For 2027, the 420-horsepower Z NISMO pairs its twin-turbo V6 with either a manual or the familiar nine-speed automatic, giving enthusiasts the choice many expected from the beginning.
The Canadian side of the story is more nuanced than the headline alone suggests. Nissan Canada has published specifications, pricing and online configuration for the manual NISMO, and Canadian reports have pointed to a summer arrival. What remains less tidy is a single nationwide launch date and consistent dealer availability. In fact, some 2027 examples have already appeared in Canadian dealer listings, making this less a question of whether the manual NISMO is coming than exactly when and where buyers can get one.
The Z NISMO Started With an Automatic-Only Problem
When the current-generation Z NISMO arrived for the 2024 model year, Nissan gave it many of the ingredients enthusiasts expected. Its 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 produced 420 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, up from 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft in the regular Z. Nissan also fitted more aggressive suspension tuning, additional cooling, stronger brakes and aerodynamic changes intended to make the NISMO substantially more capable during hard driving. There was, however, one conspicuous omission: buyers could only get a nine-speed automatic.
That decision was particularly noticeable because less expensive versions of the Z already offered a six-speed manual. Nissan had legitimate performance reasons for favouring the automatic—the NISMO-specific transmission calibration delivered significantly quicker downshifts and worked with a dedicated Sport+ mode—but the decision still felt unusual for a car positioned around driver involvement. Canadian reviewers highlighted the contradiction when the NISMO first appeared. Starting with the 2027 model year, Nissan has effectively answered those complaints by giving the flagship Z the transmission many enthusiasts believed it should have offered from day one.
Nissan Did More Than Bolt in the Regular Z’s Gearbox
Adding a clutch pedal sounds simple until an automaker has to make the combination durable, responsive and suitable for warranty-backed track use. Nissan therefore did more than transplant the manual hardware from a Z Sport or Performance. The 2027 NISMO receives a transmission setup tuned specifically for the higher-output model, including an improved pressure plate and clutch designed to cope with its additional torque. Nissan also changed the shift-lever ratio to shorten the movement required between gears, giving the shifter a more deliberate, performance-oriented action.
Engine calibration received attention as well. Although output remains at 420 horsepower and 384 lb-ft, Nissan revised throttle and ignition controls for the manual version to improve response and power delivery. The company also retuned the car’s Active Sound Enhancement and Active Noise Cancellation systems around the manual powertrain. Nissan Canada describes the result as a short-throw setup designed to provide quicker shifts, stronger clutch grip and smooth engagement. Crucially, buyers still have a choice: the nine-speed automatic remains available, retaining its NISMO tuning and Sport+ programming for drivers who prioritize outright shift speed over operating three pedals themselves.
GT-R-Inspired Brakes Make the 2027 Upgrade Bigger Than a Transmission Story
The six-speed manual gets most of the attention, but Nissan also made meaningful changes underneath the 2027 Z NISMO. The front brakes now use two-piece iron-and-aluminum rotors developed with lessons from the discontinued R35 GT-R. The new components reportedly remove about 19 pounds of unsprung mass from the front of the car compared with the previous setup. They also use improved cooling passages intended to control brake temperatures during repeated hard stops—exactly the kind of improvement that matters during a long track session rather than a short acceleration run.
Removing that much mass from the front corners also required Nissan to reconsider the chassis calibration. Engineers retuned the suspension to account for the lighter brake hardware and made changes to the steering system intended to improve feedback and reduce the small corrections a driver needs to make through a corner. The NISMO continues to use performance-focused suspension tuning, 19-inch forged RAYS wheels, a mechanical limited-slip differential and its distinctive aerodynamic package. In other words, Nissan has used the manual’s arrival as part of a broader attempt to make the 2027 NISMO feel more cohesive, not merely more nostalgic.
The Rest of the 2027 Z Lineup Gets Attention Too
Nissan has not limited the 2027 changes to the flagship model. The Sport and Performance versions retain their 400-horsepower, 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel drive and choice of six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic, but the refreshed lineup receives styling and engineering revisions. One of the more visible changes is a redesigned front treatment that leans more heavily on early Z-car design themes. Nissan has also introduced Shinkai Green Pearl Metallic, a heritage-inspired colour offered on the Performance trim with a contrasting black roof.
There are functional changes beneath the surface as well. Performance models receive revised damping hardware, while Nissan has redesigned the Z’s fuel system to improve fuel delivery during sustained high-g cornering—an issue that matters most when the tank is partially depleted during track driving. Nissan Canada also lists modern performance technology such as available SynchroRev Match, launch control and no-lift-shift functionality with the manual transmission. None of these changes reinvent the Z platform, but together they show Nissan concentrating its limited sports-car resources on sharpening the existing formula rather than dramatically replacing it.
Canadian Pricing Is Already Confirmed—and the Manual Costs No More
Canadian buyers are not waiting for a price announcement. Nissan Canada currently lists the 2027 Z Sport from C$49,998, the Z Performance from C$62,998 and the Z NISMO from C$76,998 before applicable charges. More importantly for enthusiasts, the company lists the NISMO 6MT and NISMO 9AT at the same starting MSRP. Choosing the manual therefore does not trigger an additional factory premium simply because it is the newer or more enthusiast-oriented transmission.
The structure creates an interesting hierarchy. A manual NISMO carries a C$14,000 MSRP premium over the Z Performance before fees and taxes, while adding 20 horsepower along with NISMO-specific chassis, brake, steering, interior and aerodynamic upgrades. The base Sport, meanwhile, begins C$27,000 below the NISMO and still provides the fundamental Z recipe of a twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel drive and an available clutch pedal. That means the NISMO does not make financial sense merely as a way to obtain a manual transmission. Its appeal depends on whether the additional track-focused hardware, extra output, exclusivity and more aggressive calibration are worth the substantial step up in price.
Canada’s “No Launch Timing” Situation Now Needs an Important Qualification
For Canadians watching the 2027 Z NISMO, describing the car as completely without launch timing would now be too strong. Canadian automotive publications reported in July that the refreshed 2027 Z was expected to reach dealerships during the summer, with one report describing arrivals as taking place before summer’s end. Nissan Canada’s own website now goes further than a simple preview: it displays Canadian prices, allows shoppers to configure the 2027 models, includes the NISMO 6MT in its inventory filters and provides an online reservation pathway for the Z.
There is also evidence that physical cars have started entering the retail pipeline. A recent AutoTrader listing from a Nissan dealer in Vancouver advertised a new 2027 Z NISMO 6MT with only 10 kilometres on the odometer. Other Canadian marketplaces have similarly displayed 2027 Z inventory. What buyers still do not have is a neat, universally applicable national launch date guaranteeing that manual NISMOs will be available simultaneously across the country. Availability can therefore differ considerably by dealer and region. For someone hoping to buy one immediately, local inventory now matters more than waiting for another broad national announcement.
For Enthusiasts, the Bigger Change Is That the NISMO Finally Makes Sense as a Choice
The previous Z NISMO was not slow because it lacked a manual. In fact, an automatic can deliver more repeatable acceleration and faster shifts than a human working a clutch pedal. Nissan had also specifically optimized the NISMO’s nine-speed transmission for performance, including much quicker downshifts than the regular automatic Z. The criticism was philosophical as much as technical: buyers considering a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive Japanese sports coupe often value participation alongside stopwatch results, and the most expensive performance version was the only Z that removed that choice.
The 2027 model fixes that mismatch without eliminating the automatic. Someone who wants the quickest, most convenient transmission can still select the nine-speed, while someone who views shifting gears as part of the experience can finally order the NISMO accordingly. That flexibility may ultimately matter more than another small increase in horsepower would have. With 420 horsepower already available, Nissan has focused on the connection between driver and car—shorter shifts, revised engine response, lighter front brakes and sharper chassis calibration. For Canadian enthusiasts, the remaining challenge is no longer convincing Nissan to build a manual Z NISMO. It is finding the right one at the right dealer.
