One Nissan Z Still Commands A Markup, And It’s Not The NISMO

by Stephen Rivers

• Dealers still pushing massive markups on limited Nissan Z models.
• Midnight Purple Heritage Edition is rare, not worth $14K more.
• Buyers have smarter options than overpaying greedy dealerships.

The Nissan Z is an incredibly fun car. It’s far from the fastest or the most dynamic in its class, but it’s a playful partner from behind the wheel. When it first hit the market, dealer markups ballooned to absurd levels, but once the initial frenzy passed, things cooled off.

Now, Nissan’s new Heritage Edition is once again giving greedy dealers something to markup, and one case shows just how out of touch these dealers are.

More: Nissan’s Z Heritage Edition Will Hit 300ZX Fans Right In The Feels

Spotted by one keen-eyed Reddit user, the car in question is a Z Performance with a manual gearbox and the Heritage Edition package. That includes 19-inch RAYS bronze wheels, unique exterior graphics, a carbon fiber spoiler, Heritage Edition floor mats, and illuminated kick plates.

Maybe the most special thing about it is the Midnight Purple paint that Nissan fans adore. The automaker earmarked just 500 units for the US.

That said, the Heritage Edition doesn’t get the big brake kit from the Z NISMO, and it doesn’t get a power bump either. Despite that, Fontana Nissan in California wants a whopping $71,755 for their example.

That’s a full $13,970 over MSRP, or in other words, it’s 24 percent more than Nissan tells its dear customers that they should pay. Maybe that’s why Fontana Nissan won’t actually advertise the price on its website.

Hilariously, it does itemize the “Installed Options” including the Heritage Edition package and the grand total for everything, including dinky little Z center caps, is just $3,570.

Playing Hide and Seek With Pricing

Thankfully, the Reddit user in question noticed the dealer uploaded a photo that included its window sticker with the markup listed as a cool $10,000. How does that equal $13,970, you might ask. Well, don’t forget the three different additional packages not listed online that amount to $3,970.

While we can’t fully make them out in the photo, one appears to be some sort of alarm coverage for three years, while the other two cover something for 10 and three years, respectively. In plenty of circles, those are just considered additional dealer markup rather than genuine value add-ons.

There’s no question that the Z is a special car, and the rarity of the Heritage Edition will make it unique for years to come. For our cash, though, we’d find a dealer willing to sell one for what Nissan says it should. Or we’d buy a non-Heritage Edition and wrap it in Midnight Purple after the fact.