Just a few days ago, I was randomly thinking about the Nissan Z Proto concept. That show car previewed the current generation five years ago; it was practically the real thing, and everyone loved the way it looked. But, half a decade on, the seventh-gen Z feels like an afterthought—like it never quite seized that pre-launch hype. Perhaps Nissan was a bit slow to react. The Nismo Z, for example, should’ve been sold with a manual since day one, but for some reason, it took the company years to rectify that oversight. Now, it’s trying to get people talking about the sports car again with the 2026 Z Heritage Edition.
Before we get into it, know that the Heritage Edition is purely an appearance package. Nissan’s press release describes it as a “Z32 brought to the 21st century”—specifically calling attention to the fourth-generation model that was sold here as the 300ZX. The touches referencing that car include “Twin Turbo” graphics on the sides and on the carbon-fiber rear spoiler.
Otherwise, there’s nothing about this particular vehicle that calls the 300ZX to mind. Sure, the current Z has taillights that evoke the Z32’s horizontal strips of light, but that applies to every trim. The other head-scratcher is the color. Last time Nissan did up a nostalgic Z, it painted the car in a shade of orange reminiscent of the rarest, most coveted Z of them all, the Fairlady Z432R. That car also had 19-inch wheels that almost looked like the Watanabe-style design popular on older Japanese sports cars, as well as a 240Z-like split grille. It was quite good and very authentic as far as appearance packages go.
This new one, though, has simply been done up in Midnight Purple—a color with significance to the Nissan GT-R more so than the Z. Look, it’s a neat shade and all, but nothing about it screams Z. Nissan provided images of it posing next to a Midnight Purple GT-R, and the Heritage Z closely matches the theme with its gold wheels. They’re the same wheels a standard Z gets, just painted differently.
Now, Nissan had an opportunity to punch this Z up a bit in the cabin, but it didn’t take it. Buyers will be treated to “unique door kick plates and exclusive floor mats,” per the press release. But I’ve driven the current Z before, and I was actually quite fond of its interior; a test car I had years ago had the red-and-black scheme, and of course, Nissan still offers the Z with a mostly blue cabin. Some purple inserts or trim could’ve made the new Heritage Edition feel more special inside, but this Z’s just all black.
The rest of what you see is the Z you already know, with a 400-horsepower, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V6. A little less refined than its competitors, though one of the cheaper paths to a simple, three-pedal, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The Heritage Z will join three other trims—the Sport, Performance, and Nismo—for the upcoming model year, and it’s based on that mid-level Performance spec that includes better tires, brakes, and a limited-slip differential. It’ll cost $57,155 including shipping, making the Heritage package a $2,940 addition to a normal 2026 Z Performance at $54,215. The 2026 Nissan Z starts at $44,215.
Updated 12:30 p.m. ET: Added new pricing information from Nissan issued after publication.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
