The GT-R May Be Dead, But the Z Keeps Its Best Paint Job Alive

Midnight Purple is finally available on the Z. But the bronze awesomeness is only on the mid-grade Performance trim.

Nissan Z Heritage Edition Midnight Purple Paint

Photo by: Nissan

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Sep 9, 2025 at 11:00am ET

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Nissan has a new Heritage Edition available for the 2026 Z sports car—and it looks sharp. Unfortunately, this latest makeover is just a visual upgrade, but it harkens back to the Z's past with a touch of GT-R influence in the Midnight Purple paint.

Nissan adds bronze 19-inch RAYS wheels, a carbon-fiber rear spoiler with retro-style "Twin Turbo" badging, and other bronze accents with the package, taking cues from the 300ZX. It also features a bronze "Twin Turbo" body-side graphic that drips with retro-infused styling.

Inside, the special Z gets unique kick plates and special floor mats.

Nissan will offer the Heritage Edition only on the mid-grade Performance trim, which comes with a mechanical limited-slip differential, performance brakes, a Bose audio system, heated mirrors, and aluminum pedals.

2026 Nissan Z Heritage Edition Front 3/4

2026 Nissan Z Heritage Edition Rear 3/4

Source: Nissan

The entry-level Sport trim features an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 18-inch wheels wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN Sport high-performance tires for 2026.

Both trims come with Nissan's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. It makes 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, and you can pair it with a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic.

If that's not enough, the 2026 Nissan Z Nismo returns for 2026, producing 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. It's only available with an automatic transmission, but Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier recently revealed that the company has "a Nismo manual transmission coming." He didn't elaborate on when it would arrive, but we don't expect a long wait.

2026 Nissan Z Heritage Edition Rear Spoiler

Photos by: Nissan

2026 Nissan Z Heritage Edition Kick Plate

The Z Nismo also features a faster-shifting gearbox, revised bodywork, wider wheels, and Nismo-tuned suspension and brakes.

Inside, the coupe features Recaro seats, a leather- and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, and red-anodized start-stop buttons. Also new for 2026 is the Boulder Gray paint paired with a black roof. It's only available on the Sport and Performance trims. Nissan says the 2026 Z will begin reaching dealers by the end of this month.

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The 2026 Nissan Z is only $50 more to start than before due to the destination charge. It now starts at $44,215, with the $1,245 fee. The Z Performance will begin at $54,215, while the Z Nismo will cost $66,996. The Heritage Package is a $2,940 premium, much cheaper than the $6,165 version for 2024.

Premium and standard two-tone paints are available for an additional $1,295 and $895, respectively, on all three trims. The premium paint option for the Sport and Performance grades costs $450.

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