Four years since reviving its Z car lineage, Nissan has quietly pulled the wraps off a facelifted Fairlady Z at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon. The changes are subtle - a reworked front bumper, deleted rear spoiler, simplified badging - yet the result is immediately apparent. 

Where the original felt cluttered by competing nostalgic references, the facelift achieves an elegance previously lacking. The 2027 model commits to 240Z DNA at the front, the most obvious refinement being the revised grille with its body coloured horizontal bar breaking up the oversized original, visually lowering and widening the car. Nissan claims the new front end reduces lift by 3.3 per cent and drag by 1 per cent.

A less obvious change on the bonnet is the deletion of the Nissan badge in favour of a simple Z emblem. Round the back, the Nissan branding remains, but the rear lip spoiler has been deleted. The roof retains its contrasting black finish, which is matched by the centres of the new bi-tone alloy wheels. The launch colour is Unryu Green, a modern interpretation of the S30's Grand Prix Green that works particularly well when paired with the available tan interior.

Mechanically, the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 remains unchanged. Standard models produce 400bhp and 350lb-ft (475Nm) of torque, while the Nismo variant ups this to 420bhp and 384lb-ft (520Nm). Power reaches the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic.

The big news, however, is the six-speed manual will now be available on the Nismo, which was previously restricted to two pedals. Alongside the gearbox comes revised ECU, ignition, and throttle tuning to sharpen response. New monotube shock absorbers with larger diameter pistons aim to improve ride quality across the range, while the Nismo receives further suspension tuning and inherits braking hardware from the now-retired R35 GT-R.

The updated Fairlady Z will reach Japanese showrooms in summer 2026. Nissan has yet to confirm details for the US-spec 400Z, though similar changes are expected later this year. The UK market remains predictably absent from Nissan's plans - making the facelifts newfound elegance all the more frustrating for British enthusiasts.