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The Nissan Z Gets a Rare, Sought-After Upgrade That Riffs on One of Its Most Legendary Cars

The 2026 Heritage Edition brings some eye-catching touches along with an option that Nissan rarely offers.

Rear section of a black Nissan sports car featuring a carbon fiber spoiler with "TWIN TURBO" text, a "Z" emblem, and distinctive red tail lights.Nissan
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By Gray Van Dyke

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From its Y-shaped hood bulge to its 1980s-era taillights, the Nissan Z is packed with design elements that reference the Japanese sports car’s extensive legacy.

Even still, Nissan added a ‘Heritage Edition’ to the lineup in 2024 as a means to further honor the Z’s history. 

Side view of a dark purple sports car with gold wheels and red brake calipers. The car has a sleek, low profile with a "TWIN TURBO" decal in gold along the lower side panel. The roof and side mirrors are black, and there is a circular emblem near the rear window. The background is a plain light gray studio setting.
The Nissan Z is decidedly retro from tip to tail, and the Heritage Edition only takes the nostalgia to the next level.
Nissan

With its bright orange paint and S30-inspired touches, it made for an undeniably attractive package. However, the new 2026 Heritage Edition Z takes the Nissan nostalgia to the next level — it brings one of the brand’s rarest and most sought-after upgrades.

Revisiting the 300ZX

As was the case with Nissan’s previous Heritage Edition, the package will only be available on the middling Performance trim.

Close-up of a black car's side panel featuring a gold "TWIN TURBO" decal and a gold alloy wheel with a Bridgestone tire and a Nissan logo in the center.
The Twin Turbo graphics reference the Z32-generation 300ZX from the 1990s.
Nissan

In practice, this means that it features a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 rated for 400 horsepower, the option of a six-speed manual transmission or a nine-speed automatic, plus a mechanical limited-slip diff and some lightweight forged aluminum wheels.

However, where Nissan previously drew inspiration from the 240Z, the new Heritage Edition instead gives a nod to the 300ZX. With the Z32 generation in 1990, the model introduced a second turbocharger to the Z’s V6.

Sleek black Nissan sports car with a "Twin Turbo" badge, gold alloy wheels, and distinctive rear LED taillights, shown from a rear three-quarter angle against a plain light background.
The subtle carbon fiber spoiler and bronze wheels really transform the Z.
Nissan

Accordingly, Nissan has bestowed the Z Heritage Edition with some eye-catching bronze Rays wheels, a carbon fiber spoiler and some retro-styled Twin Turbo graphics along the sides of the body. 

What’s more, you’ll find plenty of subtle details around the car — in addition to a unique Twin Turbo badge on the tail, it also sports some unique interior door kick plates and a set of exclusive floor mats.

Interior of a modern car featuring a black leather-wrapped steering wheel with a "Z" logo, a digital instrument cluster, and a large touchscreen infotainment system displaying a navigation map. The dashboard and center console are finished in black with contrast stitching, and the car has a manual gear shift lever with a round knob. Three round climate control dials are located below the infotainment screen. The door panel includes window controls and a side mirror.
Thankfully, Nissan’s Z stays true to its spirit by continuing to offer a six-speed manual.
Nissan

Midnight purple mystique

There’s no discounting that the graphics and other aesthetic add-ons make for a marked improvement in the Nissan Z’s appearance. However, it’s the new paint option that’s arguably the most impactful in its result.

That’s because Nissan is offering the buyers the choice of Midnight Purple on the Z for the first time. Along with bringing an eye-catching color-shifting look, it’s also a highly desirable upgrade.

Two dark purple Nissan sports cars are positioned on a plain white background. The car on the left is a Nissan Z with gold wheels and red brake calipers, featuring a sleek, modern design with sharp headlights and a low front grille. The car on the right is a Nissan GT-R, also with gold wheels, a more aggressive front bumper, and a rear spoiler, showcasing a muscular and aerodynamic profile. Both cars have a glossy finish and are angled slightly to the right.
It wasn’t until 2021 that Nissan made Mightnight Purple part of the lineup again with the GT-R T-Spec.
Nissan

After all, when Nissan has made the hue available on the GT-R, it’s done so sparingly. Midnight Purple first appeared on the R33, and subsequent variants — Midnight Purple II and III — only made their way onto cars like the legendary, limited-edition R34 GT-R V-Spec.

Following the discontinuation of the R34 in 2002, it would be nearly two decades before Nissan would bring the color back to its lineup. Though the R35 GT-R introduced a similar ‘Midnight Opal’ on the Special Edition in 2014, it wasn’t until the launch of the T-Spec in 2021 that Midnight Purple actually made its return.

With each iteration, the Midnight Purple GT-R has been a highly limited affair — by bringing the color to the Z, Nissan is making it more accessible than ever before.

Close-up of a car emblem featuring a stylized "Z" in silver on a black oval background, surrounded by a gold laurel wreath with the text "HERITAGE EDITION" below it on a dark maroon surface.
The wreathed Heritage Edition graphics complement the Z roundels quite nicely — especially against that Midnight Purple hue.
Nissan

Pricing and availability

According to Nissan pricing for the 2026 Z Performance starts at $52,970 — for either the manual or the automatic. The optional Heritage Edition package is stated to add $2,940, bringing the total MSRP to $55,910.

It will be available to order soon, and you can learn more and stay up to date by heading over to the Nissan website.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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