The Z runs in my blood. My grandpa owned a 240Z, my dad owned one, and I spent the pandemic wrenching on and driving a 280Z until I eventually, and reluctantly, handed over the keys. The love for the nameplate didn’t go anywhere with them, however. The Z has always been the car that taught enthusiasts what a sports car is supposed to feel like: accessible, dependable, no gimmicks, with performance always a few notches higher than you strictly need. That equation has held across every generation. When I got the call to drive the 2027 Nissan Z Nismo with a manual at Sonoma Raceway, I wasn’t just excited as a journalist. I was excited as a lifer.