When Nissan introduced the 400Z (aka 2024 Z), it made it clear the sports car wasn’t officially sold in Europe. So what can you do if you’re on the Old Continent and want to make some Supras sweat while sticking to the JDM game? For one, a Nissan dealer in Germany has imported multiple 400Zs this year and is selling them as new vehicles.
The company in question, Autohaus Brommler in Altenberge, is known as a specialty Nissan dealer. For one, it’s been involved in modifying GT-Rs and its showroom displays heritage models like a Hakosuka GT-R, a 240Z, and a 300ZX.
Back in June, the dealer posted a 400Z Proto on its Facebook page. And in reply to a comment about potential sales, it set the price at EUR83,960. And, at the time of writing, the company’s website lists multiple new 400Zs using the mid-level Performance trim, with mileage values of around 100 km (60 miles).
The prices sit at EUR83,300 for the six-speed manual and EUR84,890 for the nine-speed automatic. However, even with those values including the country’s 19% VAT, they’re probably more than we would’ve had to pay if Nissan had chosen to make the new Z an official product on the Old Continent.
For instance, in the US, the 2024 Nissan Z (400Z) starts at $42,210 ($52,210 for the Performance), which is less than what you have to pay for the most affordable six-cylinder 2024 Toyota Supra ($54,500). And in Germany, the six-cylinder Supra starts at EUR67,850, 19% VAT included.
JP Performance is probably building a 400Z after having driven one on German plates
In his latest video, Jean Pierre Kraemer of JP Performance—probably Europe’s most famous car builder—paid a visit to Brommler and drove an imported Nissan 400Z on German license plates.
The test drive (14:40 timestamp of the clip below) involved an example that had received a tune taking the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 from 400 to around 530 hp, with the car sporting the six-speed manual that Nissan won’t offer on the 2024 400Z Nismo—at least at the time when this article was published, there was no talk of the said dealer also importing 400Z Nismos to Germany.
Nevertheless, Brommler already offers chassis modifications and custom wheels for the 400Z, but none of these were fitted to the car.
Still, with JP having twin-turbocharged a 350Z and modified a 370Z, you can expect to see a JP Performance 400Z. After all, while a Supra or a BMW M2 may offer better value for money compared to this European-imported 400Z, the Nissan has always been a great platform for the aftermarket. Plus, with the JP Performance shop and museum set to be joined by a race track, building a 400Z would be a great way to thrill JDM lovers in Europe.
Why Nissan doesn’t officially sell the 400Z in Europe
Even with the chassis being an evolution of a platform dating back to the 350Z and the engine being borrowed from the Infinity Q60 Red Sport, Nissan didn’t develop a new generation of the Z just for the Land of the Rising Sun. Instead, the 400Z is sold in markets like America, Australia, and the Middle East through official channels, or, better said, in large(r) numbers.
The carmaker explains it’s not officially offering the 400Z on the Old Continent due to the strict emission regulations of the European Union, while also citing the shrinking sports car market. Now, competitors like the Mk V Toyota Supra and the S650 Mustang (here’s a 2024 Mustang gone Lightning McQueen), which are sold in Europe, mean you shouldn’t take that final point too seriously.
The emission part is real, though. Currently, in the EU, carmakers need to limit their average model range emissions to 95 grams of CO2/km. For the record, the said dealer lists the Nissan 400Z at 298g of CO2/km for the manual and 304g of CO2/km for the automatic. Companies failing to meet that will pay fines of EUR95 per gram over the limit for each vehicle sold in a certain year.