For fans of Nissan’s Z sports car, the long wait for the next generation in the line is almost over.
Nissan on Tuesday announced that a prototype version of the new Z sports car, the Z Proto, will be shown September 15.
The prototype will likely reveal the design of the new Z sports car, and not much else. Nissan is being tight with details as it could be some time before the actual production model arrives. Nissan in May revealed another teaser video (shown below) that indicated the new Z is one of multiple models due in the next four years.
The earlier video provided us with a silhouette of the new Z and the signature of its daytime running lights. So far it looks like the car, code-named the Z35, will feature proportions similar to the 370Z, coupled with more refined details. Word on the street is Nissan has gone with a more retro design, something backed by the recent discovery of a trademark for a new Z logo that resembles the logo used on the original 240Z launched in 1969.
The first test mules surfaced late last year which points to a market arrival around 2022—fingers crossed. Those test mules also point to the new Z being slightly smaller than the 370Z.
Power is likely to come from the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 found in Infiniti’s 400 Red Sport models, which delivers 400 horsepower. Rumor has it the new Z will have the same 400-hp rating, and a corresponding 400Z name.
Teaser for Z35 Nissan Z sports car
While Infiniti only pairs the twin-turbo V-6 with automatic transmissions, Nissan is likely to still offer a manual alternative and hopefully with the current Z’s rev-matching feature too, so you can continue to sound like a pro during shifts.
The man known as “Mr. GT-R,” Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist for the GT-R and Nismo, told Motor Authority in 2019 the future of the GT-R and the Z would be shaped by customers. Sounds like customers said they want the Z to return to its roots in terms of looks and deliver more power.
But what about the other models featured in the teaser video above. It appears the list includes future versions of the Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Murano, Navara, Note, Pathfinder, Qashqai (nee Rogue Sport), Rogue, and Terra, as well as the Ariya battery-electric crossover. Some of these we’ll see in the United States like an updated Armada, the next-generation Frontier, Pathfinder, Rogue and Rogue Sport, and new Ariya.
